RHEL 8 must not forward IPv6 source-routed packets by default.

Overview

Finding ID	Version	Rule ID	IA Controls	Severity
V-230539	RHEL-08-040250	SV-230539r861085_rule		Medium

Description
Source-routed packets allow the source of the packet to suggest that routers forward the packet along a different path than configured on the router, which can be used to bypass network security measures. This requirement applies only to the forwarding of source-routed traffic, such as when forwarding is enabled and the system is functioning as a router. The sysctl --system command will load settings from all system configuration files. All configuration files are sorted by their filename in lexicographic order, regardless of which of the directories they reside in. If multiple files specify the same option, the entry in the file with the lexicographically latest name will take precedence. Files are read from directories in the following list from top to bottom. Once a file of a given filename is loaded, any file of the same name in subsequent directories is ignored. /etc/sysctl.d/.conf /run/sysctl.d/.conf /usr/local/lib/sysctl.d/.conf /usr/lib/sysctl.d/.conf /lib/sysctl.d/*.conf /etc/sysctl.conf

Description

Source-routed packets allow the source of the packet to suggest that routers forward the packet along a different path than configured on the router, which can be used to bypass network security measures. This requirement applies only to the forwarding of source-routed traffic, such as when forwarding is enabled and the system is functioning as a router. The sysctl --system command will load settings from all system configuration files. All configuration files are sorted by their filename in lexicographic order, regardless of which of the directories they reside in. If multiple files specify the same option, the entry in the file with the lexicographically latest name will take precedence. Files are read from directories in the following list from top to bottom. Once a file of a given filename is loaded, any file of the same name in subsequent directories is ignored. /etc/sysctl.d/*.conf /run/sysctl.d/*.conf /usr/local/lib/sysctl.d/*.conf /usr/lib/sysctl.d/*.conf /lib/sysctl.d/*.conf /etc/sysctl.conf

STIG	Date
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 Security Technical Implementation Guide	2022-09-07

Details

Check Text ( C-33208r861084_chk )
Verify RHEL 8 does not accept IPv6 source-routed packets by default. Note: If IPv6 is disabled on the system, this requirement is Not Applicable. Check the value of the accept source route variable with the following command: $ sudo sysctl net.ipv6.conf.default.accept_source_route net.ipv6.conf.default.accept_source_route = 0 If the returned line does not have a value of "0", a line is not returned, or the line is commented out, this is a finding. Check that the configuration files are present to enable this network parameter. $ sudo grep -r net.ipv6.conf.default.accept_source_route /run/sysctl.d/.conf /usr/local/lib/sysctl.d/.conf /usr/lib/sysctl.d/.conf /lib/sysctl.d/.conf /etc/sysctl.conf /etc/sysctl.d/*.conf /etc/sysctl.d/99-sysctl.conf: net.ipv6.conf.default.accept_source_route = 0 If "net.ipv6.conf.default.accept_source_route" is not set to "0", is missing or commented out, this is a finding. If conflicting results are returned, this is a finding.

Check Text ( C-33208r861084_chk )

Verify RHEL 8 does not accept IPv6 source-routed packets by default.

Note: If IPv6 is disabled on the system, this requirement is Not Applicable.

Check the value of the accept source route variable with the following command:

$ sudo sysctl net.ipv6.conf.default.accept_source_route

net.ipv6.conf.default.accept_source_route = 0

If the returned line does not have a value of "0", a line is not returned, or the line is commented out, this is a finding.

Check that the configuration files are present to enable this network parameter.

$ sudo grep -r net.ipv6.conf.default.accept_source_route /run/sysctl.d/*.conf /usr/local/lib/sysctl.d/*.conf /usr/lib/sysctl.d/*.conf /lib/sysctl.d/*.conf /etc/sysctl.conf /etc/sysctl.d/*.conf

/etc/sysctl.d/99-sysctl.conf: net.ipv6.conf.default.accept_source_route = 0

If "net.ipv6.conf.default.accept_source_route" is not set to "0", is missing or commented out, this is a finding.

If conflicting results are returned, this is a finding.

Fix Text (F-33183r858805_fix)
Configure RHEL 8 to not forward IPv6 source-routed packets by default. Add or edit the following line in a system configuration file, in the "/etc/sysctl.d/" directory: net.ipv6.conf.default.accept_source_route=0 Remove any configurations that conflict with the above from the following locations: /run/sysctl.d/.conf /usr/local/lib/sysctl.d/.conf /usr/lib/sysctl.d/.conf /lib/sysctl.d/.conf /etc/sysctl.conf /etc/sysctl.d/*.conf Load settings from all system configuration files with the following command: $ sudo sysctl --system

Fix Text (F-33183r858805_fix)

Configure RHEL 8 to not forward IPv6 source-routed packets by default.

Add or edit the following line in a system configuration file, in the "/etc/sysctl.d/" directory:

net.ipv6.conf.default.accept_source_route=0

Remove any configurations that conflict with the above from the following locations:
/run/sysctl.d/*.conf
/usr/local/lib/sysctl.d/*.conf
/usr/lib/sysctl.d/*.conf
/lib/sysctl.d/*.conf
/etc/sysctl.conf
/etc/sysctl.d/*.conf

Load settings from all system configuration files with the following command:

$ sudo sysctl --system