The macOS system must unload tftpd.

Overview

Finding ID	Version	Rule ID	IA Controls	Severity
V-214869	AOSX-13-000555	SV-214869r609363_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 OS X 10.13 Security Technical Implementation Guide	2021-03-29

Details

Check Text ( C-16069r397179_chk )
To check if the "tfptd" service is disabled, run the following command: sudo launchctl print-disabled system \| grep tftp If "com.apple.tftp" is not set to "true", this is a finding.

Fix Text (F-16067r397180_fix)
To disable the "tfpd" service, run the following command: sudo launchctl unload -w /System/Library/LaunchDaemons/tftp.plist