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The system must not permit root logins using remote access programs such as ssh.


Overview

Finding ID Version Rule ID IA Controls Severity
RHEL-06-000237 RHEL-06-000237 RHEL-06-000237_rule Medium
Description
Permitting direct root login reduces auditable information about who ran privileged commands on the system and also allows direct attack attempts on root's password.
STIG Date
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 Security Technical Implementation Guide 2013-02-05

Details

Check Text ( C-RHEL-06-000237_chk )
To determine how the SSH daemon's "PermitRootLogin" option is set, run the following command:

# grep -i PermitRootLogin /etc/ssh/sshd_config

If a line indicating no is returned, then the required value is set.
If the required value is not set, this is a finding.
Fix Text (F-RHEL-06-000237_fix)
The root user should never be allowed to login to a system directly over a network. To disable root login via SSH, add or correct the following line:

PermitRootLogin no