The Red Hat Enterprise Linux operating system must be configured to disable USB mass storage.

Overview

Finding ID	Version	Rule ID	IA Controls	Severity
V-204449	RHEL-07-020100	SV-204449r942894_rule		Medium

Description
USB mass storage permits easy introduction of unknown devices, thereby facilitating malicious activity. Satisfies: SRG-OS-000114-GPOS-00059, SRG-OS-000378-GPOS-00163, SRG-OS-000480-GPOS-00227

STIG	Date
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 Security Technical Implementation Guide	2023-12-01

Details

Check Text ( C-4573r942892_chk )
Verify the operating system disables the ability to load the USB Storage kernel module. # grep -r usb-storage /etc/modprobe.d/* \| grep -i "/bin/false" \| grep -v "^#" install usb-storage /bin/false If the command does not return any output, or the line is commented out, and use of USB Storage is not documented with the Information System Security Officer (ISSO) as an operational requirement, this is a finding. Verify the operating system disables the ability to use USB mass storage devices. Check to see if USB mass storage is disabled with the following command: # grep usb-storage /etc/modprobe.d/* \| grep -i "blacklist" \| grep -v "^#" blacklist usb-storage If the command does not return any output or the output is not "blacklist usb-storage", and use of USB storage devices is not documented with the ISSO as an operational requirement, this is a finding.

Check Text ( C-4573r942892_chk )

Verify the operating system disables the ability to load the USB Storage kernel module.

# grep -r usb-storage /etc/modprobe.d/* | grep -i "/bin/false" | grep -v "^#"
install usb-storage /bin/false

If the command does not return any output, or the line is commented out, and use of USB Storage is not documented with the Information System Security Officer (ISSO) as an operational requirement, this is a finding.

Verify the operating system disables the ability to use USB mass storage devices.

Check to see if USB mass storage is disabled with the following command:

# grep usb-storage /etc/modprobe.d/* | grep -i "blacklist" | grep -v "^#"
blacklist usb-storage

If the command does not return any output or the output is not "blacklist usb-storage", and use of USB storage devices is not documented with the ISSO as an operational requirement, this is a finding.

Fix Text (F-4573r942893_fix)
Configure the operating system to disable the ability to use the USB Storage kernel module. Create a file under "/etc/modprobe.d" with the following command: # touch /etc/modprobe.d/usb-storage.conf Add the following line to the created file: install usb-storage /bin/false Configure the operating system to disable the ability to use USB mass storage devices. # vi /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist.conf Add or update the line: blacklist usb-storage

Fix Text (F-4573r942893_fix)

Configure the operating system to disable the ability to use the USB Storage kernel module.

Create a file under "/etc/modprobe.d" with the following command:

# touch /etc/modprobe.d/usb-storage.conf

Add the following line to the created file:

install usb-storage /bin/false

Configure the operating system to disable the ability to use USB mass storage devices.

# vi /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist.conf

Add or update the line:

blacklist usb-storage