CA-ACF2 allocate access to system user catalogs must be properly protected.

Overview

Finding ID	Version	Rule ID	IA Controls	Severity
V-97567	ACF2-ES-000140	SV-106671r2_rule		Medium

Description
Access control policies include: identity-based policies, role-based policies, and attribute-based policies. Access enforcement mechanisms include: access control lists, access control matrices, and cryptography. These policies and mechanisms must be employed by the application to control access between users (or processes acting on behalf of users) and objects (e.g., devices, files, records, processes, programs, and domains) in the information system.

Description

Access control policies include: identity-based policies, role-based policies, and attribute-based policies. Access enforcement mechanisms include: access control lists, access control matrices, and cryptography. These policies and mechanisms must be employed by the application to control access between users (or processes acting on behalf of users) and objects (e.g., devices, files, records, processes, programs, and domains) in the information system.

STIG	Date
IBM z/OS ACF2 Security Technical Implementation Guide	2020-06-29

Details

Check Text ( C-96401r1_chk )
From the ISPF Command Shell enter: LISTCat USERCATALOG ALL NOPREFIX Review the ESM data set rules for each usercatalog defined. If the data set rules for User Catalogs do not restrict ALTER access to only z/OS systems programming personnel, this is a finding. If access greater than “READ” for the User Catalogs is allowed to a batch job ID used for system level maintenance in the following specific case: (The batch job must reside in a data set that is restricted to systems programmers only) this is not a finding. If the data set rules for User Catalogs do not specify that all (i.e., failures and successes) ALTER access will be logged, this a finding.

Check Text ( C-96401r1_chk )

From the ISPF Command Shell enter:
LISTCat USERCATALOG ALL NOPREFIX

Review the ESM data set rules for each usercatalog defined.

If the data set rules for User Catalogs do not restrict ALTER access to only z/OS systems programming personnel, this is a finding.

If access greater than “READ” for the User Catalogs is allowed to a batch job ID used for system level maintenance in the following specific case:
(The batch job must reside in a data set that is restricted to systems programmers only) this is not a finding.

If the data set rules for User Catalogs do not specify that all (i.e., failures and successes) ALTER access will be logged, this a finding.

Fix Text (F-103243r1_fix)
Review access authorization to critical system files. Evaluate the impact of correcting the deficiency. Develop a plan of action and implement the changes as required to protect USER CATALOGS. Configure ESM rules for allocate access to USER CATALOGS, limited to system programmers only, and all allocate access is logged. Configure ESM rules for the USER CATALOGS to allow any batch ID used for system level maintenance access above “READ” only in this specific case: The batch job that requires above “READ” access must reside in a data set that has restricted “ALTER” or equivalent access to systems programmers ONLY.

Fix Text (F-103243r1_fix)

Review access authorization to critical system files. Evaluate the impact of correcting the deficiency. Develop a plan of action and implement the changes as required to protect USER CATALOGS.

Configure ESM rules for allocate access to USER CATALOGS, limited to system programmers only, and all allocate access is logged.

Configure ESM rules for the USER CATALOGS to allow any batch ID used for system level maintenance access above “READ” only in this specific case: The batch job that requires above “READ” access must reside in a data set that has restricted “ALTER” or equivalent access to systems programmers ONLY.