The Ubuntu operating system must generate error messages that provide information necessary for corrective actions without revealing information that could be exploited by adversaries.

Overview

Finding ID	Version	Rule ID	IA Controls	Severity
V-219188	UBTU-18-010121	SV-219188r508662_rule		Medium

Description
Any operating system providing too much information in error messages risks compromising the data and security of the structure, and content of error messages needs to be carefully considered by the organization. Organizations carefully consider the structure/content of error messages. The extent to which information systems are able to identify and handle error conditions is guided by organizational policy and operational requirements. Information that could be exploited by adversaries includes, for example, erroneous logon attempts with passwords entered by mistake as the username, mission/business information that can be derived from (if not stated explicitly by) information recorded, and personal information, such as account numbers, social security numbers, and credit card numbers.

Description

Any operating system providing too much information in error messages risks compromising the data and security of the structure, and content of error messages needs to be carefully considered by the organization. Organizations carefully consider the structure/content of error messages. The extent to which information systems are able to identify and handle error conditions is guided by organizational policy and operational requirements. Information that could be exploited by adversaries includes, for example, erroneous logon attempts with passwords entered by mistake as the username, mission/business information that can be derived from (if not stated explicitly by) information recorded, and personal information, such as account numbers, social security numbers, and credit card numbers.

STIG	Date
Canonical Ubuntu 18.04 LTS Security Technical Implementation Guide	2020-09-10

Details

Check Text ( C-20913r304892_chk )
Verify the Ubuntu operating system has all system log files under the /var/log directory with a permission set to 640, by using the following command: # sudo find /var/log -perm /137 -type f -exec stat -c "%n %a" {} \; If command displays any output, this is a finding.

Fix Text (F-20912r304893_fix)
Configured the Ubuntu operating system to set permissions of all log files under /var/log directory to 640 or more restricted, by using the following command: # sudo find /var/log -perm /137 -type f -exec chmod 640 '{}' \;