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The SMTP service's SMTP greeting must not provide version information.


Overview

Finding ID Version Rule ID IA Controls Severity
V-4384 GEN004560 SV-37505r2_rule Low
Description
The version of the SMTP service can be used by attackers to plan an attack based on vulnerabilities present in the specific version.
STIG Date
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 Security Technical Implementation Guide 2017-03-01

Details

Check Text ( C-36163r1_chk )
To check for the version of either sendmail or Postfix being displayed in the greeting:

# telnet localhost 25

If a version number is displayed, this is a finding.

Fix Text (F-31414r2_fix)
Ensure sendmail or Postfix has been configured to mask the version information.

Procedure
for sendmail:
Edit the /etc/mail/sendmail.mc file to mask the veresion number by editing the line with "dnl" as follows:
define(`confSMTP_LOGIN_MSG', ` Mail Server Ready ; $b')dnl
rebuild the sendmail.cf file.

for Postfix:
Examine the "smtpd_banner" line of /etc/postfix/main.conf and remove any "$mail_version" entry on it or comment the entire "smtpd_banner" line to use the default value which does not display the version information.