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The ESXi host SSH daemon must be configured to not allow gateway ports.


Overview

Finding ID Version Rule ID IA Controls Severity
V-207623 ESXI-65-000022 SV-207623r388482_rule Low
Description
SSH TCP connection forwarding provides a mechanism to establish TCP connections proxied by the SSH server. This function can provide similar convenience to a Virtual Private Network (VPN) with the similar risk of providing a path to circumvent firewalls and network ACLs. Gateway ports allow remote forwarded ports to bind to non-loopback addresses on the server.
STIG Date
VMware vSphere 6.5 ESXi Security Technical Implementation Guide 2021-09-22

Details

Check Text ( C-7878r364268_chk )
From an SSH session connected to the ESXi host, or from the ESXi shell, run the following command:

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

If there is no output or the output is not exactly "GatewayPorts no", this is a finding.
Fix Text (F-7878r364269_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":

GatewayPorts no