The operating system must install software updates automatically.

Overview

Finding ID	Version	Rule ID	IA Controls	Severity
RHEL-06-000455	RHEL-06-000455	RHEL-06-000455_rule		Medium

Description
Security faults with software applications and operating systems are discovered daily and vendors are constantly updating and patching their products to address newly discovered security vulnerabilities. Organizations (including any contractor to the organization) are required to promptly install security-relevant software updates (e.g., patches, service packs, hot fixes). Flaws discovered during security assessments, continuous monitoring, incident response activities, or information system error handling, must also be addressed expeditiously.

Description

Security faults with software applications and operating systems are discovered daily and vendors are constantly updating and patching their products to address newly discovered security vulnerabilities. Organizations (including any contractor to the organization) are required to promptly install security-relevant software updates (e.g., patches, service packs, hot fixes). Flaws discovered during security assessments, continuous monitoring, incident response activities, or information system error handling, must also be addressed expeditiously.

STIG	Date
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 Security Technical Implementation Guide	2013-02-05

Details

Check Text ( C-RHEL-06-000455_chk )
Ask an administrator if a process exists to promptly and automatically apply OS software updates. If such a process does not exist, this is a finding.

Fix Text (F-RHEL-06-000455_fix)
Procedures to promptly apply software updates must be established and executed. The Red Hat operating system provides support for automating such a process, by running the yum program through a cron job or by managing the system and its packages through the Red Hat Network or a Satellite Server.