The Red Hat Enterprise Linux operating system must be configured so that the SSH daemon does not permit Kerberos authentication unless needed.

Overview

Finding ID	Version	Rule ID	IA Controls	Severity
V-204599	RHEL-07-040440	SV-204599r853994_rule		Medium

Description
Kerberos authentication for SSH is often implemented using Generic Security Service Application Program Interface (GSSAPI). If Kerberos is enabled through SSH, the SSH daemon provides a means of access to the system's Kerberos implementation. Vulnerabilities in the system's Kerberos implementation may then be subject to exploitation. To reduce the attack surface of the system, the Kerberos authentication mechanism within SSH must be disabled for systems not using this capability.

Description

Kerberos authentication for SSH is often implemented using Generic Security Service Application Program Interface (GSSAPI). If Kerberos is enabled through SSH, the SSH daemon provides a means of access to the system's Kerberos implementation. Vulnerabilities in the system's Kerberos implementation may then be subject to exploitation. To reduce the attack surface of the system, the Kerberos authentication mechanism within SSH must be disabled for systems not using this capability.

STIG	Date
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 Security Technical Implementation Guide	2022-12-06

Details

Check Text ( C-4723r88989_chk )
Verify the SSH daemon does not permit Kerberos to authenticate passwords unless approved. Check that the SSH daemon does not permit Kerberos to authenticate passwords with the following command: # grep -i kerberosauth /etc/ssh/sshd_config KerberosAuthentication no If the "KerberosAuthentication" keyword is missing, or is set to "yes" and is not documented with the Information System Security Officer (ISSO), or the returned line is commented out, this is a finding.

Check Text ( C-4723r88989_chk )

Verify the SSH daemon does not permit Kerberos to authenticate passwords unless approved.

Check that the SSH daemon does not permit Kerberos to authenticate passwords with the following command:

# grep -i kerberosauth /etc/ssh/sshd_config
KerberosAuthentication no

If the "KerberosAuthentication" keyword is missing, or is set to "yes" and is not documented with the Information System Security Officer (ISSO), or the returned line is commented out, this is a finding.

Fix Text (F-4723r88990_fix)
Uncomment the "KerberosAuthentication" keyword in "/etc/ssh/sshd_config" (this file may be named differently or be in a different location if using a version of SSH that is provided by a third-party vendor) and set the value to "no": KerberosAuthentication no The SSH service must be restarted for changes to take effect. If Kerberos authentication is required, it must be documented, to include the location of the configuration file, with the ISSO.

Fix Text (F-4723r88990_fix)

Uncomment the "KerberosAuthentication" keyword in "/etc/ssh/sshd_config" (this file may be named differently or be in a different location if using a version of SSH that is provided by a third-party vendor) and set the value to "no":

KerberosAuthentication no

The SSH service must be restarted for changes to take effect.

If Kerberos authentication is required, it must be documented, to include the location of the configuration file, with the ISSO.