The vCenter Server for Windows must use a limited privilege account when adding an LDAP identity source.

Overview

Finding ID	Version	Rule ID	IA Controls	Severity
V-216888	VCWN-65-000069	SV-216888r612237_rule		Medium

Description
When adding an LDAP identity source to vSphere SSO the account used to bind to AD must be minimally privileged. This account only requires read rights to the base DN specified. Any other permissions inside or outside of that OU are unnecessary and violate least privilege.

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

Details

Check Text ( C-18119r531365_chk )
Note: This requirement is applicable for Active Directory over LDAP connections and Not Applicable when the vCenter or PSC server is joined to AD and using integrated windows authentication. From the vSphere Web Client go to Administration >> Single Sign-On >> Configuration. Click the "Identity Sources" tab. For each identity source with of type "Active Directory", highlight the item and click the pencil icon to open the edit dialog. If the account that is configured to bind to the LDAP server is not one with minimal privileges, this is a finding.

Check Text ( C-18119r531365_chk )

Note: This requirement is applicable for Active Directory over LDAP connections and Not Applicable when the vCenter or PSC server is joined to AD and using integrated windows authentication.

From the vSphere Web Client go to Administration >> Single Sign-On >> Configuration.

Click the "Identity Sources" tab.

For each identity source with of type "Active Directory", highlight the item and click the pencil icon to open the edit dialog.

If the account that is configured to bind to the LDAP server is not one with minimal privileges, this is a finding.

Fix Text (F-18117r366379_fix)
From the vSphere Web Client go to Administration >> Single Sign-On >> Configuration. Click the "Identity Sources" tab. For each identity source that has been configured with a highly privileged AD account, highlight the item and click the pencil icon to open the edit dialog. Change the username and password to one with read only rights to the base DN and complete the dialog.