The running configuration must be synchronized with the startup configuration after changes have been made and implemented.

Overview

Finding ID	Version	Rule ID	IA Controls	Severity
V-3072	NET1030	SV-3072r3_rule	COBR-1 ECSC-1	Low

Description
If the running and startup router configurations are not synchronized properly and a router malfunctions, it will not restart with all of the recent changes incorporated. If the recent changes were security related, then the routers would be vulnerable to attack.

STIG	Date
Perimeter L3 Switch Security Technical Implementation Guide - Cisco	2015-06-30

Details

Check Text ( C-3636r6_chk )
Review the running and boot configurations to determine if they are synchronized. IOS Procedure: With online editing, the "show running-config" command will only show the current running configuration settings, which are different from the IOS defaults. The "show startup-config" command will show the NVRAM startup configuration. Compare the two configurations to ensure they are synchronized. JUNOS Procedure: This will never be a finding. The active configuration is stored on flash as juniper.conf. A candidate configuration allows configuration changes while in configuration mode without initiating operational changes. The router implements the candidate configuration when it is committed; thereby, making it the new active configuration--at which time it will be stored on flash as juniper.conf and the old juniper.conf will become juniper.conf.1. If running configuration and boot configurations are not the same, this is a finding.

Check Text ( C-3636r6_chk )

Review the running and boot configurations to determine if they are synchronized.

IOS Procedure: With online editing, the "show running-config" command will only show the current running configuration settings, which are different from the IOS defaults. The "show startup-config" command will show the NVRAM startup configuration. Compare the two configurations to ensure they are synchronized.

JUNOS Procedure: This will never be a finding. The active configuration is stored on flash as juniper.conf. A candidate configuration allows configuration changes while in configuration mode without initiating operational changes. The router implements the candidate configuration when it is committed; thereby, making it the new active configuration--at which time it will be stored on flash as juniper.conf and the old juniper.conf will become juniper.conf.1.

If running configuration and boot configurations are not the same, this is a finding.

Fix Text (F-3097r4_fix)
Add procedures to the standard operating procedure to keep the running configuration synchronized with the startup configuration.