The vCenter Server for Windows Administrators must clean up log files after failed installations.

Overview

Finding ID	Version	Rule ID	IA Controls	Severity
V-216850	VCWN-65-000028	SV-216850r612237_rule		Medium

Description
In certain cases, if the vCenter installation fails, a log file (with a name of the form “hs_err_pidXXXX”) is created that contains the database password in plain text. An attacker who breaks into the vCenter Server could potentially steal this password and access the vCenter Database.

STIG	Date
VMW vSphere 6.5 vCenter Server for Windows Security Technical Implementation Guide	2021-06-23

Details

Check Text ( C-18081r366264_chk )
If at any time a vCenter Server installation fails, only the log files of format "hs_err_pid...." should be identified on the Windows host and deleted securely before putting the host into production. Determine if a site policy exists for handling failed installation cleanup of the Windows host prior to deployment. Using the Windows host search function, determine the existence of any log files of format "hs_err_pid". If a file name of the format "hs_err_pid" is found, this is a finding. If a site policy does not exist and/or is not followed, this is a finding.

Check Text ( C-18081r366264_chk )

If at any time a vCenter Server installation fails, only the log files of format "hs_err_pid...." should be identified on the Windows host and deleted securely before putting the host into production. Determine if a site policy exists for handling failed installation cleanup of the Windows host prior to deployment. Using the Windows host search function, determine the existence of any log files of format "hs_err_pid".

If a file name of the format "hs_err_pid" is found, this is a finding.

If a site policy does not exist and/or is not followed, this is a finding.

Fix Text (F-18079r366265_fix)
Develop a site policy for handling failed installation cleanup of the Windows host prior to deployment. Using the Windows host search function, determine the existence of any log files of format "hs_err_pid" and remove them.