RHEL 8 must have the packages required to use the hardware random number generator entropy gatherer service.

Overview

Finding ID	Version	Rule ID	IA Controls	Severity
V-244527	RHEL-08-010472	SV-244527r743830_rule		Low

Description
The most important characteristic of a random number generator is its randomness, namely its ability to deliver random numbers that are impossible to predict. Entropy in computer security is associated with the unpredictability of a source of randomness. The random source with high entropy tends to achieve a uniform distribution of random values. Random number generators are one of the most important building blocks of cryptosystems. The rngd service feeds random data from hardware device to kernel random device. Quality (non-predictable) random number generation is important for several security functions (i.e., ciphers).

Description

The most important characteristic of a random number generator is its randomness, namely its ability to deliver random numbers that are impossible to predict. Entropy in computer security is associated with the unpredictability of a source of randomness. The random source with high entropy tends to achieve a uniform distribution of random values. Random number generators are one of the most important building blocks of cryptosystems. The rngd service feeds random data from hardware device to kernel random device. Quality (non-predictable) random number generation is important for several security functions (i.e., ciphers).

STIG	Date
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 Security Technical Implementation Guide	2023-12-01

Details

Check Text ( C-47802r743828_chk )
Check that RHEL 8 has the packages required to enabled the hardware random number generator entropy gatherer service with the following command: $ sudo yum list installed rng-tools rng-tools.x86_64 6.8-3.el8 @anaconda If the "rng-tools" package is not installed, this is a finding.

Fix Text (F-47759r743829_fix)
Install the packages required to enabled the hardware random number generator entropy gatherer service with the following command: $ sudo yum install rng-tools