Apple iOS/iPadOS 16 must implement the management setting: Not share location data through iCloud.

Overview

Finding ID	Version	Rule ID	IA Controls	Severity
V-254619	AIOS-16-011700	SV-254619r862205_rule		Medium

Description
Sharing of location data is an operational security (OPSEC) risk because it potentially allows an adversary to determine a DoD user's location, movements, and patterns in those movements over time. An adversary could use this information to target the user or gather intelligence on the user's likely activities. Using commercial cloud services to store and handle location data could leave the data vulnerable to breach, particularly by sophisticated adversaries. Disabling the use of such services mitigates this risk. SFR ID: FMT_SMF_EXT.1.1 #47

Description

Sharing of location data is an operational security (OPSEC) risk because it potentially allows an adversary to determine a DoD user's location, movements, and patterns in those movements over time. An adversary could use this information to target the user or gather intelligence on the user's likely activities. Using commercial cloud services to store and handle location data could leave the data vulnerable to breach, particularly by sophisticated adversaries. Disabling the use of such services mitigates this risk. SFR ID: FMT_SMF_EXT.1.1 #47

STIG	Date
Apple iOS-iPadOS 16 Security Technical Implementation Guide	2023-11-21

Details

Check Text ( C-58230r862111_chk )
Review configuration settings to confirm "Share My Location" is disabled. Note that this is a User-Based Enforcement (UBE) control, which cannot be managed by an MDM server. This check procedure is performed on the iPhone and iPad only. On the iPhone and iPad: 1. Open the Settings app. 2. Tap "Privacy & Security". 3. Tap "Location Services". 4. If the authorizing official (AO) has not approved use of personal iCloud accounts on the device, verify "Share My Location" is grayed out (cannot be selected). 5. If the AO has approved the use of personal iCloud accounts on the device, tap "Share My Location". 6. Verify "Share My Location" is off. If "Share My Location" is not grayed out (cannot be selected) when the AO has not approved use of personal iCloud accounts on the device, this is a finding. If "Share My Location" is toggled to the right and appears green on the iPhone and iPad when the AO has approved the use of personal iCloud accounts, this is a finding.

Check Text ( C-58230r862111_chk )

Review configuration settings to confirm "Share My Location" is disabled. Note that this is a User-Based Enforcement (UBE) control, which cannot be managed by an MDM server.

This check procedure is performed on the iPhone and iPad only.

On the iPhone and iPad:
1. Open the Settings app.
2. Tap "Privacy & Security".
3. Tap "Location Services".
4. If the authorizing official (AO) has not approved use of personal iCloud accounts on the device, verify "Share My Location" is grayed out (cannot be selected).
5. If the AO has approved the use of personal iCloud accounts on the device, tap "Share My Location".
6. Verify "Share My Location" is off.

If "Share My Location" is not grayed out (cannot be selected) when the AO has not approved use of personal iCloud accounts on the device, this is a finding.

If "Share My Location" is toggled to the right and appears green on the iPhone and iPad when the AO has approved the use of personal iCloud accounts, this is a finding.

Fix Text (F-58176r862112_fix)
The user must configure Apple iOS/iPadOS to disable location sharing through iCloud.