Wireless network adapters must be disabled.

Overview

Finding ID	Version	Rule ID	IA Controls	Severity
V-72771	GEN007841	SV-87413r1_rule		Medium

Description
The use of wireless networking can introduce many different attack vectors into the organization’s network. Common attack vectors such as malicious association and ad hoc networks will allow an attacker to spoof a wireless access point (AP), allowing validated systems to connect to the malicious AP and enabling the attacker to monitor and record network traffic. These malicious APs can also serve to create a man-in-the-middle attack or be used to create a denial of service to valid network resources.

Description

The use of wireless networking can introduce many different attack vectors into the organization’s network. Common attack vectors such as malicious association and ad hoc networks will allow an attacker to spoof a wireless access point (AP), allowing validated systems to connect to the malicious AP and enabling the attacker to monitor and record network traffic. These malicious APs can also serve to create a man-in-the-middle attack or be used to create a denial of service to valid network resources.

STIG	Date
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 Security Technical Implementation Guide	2016-12-16

Details

Check Text ( C-72919r1_chk )
This is N/A for systems that do not have wireless network adapters. Verify that there are no wireless interfaces configured on the system: # ifconfig -a eth0 Link encap:Ethernet HWaddr b8:ac:6f:65:31:e5 inet addr:192.168.2.100 Bcast:192.168.2.255 Mask:255.255.255.0 inet6 addr: fe80::baac:6fff:fe65:31e5/64 Scope:Link UP BROADCAST RUNNING MULTICAST MTU:1500 Metric:1 RX packets:2697529 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0 TX packets:2630541 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0 collisions:0 txqueuelen:1000 RX bytes:2159382827 (2.0 GiB) TX bytes:1389552776 (1.2 GiB) Interrupt:17 lo Link encap:Local Loopback inet addr:127.0.0.1 Mask:255.0.0.0 inet6 addr: ::1/128 Scope:Host UP LOOPBACK RUNNING MTU:16436 Metric:1 RX packets:2849 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0 TX packets:2849 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0 collisions:0 txqueuelen:0 RX bytes:2778290 (2.6 MiB) TX bytes:2778290 (2.6 MiB) If a wireless interface is configured, it must be documented and approved by the local Authorizing Official. If a wireless interface is configured and has not been documented and approved, this is a finding.

Check Text ( C-72919r1_chk )

This is N/A for systems that do not have wireless network adapters.

Verify that there are no wireless interfaces configured on the system:

# ifconfig -a

eth0 Link encap:Ethernet HWaddr b8:ac:6f:65:31:e5
inet addr:192.168.2.100 Bcast:192.168.2.255 Mask:255.255.255.0
inet6 addr: fe80::baac:6fff:fe65:31e5/64 Scope:Link
UP BROADCAST RUNNING MULTICAST MTU:1500 Metric:1
RX packets:2697529 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
TX packets:2630541 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
collisions:0 txqueuelen:1000
RX bytes:2159382827 (2.0 GiB) TX bytes:1389552776 (1.2 GiB)
Interrupt:17

lo Link encap:Local Loopback
inet addr:127.0.0.1 Mask:255.0.0.0
inet6 addr: ::1/128 Scope:Host
UP LOOPBACK RUNNING MTU:16436 Metric:1
RX packets:2849 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
TX packets:2849 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
collisions:0 txqueuelen:0
RX bytes:2778290 (2.6 MiB) TX bytes:2778290 (2.6 MiB)

If a wireless interface is configured, it must be documented and approved by the local Authorizing Official.

If a wireless interface is configured and has not been documented and approved, this is a finding.

Fix Text (F-79181r1_fix)
Configure the system to disable all wireless network interfaces.