The ESXi host must use the vSphere Authentication Proxy to protect passwords when adding ESXi hosts to Active Directory.

Overview

Finding ID	Version	Rule ID	IA Controls	Severity
V-207639	ESXI-65-000038	SV-207639r378847_rule		Medium

Description
If you configure your host to join an Active Directory domain using Host Profiles the Active Directory credentials are saved in the host profile and are transmitted over the network. To avoid having to save Active Directory credentials in the Host Profile and to avoid transmitting Active Directory credentials over the network use the vSphere Authentication Proxy.

STIG	Date
VMware vSphere 6.5 ESXi Security Technical Implementation Guide	2021-09-22

Details

Check Text ( C-7894r364316_chk )
From the vSphere Web Client go to Home >> Host Profiles >> and select a Host Profile to edit. View the settings under Security and Services >> Security Settings >> Authentication Configuration >> Active Directory Configuration >> Join Domain Method. Verify the method used to join hosts to a domain is set to "Use vSphere Authentication Proxy to add the host to domain". or From a PowerCLI command prompt while connected to vCenter run the following command: Get-VMHost \| Select Name, ` @{N="HostProfile";E={$_ \| Get-VMHostProfile}}, ` @{N="JoinADEnabled";E={($_ \| Get-VmHostProfile).ExtensionData.Config.ApplyProfile.Authentication.ActiveDirectory.Enabled}}, ` @{N="JoinDomainMethod";E={(($_ \| Get-VMHostProfile).ExtensionData.Config.ApplyProfile.Authentication.ActiveDirectory \| Select -ExpandProperty Policy \| Where {$_.Id -eq "JoinDomainMethodPolicy"}).Policyoption.Id}} Verify if JoinADEnabled is True then JoinDomainMethod should be "FixedCAMConfigOption". If you are not using Host Profiles to join active directory, this is not a finding.

Check Text ( C-7894r364316_chk )

From the vSphere Web Client go to Home >> Host Profiles >> and select a Host Profile to edit. View the settings under Security and Services >> Security Settings >> Authentication Configuration >> Active Directory Configuration >> Join Domain Method. Verify the method used to join hosts to a domain is set to "Use vSphere Authentication Proxy to add the host to domain".

or

From a PowerCLI command prompt while connected to vCenter run the following command:

Get-VMHost | Select Name, ` @{N="HostProfile";E={$_ | Get-VMHostProfile}}, ` @{N="JoinADEnabled";E={($_ | Get-VmHostProfile).ExtensionData.Config.ApplyProfile.Authentication.ActiveDirectory.Enabled}}, ` @{N="JoinDomainMethod";E={(($_ | Get-VMHostProfile).ExtensionData.Config.ApplyProfile.Authentication.ActiveDirectory | Select -ExpandProperty Policy | Where {$_.Id -eq "JoinDomainMethodPolicy"}).Policyoption.Id}}

Verify if JoinADEnabled is True then JoinDomainMethod should be "FixedCAMConfigOption".

If you are not using Host Profiles to join active directory, this is not a finding.

Fix Text (F-7894r364317_fix)
From the vSphere Web Client go to Home >> Host Profiles >> and select a Host Profile to edit. View the settings under Security and Services >> Security Settings >> Authentication Configuration >> Active Directory Configuration >> Join Domain Method. Set the method used to join hosts to a domain to "Use vSphere Authentication Proxy to add the host to domain" and provide the IP address of the vSphere Authentication Proxy server.

Fix Text (F-7894r364317_fix)