The system must be configured to use TCP syncookies when experiencing a TCP SYN flood.

Overview

Finding ID	Version	Rule ID	IA Controls	Severity
V-38539	RHEL-06-000095	SV-50340r3_rule		Medium

Description
A TCP SYN flood attack can cause a denial of service by filling a system's TCP connection table with connections in the SYN_RCVD state. Syncookies can be used to track a connection when a subsequent ACK is received, verifying the initiator is attempting a valid connection and is not a flood source. This feature is activated when a flood condition is detected, and enables the system to continue servicing valid connection requests.

Description

A TCP SYN flood attack can cause a denial of service by filling a system's TCP connection table with connections in the SYN_RCVD state. Syncookies can be used to track a connection when a subsequent ACK is received, verifying the initiator is attempting a valid connection and is not a flood source. This feature is activated when a flood condition is detected, and enables the system to continue servicing valid connection requests.

STIG	Date
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 Security Technical Implementation Guide	2020-05-19

Details

Check Text ( C-46097r3_chk )
The status of the "net.ipv4.tcp_syncookies" kernel parameter can be queried by running the following command: $ sysctl net.ipv4.tcp_syncookies net.ipv4.tcp_syncookies = 1 $ grep net.ipv4.tcp_syncookies /etc/sysctl.conf /etc/sysctl.d/* net.ipv4.tcp_syncookies = 1 If "net.ipv4.tcp_syncookies" is not configured in the /etc/sysctl.conf file or in the /etc/sysctl.d/ directory, is commented out or does not have a value of "1", this is a finding.

Check Text ( C-46097r3_chk )

The status of the "net.ipv4.tcp_syncookies" kernel parameter can be queried by running the following command:

$ sysctl net.ipv4.tcp_syncookies
net.ipv4.tcp_syncookies = 1

$ grep net.ipv4.tcp_syncookies /etc/sysctl.conf /etc/sysctl.d/*
net.ipv4.tcp_syncookies = 1

If "net.ipv4.tcp_syncookies" is not configured in the /etc/sysctl.conf file or in the /etc/sysctl.d/ directory, is commented out or does not have a value of "1", this is a finding.

Fix Text (F-43487r2_fix)
To set the runtime status of the "net.ipv4.tcp_syncookies" kernel parameter, run the following command: # sysctl -w net.ipv4.tcp_syncookies=1 Set the system to the required kernel parameter by adding the following line to "/etc/sysctl.conf" or a config file in the /etc/sysctl.d/ directory (or modify the line to have the required value): net.ipv4.tcp_syncookies = 1 Issue the following command to make the changes take effect: # sysctl --system

Fix Text (F-43487r2_fix)

To set the runtime status of the "net.ipv4.tcp_syncookies" kernel parameter, run the following command:

# sysctl -w net.ipv4.tcp_syncookies=1

Set the system to the required kernel parameter by adding the following line to "/etc/sysctl.conf" or a config file in the /etc/sysctl.d/ directory (or modify the line to have the required value):

net.ipv4.tcp_syncookies = 1

Issue the following command to make the changes take effect:

# sysctl --system