“Smart-Host” is specified at the Virtual Server level.

Overview

Finding ID	Version	Rule ID	IA Controls	Severity
V-18701	EMG2-131 Exch2K3	SV-20342r1_rule	ECSC-1	Medium

Description
E-Mail system availability depends in part on best practices strategies for setting tuning configurations. This control determines whether the entire Virtual Server routes its outbound Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) messages through a single “Smart-Host”. “Smart-Hosts” can help secure communication, but configuring the virtual server level to use the same “Smart-Host” can lead to congestion problems and inflexibility. As such, it is recommended that administrators NOT use “Smart-Hosts” at the virtual server level. Instead, use of “Smart-Hosts” should be configured at the SMTP connector level.

Description

E-Mail system availability depends in part on best practices strategies for setting tuning configurations. This control determines whether the entire Virtual Server routes its outbound Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) messages through a single “Smart-Host”. “Smart-Hosts” can help secure communication, but configuring the virtual server level to use the same “Smart-Host” can lead to congestion problems and inflexibility. As such, it is recommended that administrators NOT use “Smart-Hosts” at the virtual server level. Instead, use of “Smart-Hosts” should be configured at the SMTP connector level.

STIG	Date
Microsoft Exchange Server 2003	2014-08-19

Details

Check Text ( C-22419r1_chk )
Validate “Smart-Host” configuration at the Virtual Server Level. Procedure: Exchange System Manager>>Administrative Groups>> [Administrative Group]>>Servers>> [server]>>Protocols>> SMTP >> [specific SMTP virtual server]>> >>Properties >> Delivery Tab >> Advanced button>> “Smart-Host” The list of “Smart-Hosts” should be cleared. Criteria: If the list of “Smart-Hosts” is empty, this is not a finding.

Check Text ( C-22419r1_chk )

Validate “Smart-Host” configuration at the Virtual Server Level.

Procedure: Exchange System Manager>>Administrative Groups>> [Administrative Group]>>Servers>> [server]>>Protocols>> SMTP >> [specific SMTP virtual server]>> >>Properties >> Delivery Tab >> Advanced button>> “Smart-Host”

The list of “Smart-Hosts” should be cleared.

Criteria: If the list of “Smart-Hosts” is empty, this is not a finding.

Fix Text (F-19347r1_fix)
Configure the SMTP Virtual Verver “Smart-Host” list. Procedure: Exchange System Manager>>Administrative Groups>> [Administrative Group]>>Servers>> [server]>>Protocols>> SMTP >> [specific SMTP virtual server]>> >>Properties >> Delivery Tab >> Advanced button >> “Smart-Host” Clear the list of any “Smart-Hosts”.