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The ESXi host SSH daemon must not allow host-based authentication.


Overview

Finding ID Version Rule ID IA Controls Severity
V-207614 ESXI-65-000013 SV-207614r388482_rule Medium
Description
SSH trust relationships mean a compromise on one host can allow an attacker to move trivially to other hosts. SSH's cryptographic host-based authentication is more secure than ".rhosts" authentication, since hosts are cryptographically authenticated. However, it is not recommended that hosts unilaterally trust one another, even within an organization.
STIG Date
VMware vSphere 6.5 ESXi Security Technical Implementation Guide 2021-09-22

Details

Check Text ( C-7869r364241_chk )
From an SSH session connected to the ESXi host, or from the ESXi shell, run the following command:

# grep -i "^HostbasedAuthentication" /etc/ssh/sshd_config

If there is no output or the output is not exactly "HostbasedAuthentication no", this is a finding.
Fix Text (F-7869r364242_fix)
From an SSH session connected to the ESXi host, or from the ESXi shell, add or correct the following line in "/etc/ssh/sshd_config":

Add or correct the following line in "/etc/ssh/sshd_config":

HostbasedAuthentication no