The operating system at organization-defined information system components must load and execute the operating environment from hardware-enforced, read-only media.

Overview

Finding ID	Version	Rule ID	IA Controls	Severity
SRG-OS-000187-ESXI5-PNF	SRG-OS-000187-ESXI5-PNF	SRG-OS-000187-ESXI5-PNF_rule		Medium

Description
Organizations may require the information system to load the operating environment from hardware enforced read-only media. The term operating environment is defined as the code upon which applications are hosted, for example, a monitor, executive, operating system, or application running directly on the hardware platform. Hardware-enforced, read-only media includes CD-R/DVD-R disk drives. Use of non-modifiable storage ensures the integrity of the software program from the point of creation of the read-only image. For this requirement, the operating environment is the operating system. Applicable, but permanent not-a-finding - This is true of ESXi "embedded" vs ESXi "installable" which is what's covered by this document. Read-only media is generally for "appliance-only" installations.

Description

Organizations may require the information system to load the operating environment from hardware enforced read-only media. The term operating environment is defined as the code upon which applications are hosted, for example, a monitor, executive, operating system, or application running directly on the hardware platform. Hardware-enforced, read-only media includes CD-R/DVD-R disk drives. Use of non-modifiable storage ensures the integrity of the software program from the point of creation of the read-only image. For this requirement, the operating environment is the operating system. Applicable, but permanent not-a-finding - This is true of ESXi "embedded" vs ESXi "installable" which is what's covered by this document. Read-only media is generally for "appliance-only" installations.

STIG	Date
VMware ESXi v5 Security Technical Implementation Guide	2013-01-15

Details

Check Text ( C-SRG-OS-000187-ESXI5-PNF_chk )
ESXi supports this requirement and cannot be configured to be out of compliance. This is a permanent not a finding.

Fix Text (F-SRG-OS-000187-ESXI5-PNF_fix)
This requirement is permanent not a finding. No fix is required.