The Exchange Internet Receive connector connections count must be set to default.

Overview

Finding ID	Version	Rule ID	IA Controls	Severity
V-221230	EX16-ED-000310	SV-221230r612603_rule		Low

Description
Email system availability depends in part on best practice strategies for setting tuning configurations. This configuration controls the maximum number of simultaneous inbound connections allowed to the SMTP server. By default, the number of simultaneous inbound connections is 5000. If a limit is set too low, the connections pool may be filled. If attackers perceive the limit is too low, they could deny service to the Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) server by using a connection count that exceeds the limit set. By setting the default configuration to 5000, attackers would need many more connections to cause denial of service.

Description

Email system availability depends in part on best practice strategies for setting tuning configurations. This configuration controls the maximum number of simultaneous inbound connections allowed to the SMTP server. By default, the number of simultaneous inbound connections is 5000. If a limit is set too low, the connections pool may be filled. If attackers perceive the limit is too low, they could deny service to the Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) server by using a connection count that exceeds the limit set. By setting the default configuration to 5000, attackers would need many more connections to cause denial of service.

STIG	Date
Microsoft Exchange 2016 Edge Transport Server Security Technical Implementation Guide	2022-06-09

Details

Check Text ( C-22945r411816_chk )
Review the Email Domain Security Plan (EDSP). Determine the Maximum Inbound connections value. Open the Exchange Management Shell and enter the following command: Get-ReceiveConnector \| Select Name, Identity, MaxInboundConnection Identify Internet-facing connectors. For each receive connector, if the value of "MaxInboundConnection" is not set to "5000", this is a finding. or If "MaxInboundConnection" is set to a value other than "5000" or is set to unlimited and has signoff and risk acceptance in the EDSP, this is not a finding.

Check Text ( C-22945r411816_chk )

Review the Email Domain Security Plan (EDSP).

Determine the Maximum Inbound connections value.

Open the Exchange Management Shell and enter the following command:

Get-ReceiveConnector | Select Name, Identity, MaxInboundConnection

Identify Internet-facing connectors.

For each receive connector, if the value of "MaxInboundConnection" is not set to "5000", this is a finding.

or

If "MaxInboundConnection" is set to a value other than "5000" or is set to unlimited and has signoff and risk acceptance in the EDSP, this is not a finding.

Fix Text (F-22934r411817_fix)
Update the EDSP to reflect the Maximum Inbound connections value. Open the Exchange Management Shell and enter the following command: Set-ReceiveConnector -Identity <'IdentityName'> -MaxInboundConnection 5000 Note: The value must be in single quotes. or The value as identified by the EDSP that has obtained a signoff with risk acceptance. Repeat the procedure for each receive connector.