The firewall implementation must fail securely in the event of an operational failure.

Overview

Finding ID	Version	Rule ID	IA Controls	Severity
SRG-NET-000365-FW-000239	SRG-NET-000365-FW-000239	SRG-NET-000365-FW-000239_rule		Medium

Description
If the firewall implementation fails in an unsecure manner (open), unauthorized traffic originating externally to the enclave may enter, or the device may permit unauthorized information release. Fail secure is a condition achieved by employing information system mechanisms to ensure, in the event of an operational failure of the firewall implementation, it does not enter into an unsecure state where intended security properties no longer hold. If the device fails, it must not fail in a manner that will allow unauthorized access. If the firewall or other device implementing an ACL fails for any reason, it must stop forwarding traffic altogether or maintain the configured security policies. If the device stops forwarding traffic, maintaining network availability would be achieved through firewall redundancy.

Description

If the firewall implementation fails in an unsecure manner (open), unauthorized traffic originating externally to the enclave may enter, or the device may permit unauthorized information release. Fail secure is a condition achieved by employing information system mechanisms to ensure, in the event of an operational failure of the firewall implementation, it does not enter into an unsecure state where intended security properties no longer hold. If the device fails, it must not fail in a manner that will allow unauthorized access. If the firewall or other device implementing an ACL fails for any reason, it must stop forwarding traffic altogether or maintain the configured security policies. If the device stops forwarding traffic, maintaining network availability would be achieved through firewall redundancy.

STIG	Date
Firewall Security Requirements Guide	2014-07-07

Details

Check Text ( C-SRG-NET-000365-FW-000239_chk )
Review the documentation of the firewall implementation or interview the System Administrator. Verify that the firewall implementation fails securely in the event of an operational failure. If it cannot, this is a finding.

Fix Text (F-SRG-NET-000365-FW-000239_fix)
This is a capability that would be intrinsic to the firewall implementation as a result of its development and may not be configurable. If it is a configurable option, configure the device to fail securely in the event of an operational failure.