The macOS system must be configured so that the su command requires smart card authentication.

Overview

Finding ID	Version	Rule ID	IA Controls	Severity
V-230840	APPL-11-003051	SV-230840r599842_rule		Medium

Description
Configuring the operating system to implement organization-wide security implementation guides and security checklists ensures compliance with federal standards and establishes a common security baseline across DoD that reflects the most restrictive security posture consistent with operational requirements. Configuration settings are the set of parameters that can be changed in hardware, software, or firmware components of the system that affect the security posture and/or functionality of the system. Security-related parameters are those parameters impacting the security state of the system, including the parameters required to satisfy other security control requirements. Security-related parameters include, for example: registry settings; account, file, directory permission settings; and settings for functions, ports, protocols, services, and remote connections.

Description

Configuring the operating system to implement organization-wide security implementation guides and security checklists ensures compliance with federal standards and establishes a common security baseline across DoD that reflects the most restrictive security posture consistent with operational requirements. Configuration settings are the set of parameters that can be changed in hardware, software, or firmware components of the system that affect the security posture and/or functionality of the system. Security-related parameters are those parameters impacting the security state of the system, including the parameters required to satisfy other security control requirements. Security-related parameters include, for example: registry settings; account, file, directory permission settings; and settings for functions, ports, protocols, services, and remote connections.

STIG	Date
Apple macOS 11 (Big Sur) Security Technical Implementation Guide	2020-11-27

Details

Check Text ( C-33785r591642_chk )
For systems that are not utilizing smart card authentication, this is Not Applicable. To verify that the "su" command has been configured to require smart card authentication, run the following command: cat /etc/pam.d/su \| grep -i pam_smartcard.so If the text that returns does not include the line, "auth sufficient pam_smartcard.so" at the TOP of the listing, this is a finding.

Fix Text (F-33758r592274_fix)
Make a backup of the PAM SU settings using the following command: cp /etc/pam.d/su /etc/pam.d/su_backup_`date "+%Y-%m-%d_%H:%M"` Replace the contents of "/etc/pam.d/su" with the following: # su: auth account password session auth sufficient pam_smartcard.so auth required pam_rootok.so auth required pam_group.so no_warn group=admin,wheel ruser root_only fail_safe account required pam_permit.so account required pam_opendirectory.so no_check_shell password required pam_opendirectory.so session required pam_launchd.so

Fix Text (F-33758r592274_fix)

Make a backup of the PAM SU settings using the following command:
cp /etc/pam.d/su /etc/pam.d/su_backup_`date "+%Y-%m-%d_%H:%M"`

Replace the contents of "/etc/pam.d/su" with the following:

# su: auth account password session
auth sufficient pam_smartcard.so
auth required pam_rootok.so
auth required pam_group.so no_warn group=admin,wheel ruser root_only fail_safe
account required pam_permit.so
account required pam_opendirectory.so no_check_shell
password required pam_opendirectory.so
session required pam_launchd.so