The Apache web server must display a default hosted application web page, not a directory listing, when a requested web page cannot be found.

Overview

Finding ID	Version	Rule ID	IA Controls	Severity
V-214383	AS24-W2-000610	SV-214383r397843_rule		Medium

Description
The goal is to completely control the web user's experience in navigating any portion of the web document root directories. Ensuring all web content directories have at least the equivalent of an "index.html" file is a significant factor to accomplish this end. Enumeration techniques, such as URL parameter manipulation, rely upon being able to obtain information about the web server's directory structure by locating directories without default pages. In the scenario, the web server will display to the user a listing of the files in the directory being accessed. By having a default hosted application web page, the anonymous web user will not obtain directory browsing information or an error message that reveals the server type and version.

Description

The goal is to completely control the web user's experience in navigating any portion of the web document root directories. Ensuring all web content directories have at least the equivalent of an "index.html" file is a significant factor to accomplish this end. Enumeration techniques, such as URL parameter manipulation, rely upon being able to obtain information about the web server's directory structure by locating directories without default pages. In the scenario, the web server will display to the user a listing of the files in the directory being accessed. By having a default hosted application web page, the anonymous web user will not obtain directory browsing information or an error message that reveals the server type and version.

STIG	Date
Apache Server 2.4 Windows Site Security Technical Implementation Guide	2021-09-27

Details

Check Text ( C-15594r277890_chk )
Review the DocumentRoot directive in the <'INSTALLED PATH'>\conf\httpd.conf file. Note each location following the "DocumentRoot" string. This is the configured path(s) to the document root directory(s). To view a list of the directories and sub-directories and the file "index.html", from each stated "DocumentRoot" location, enter the following command: dir "index.html" Review the results for each document root directory and its subdirectories. If a directory does not contain an "index.html" or equivalent default document, this is a finding.

Check Text ( C-15594r277890_chk )

Review the DocumentRoot directive in the <'INSTALLED PATH'>\conf\httpd.conf file.

Note each location following the "DocumentRoot" string. This is the configured path(s) to the document root directory(s).

To view a list of the directories and sub-directories and the file "index.html", from each stated "DocumentRoot" location, enter the following command:

dir "index.html"

Review the results for each document root directory and its subdirectories.

If a directory does not contain an "index.html" or equivalent default document, this is a finding.

Fix Text (F-15592r277891_fix)
Add a default document to the applicable directories.