The Cisco switch must be configured to automatically audit account enabling actions.

Overview

Finding ID	Version	Rule ID	IA Controls	Severity
V-220494	CISC-ND-000880	SV-220494r604141_rule		Medium

Description
Once an attacker establishes initial access to a system, the attacker often attempts to create a persistent method of reestablishing access. One way to accomplish this is for the attacker to simply enable a new or disabled account. Notification of account enabling is one method for mitigating this risk. A comprehensive account management process will ensure an audit trail which documents the creation of application user accounts and notifies administrators and Information System Security Officers (ISSO). Such a process greatly reduces the risk that accounts will be surreptitiously created and provides logging that can be used for forensic purposes.

Description

Once an attacker establishes initial access to a system, the attacker often attempts to create a persistent method of reestablishing access. One way to accomplish this is for the attacker to simply enable a new or disabled account. Notification of account enabling is one method for mitigating this risk. A comprehensive account management process will ensure an audit trail which documents the creation of application user accounts and notifies administrators and Information System Security Officers (ISSO). Such a process greatly reduces the risk that accounts will be surreptitiously created and provides logging that can be used for forensic purposes.

STIG	Date
Cisco NX-OS Switch NDM Security Technical Implementation Guide	2021-03-26

Details

Check Text ( C-22209r539203_chk )
Review the switch configuration to determine if it automatically audits account enabling. The configuration should look similar to the example below: Step 1: Verify that account records will be sent to an AAA server as shown in the example below: aaa accounting default group RADIUS_SERVERS Step 2: Verify that the referenced group name has defined AAA servers that are online. aaa group server radius RADIUS_SERVERS server 10.1.48.10 server 10.1.48.12 Note: Cisco NX-OS devices report configuration activity to TACACS+ or RADIUS servers in the form of accounting records. Each accounting record contains accounting attribute-value (AV) pairs and is stored on the AAA server. If account enabling is not automatically audited, this is a finding.

Check Text ( C-22209r539203_chk )

Review the switch configuration to determine if it automatically audits account enabling. The configuration should look similar to the example below:

Step 1: Verify that account records will be sent to an AAA server as shown in the example below:

aaa accounting default group RADIUS_SERVERS

Step 2: Verify that the referenced group name has defined AAA servers that are online.

aaa group server radius RADIUS_SERVERS
server 10.1.48.10
server 10.1.48.12

Note: Cisco NX-OS devices report configuration activity to TACACS+ or RADIUS servers in the form of accounting records. Each accounting record contains accounting attribute-value (AV) pairs and is stored on the AAA server.

If account enabling is not automatically audited, this is a finding.

Fix Text (F-22198r539204_fix)
Configure the switch to log account enabling using the following steps: Step 1: Configure the AAA servers as shown in the example below: SW1(config)# radius-server host 10.1.48.10 SW1(config)# radius-server host 10.1.48.12 Step 2: Configure an AAA server group as shown in the example below: SW1(config)# aaa group server radius RADIUS_SERVERS SW1(config-radius)# server 10.1.48.10 SW1(config-radius)# server 10.1.48.12 SW1(config-radius)# exit Step 3: Enable AAA accounting as shown in the example below: SW1(config)# aaa accounting default group RADIUS_SERVERS SW1(config)# end

Fix Text (F-22198r539204_fix)

Configure the switch to log account enabling using the following steps:

Step 1: Configure the AAA servers as shown in the example below:

SW1(config)# radius-server host 10.1.48.10
SW1(config)# radius-server host 10.1.48.12

Step 2: Configure an AAA server group as shown in the example below:

SW1(config)# aaa group server radius RADIUS_SERVERS
SW1(config-radius)# server 10.1.48.10
SW1(config-radius)# server 10.1.48.12
SW1(config-radius)# exit

Step 3: Enable AAA accounting as shown in the example below:

SW1(config)# aaa accounting default group RADIUS_SERVERS
SW1(config)# end