Apache web server accounts accessing the directory tree, the shell, or other operating system functions and utilities must only be administrative accounts.

Overview

Finding ID	Version	Rule ID	IA Controls	Severity
V-214329	AS24-W1-000430	SV-214329r879631_rule		Medium

Description
As a rule, accounts on a web server are to be kept to a minimum. Only administrators, web managers, developers, auditors, and web authors require accounts on the machine hosting the web server. The resources to which these accounts have access must also be closely monitored and controlled. Only the system administrator needs access to all the system's capabilities, while the web administrator and associated staff require access and control of the web content and web server configuration files.

Description

As a rule, accounts on a web server are to be kept to a minimum. Only administrators, web managers, developers, auditors, and web authors require accounts on the machine hosting the web server. The resources to which these accounts have access must also be closely monitored and controlled. Only the system administrator needs access to all the system's capabilities, while the web administrator and associated staff require access and control of the web content and web server configuration files.

STIG	Date
Apache Server 2.4 Windows Server Security Technical Implementation Guide	2022-12-14

Details

Check Text ( C-15541r277490_chk )
Review the web server documentation and configuration to determine what web server accounts are available on the hosting server. Review permissions in the web and Apache directories. If the files are owned by anyone other than the Apache user set up to run Apache, this is a finding. If non-privileged web server accounts are available with access to functions, directories, or files not needed for the role of the account, this is a finding.

Check Text ( C-15541r277490_chk )

Review the web server documentation and configuration to determine what web server accounts are available on the hosting server.

Review permissions in the web and Apache directories.

If the files are owned by anyone other than the Apache user set up to run Apache, this is a finding.

If non-privileged web server accounts are available with access to functions, directories, or files not needed for the role of the account, this is a finding.

Fix Text (F-15539r277491_fix)
Limit the functions, directories, and files that are accessible by each account and role to administrative accounts and remove or modify non-privileged account access.