Apple macOS must be configured to disable the tftp service.

Overview

Finding ID	Version	Rule ID	IA Controls	Severity
V-230813	APPL-11-002038	SV-230813r877396_rule		High

Description
The "tftp" service must be disabled as it sends all data in a clear-text form that can be easily intercepted and read. The data needs to be protected at all times during transmission, and encryption is the standard method for protecting data in transit. If the data is not encrypted during transmission, it can be plainly read (i.e., clear text) and easily compromised. Disabling ftp is one way to mitigate this risk. Administrators should be instructed to use an alternate service for data transmission that uses encryption, such as SFTP. Additionally, the "tftp" service uses UDP, which is not secure.

Description

The "tftp" service must be disabled as it sends all data in a clear-text form that can be easily intercepted and read. The data needs to be protected at all times during transmission, and encryption is the standard method for protecting data in transit. If the data is not encrypted during transmission, it can be plainly read (i.e., clear text) and easily compromised. Disabling ftp is one way to mitigate this risk. Administrators should be instructed to use an alternate service for data transmission that uses encryption, such as SFTP. Additionally, the "tftp" service uses UDP, which is not secure.

STIG	Date
Apple macOS 11 (Big Sur) Security Technical Implementation Guide	2022-11-18

Details

Check Text ( C-33758r648712_chk )
To check if the tftptd service is disabled, run the following command: sudo launchctl print-disabled system \| grep tftpd If the results do not show the following, this is a finding: "com.apple.tftpd" => true

Fix Text (F-33731r648713_fix)
To disable the tftpd service, run the following command: /usr/bin/sudo /bin/launchctl disable system/com.apple.tftpd