A public web server must limit e-mail to outbound only.

Overview

Finding ID	Version	Rule ID	IA Controls	Severity
V-2261	WG330 IIS6	SV-38328r1_rule	ECSC-1	Medium

Description
Incoming e-mails have been known to provide hackers with access to servers. Disabling the incoming mail service prevents this type of attacks. Additionally, e-mail is a specialized application requiring the dedication of server resources. A production web server should only provide hosting services for web sites. Supporting mail services on a web server opens the server to the risk of abuse as an e-mail relay.

Description

Incoming e-mails have been known to provide hackers with access to servers. Disabling the incoming mail service prevents this type of attacks. Additionally, e-mail is a specialized application requiring the dedication of server resources. A production web server should only provide hosting services for web sites. Supporting mail services on a web server opens the server to the risk of abuse as an e-mail relay.

STIG	Date
IIS6 Server	2011-09-26

Details

Check Text ( C-37718r1_chk )
1. Open the Services window > look for the Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) service. 2. If the service is running, then this is a finding. 3. Open Add/Remove Programs to see if there are any e-mail programs installed. 4. Search the system to determine if other e-mail programs are running. If there is an e-mail program installed and that program has been configured to accept inbound e-mail, this is a finding. NOTE: If available, telnet to the server under review on port 25. If a response is received, this is a finding.

Check Text ( C-37718r1_chk )

1. Open the Services window > look for the Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) service.
2. If the service is running, then this is a finding.
3. Open Add/Remove Programs to see if there are any e-mail programs installed.
4. Search the system to determine if other e-mail programs are running.

If there is an e-mail program installed and that program has been configured to accept inbound e-mail, this is a finding.

NOTE: If available, telnet to the server under review on port 25. If a response is received, this is a finding.

Fix Text (F-32965r1_fix)
Disable the SMTP service. If other e-mail programs are running, remove them.