The Ubuntu operating system must restrict access to the kernel message buffer.

Overview

Finding ID	Version	Rule ID	IA Controls	Severity
V-255913	UBTU-20-010401	SV-255913r880908_rule		Low

Description
Restricting access to the kernel message buffer limits access only to root. This prevents attackers from gaining additional system information as a nonprivileged user.

STIG	Date
Canonical Ubuntu 20.04 LTS Security Technical Implementation Guide	2023-09-08

Details

Check Text ( C-59590r880906_chk )
Verify the operating system is configured to restrict access to the kernel message buffer with the following commands: $ sudo sysctl kernel.dmesg_restrict kernel.dmesg_restrict = 1 If "kernel.dmesg_restrict" is not set to "1" or is missing, this is a finding. Check that the configuration files are present to enable this kernel parameter: $ sudo grep -r kernel.dmesg_restrict /run/sysctl.d/* /etc/sysctl.d/* /usr/local/lib/sysctl.d/* /usr/lib/sysctl.d/* /lib/sysctl.d/* /etc/sysctl.conf 2> /dev/null /etc/sysctl.conf:kernel.dmesg_restrict = 1 /etc/sysctl.d/99-sysctl.conf:kernel.dmesg_restrict = 1 If "kernel.dmesg_restrict" is not set to "1", is missing or commented out, this is a finding. If conflicting results are returned, this is a finding.

Check Text ( C-59590r880906_chk )

Verify the operating system is configured to restrict access to the kernel message buffer with the following commands:

$ sudo sysctl kernel.dmesg_restrict
kernel.dmesg_restrict = 1

If "kernel.dmesg_restrict" is not set to "1" or is missing, this is a finding.

Check that the configuration files are present to enable this kernel parameter:

$ sudo grep -r kernel.dmesg_restrict /run/sysctl.d/* /etc/sysctl.d/* /usr/local/lib/sysctl.d/* /usr/lib/sysctl.d/* /lib/sysctl.d/* /etc/sysctl.conf 2> /dev/null
/etc/sysctl.conf:kernel.dmesg_restrict = 1
/etc/sysctl.d/99-sysctl.conf:kernel.dmesg_restrict = 1

If "kernel.dmesg_restrict" is not set to "1", is missing or commented out, this is a finding.

If conflicting results are returned, this is a finding.

Fix Text (F-59533r880907_fix)
Configure the operating system to restrict access to the kernel message buffer. Set the system to the required kernel parameter by adding or modifying the following line in /etc/sysctl.conf or a config file in the /etc/sysctl.d/ directory: kernel.dmesg_restrict = 1 Remove any configurations that conflict with the above from the following locations: /run/sysctl.d/ /etc/sysctl.d/ /usr/local/lib/sysctl.d/ /usr/lib/sysctl.d/ /lib/sysctl.d/ /etc/sysctl.conf Reload settings from all system configuration files with the following command: $ sudo sysctl --system

Fix Text (F-59533r880907_fix)

Configure the operating system to restrict access to the kernel message buffer.

Set the system to the required kernel parameter by adding or modifying the following line in /etc/sysctl.conf or a config file in the /etc/sysctl.d/ directory:

kernel.dmesg_restrict = 1

Remove any configurations that conflict with the above from the following locations:
/run/sysctl.d/
/etc/sysctl.d/
/usr/local/lib/sysctl.d/
/usr/lib/sysctl.d/
/lib/sysctl.d/
/etc/sysctl.conf

Reload settings from all system configuration files with the following command:

$ sudo sysctl --system