The BIG-IP appliance must be configured to employ automated mechanisms to centrally manage authentication settings.

Overview

Finding ID	Version	Rule ID	IA Controls	Severity
V-217420	F5BI-DM-000269	SV-217420r557520_rule		Medium

Description
The use of authentication servers or other centralized management servers for providing centralized authentication services is required for network device management. Maintaining local administrator accounts for daily usage on each network device without centralized management is not scalable or feasible. Without centralized management, it is likely that credentials for some network devices will be forgotten, leading to delays in administration, which itself leads to delays in remediating production problems and in addressing compromises in a timely fashion.

Description

The use of authentication servers or other centralized management servers for providing centralized authentication services is required for network device management. Maintaining local administrator accounts for daily usage on each network device without centralized management is not scalable or feasible. Without centralized management, it is likely that credentials for some network devices will be forgotten, leading to delays in administration, which itself leads to delays in remediating production problems and in addressing compromises in a timely fashion.

STIG	Date
F5 BIG-IP Device Management 11.x Security Technical Implementation Guide	2020-09-28

Details

Check Text ( C-18645r290814_chk )
Verify the BIG-IP appliance is configured to use a remote authentication server to centrally manage authentication settings. Navigate to the BIG-IP System manager >> System >> Users >> Authentication. Verify that "User Directory" is set to an approved authentication server type that employs automated mechanisms to centrally manage authentication settings. If authentication settings are not managed centrally using automated mechanisms, this is a finding.

Check Text ( C-18645r290814_chk )

Verify the BIG-IP appliance is configured to use a remote authentication server to centrally manage authentication settings.

Navigate to the BIG-IP System manager >> System >> Users >> Authentication.

Verify that "User Directory" is set to an approved authentication server type that employs automated mechanisms to centrally manage authentication settings.

If authentication settings are not managed centrally using automated mechanisms, this is a finding.

Fix Text (F-18643r290815_fix)
Configure the BIG-IP appliance to use an approved remote authentication server to employ automated mechanisms to centrally manage authentication settings.