Public web servers must use TLS if authentication is required.

Overview

Finding ID	Version	Rule ID	IA Controls	Severity
V-13694	WG342 A22	SV-33030r1_rule	ECCT-1 ECCT-2	Medium

Description
TLS encryption is optional for a public web server. However, if authentication and encryption are used, then the use of TLS is required. Transactions encrypted with DoD PKI certificates are necessary when information being transferred is not intended to be accessed by all parties on the network.

STIG	Date
APACHE SITE 2.0 for Unix	2011-12-12

Details

Check Text ( C-33713r1_chk )
Enter the following command: /usr/local/apache2/bin/httpd –M This will provide a list of all the loaded modules. Verify that the “ssl_module” is loaded. If this module is not found, this is a finding. After determining that the ssl module is active, enter the following command: grep "SSL" /usr/local/apache2/conf/httpd.conf Review the SSL sections of the httpd.conf file, all enabled SSLProtocol directives must be set to “TLSv1”, If not this is a finding. All enabled SSLEngine directives must be set to “on”, If they are not, this a finding. NOTE: In some cases web servers are configured in an environment to support load balancing. This configuration most likely utilizes a content switch to control traffic to the various web servers. In this situation, the TLS certificate for the web sites may be installed on the content switch vs. the individual web sites. This solution is acceptable as long as the web servers are isolated from the general population LAN. Users should not have the ability to bypass the content switch to access the web sites.

Check Text ( C-33713r1_chk )

Enter the following command:

/usr/local/apache2/bin/httpd –M

This will provide a list of all the loaded modules. Verify that the “ssl_module” is loaded. If this module is not found, this is a finding.

After determining that the ssl module is active, enter the following command:

grep "SSL" /usr/local/apache2/conf/httpd.conf

Review the SSL sections of the httpd.conf file, all enabled SSLProtocol directives must be set to “TLSv1”, If not this is a finding.

All enabled SSLEngine directives must be set to “on”, If they are not, this a finding.

NOTE: In some cases web servers are configured in an environment to support load balancing. This configuration most likely utilizes a content switch to control traffic to the various web servers. In this situation, the TLS certificate for the web sites may be installed on the content switch vs. the individual web sites. This solution is acceptable as long as the web servers are isolated from the general population LAN. Users should not have the ability to bypass the content switch to access the web sites.

Fix Text (F-29345r1_fix)
Edit the httpd.conf file and set the SSLProtocol to TLSv1 and the SSLEngine to On.