Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) components of the application server must dynamically manage user privileges and associated access authorizations.

Overview

Finding ID	Version	Rule ID	IA Controls	Severity
V-35737	SRG-APP-000031-AS-000023	SV-47024r1_rule		Medium

Description
Web services are web applications providing a method of communication between two or more different electronic devices. They are normally used by applications to provide each other with data. The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) defines a web service as: "a software system designed to support interoperable machine-to-machine interaction over a network. It has an interface described in a machine processable format (specifically, Web Services Description Language or WSDL). Other systems interact with the web service in a manner prescribed by its description using Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) messages typically conveyed using HTTP with an XML serialization in conjunction with other web-related standards". Web services provide different challenges in managing access than what is presented by typical user-based applications. In contrast to conventional access control approaches which employ static information system accounts and predefined sets of user privileges, many service-oriented architecture implementations rely on run time access control decisions facilitated by dynamic privilege management. While user identities remain relatively constant over time, user privileges may change more frequently based on the ongoing mission/business requirements and operational needs of the organization. Service Oriented Architecture (SOA)-based applications need to take this possibility into account and leverage dynamic access control methodologies, and application servers need to provide the underlying architecture to SOA-based applications.

Description

Web services are web applications providing a method of communication between two or more different electronic devices. They are normally used by applications to provide each other with data. The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) defines a web service as: "a software system designed to support interoperable machine-to-machine interaction over a network. It has an interface described in a machine processable format (specifically, Web Services Description Language or WSDL). Other systems interact with the web service in a manner prescribed by its description using Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) messages typically conveyed using HTTP with an XML serialization in conjunction with other web-related standards". Web services provide different challenges in managing access than what is presented by typical user-based applications. In contrast to conventional access control approaches which employ static information system accounts and predefined sets of user privileges, many service-oriented architecture implementations rely on run time access control decisions facilitated by dynamic privilege management. While user identities remain relatively constant over time, user privileges may change more frequently based on the ongoing mission/business requirements and operational needs of the organization. Service Oriented Architecture (SOA)-based applications need to take this possibility into account and leverage dynamic access control methodologies, and application servers need to provide the underlying architecture to SOA-based applications.

STIG	Date
Application Server Security Requirements Guide	2013-01-08

Details

Check Text ( C-44080r1_chk )
Review AS documentation and configuration to ensure the AS dynamically manages user privileges and associated access authorizations. If the AS is not configured to meet this requirement, this is a finding.

Fix Text (F-40280r1_fix)
Configure the AS to dynamically manage user privileges and associated access authorizations.