For the ESXi host all port groups must not be configured to VLAN 4095 unless Virtual Guest Tagging (VGT) is required.

Overview

Finding ID	Version	Rule ID	IA Controls	Severity
V-207663	ESXI-65-000064	SV-207663r388482_rule		Medium

Description
When a port group is set to VLAN 4095, this activates VGT mode. In this mode, the vSwitch passes all network frames to the guest VM without modifying the VLAN tags, leaving it up to the guest to deal with them. VLAN 4095 should be used only if the guest has been specifically configured to manage VLAN tags itself. If VGT is enabled inappropriately, it might cause denial-of-service or allow a guest VM to interact with traffic on an unauthorized VLAN.

Description

When a port group is set to VLAN 4095, this activates VGT mode. In this mode, the vSwitch passes all network frames to the guest VM without modifying the VLAN tags, leaving it up to the guest to deal with them. VLAN 4095 should be used only if the guest has been specifically configured to manage VLAN tags itself. If VGT is enabled inappropriately, it might cause denial-of-service or allow a guest VM to interact with traffic on an unauthorized VLAN.

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

Details

Check Text ( C-7918r364388_chk )
From the vSphere Web Client select the ESXi Host and go to Configure >> Networking >> Virtual switches. For each virtual switch, review the port group VLAN tags and verify they are not set to 4095. or From a PowerCLI command prompt while connected to the ESXi host run the following command: Get-VirtualPortGroup \| Select Name, VLanID If any port group is configured with VLAN 4095 and is not documented as a needed exception, this is a finding.

Check Text ( C-7918r364388_chk )

From the vSphere Web Client select the ESXi Host and go to Configure >> Networking >> Virtual switches. For each virtual switch, review the port group VLAN tags and verify they are not set to 4095.

or

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

Get-VirtualPortGroup | Select Name, VLanID

If any port group is configured with VLAN 4095 and is not documented as a needed exception, this is a finding.

Fix Text (F-7918r364389_fix)
From the vSphere Web Client select the ESXi Host and go to Configure >> Networking >> Virtual switches. Highlight a port group (where VLAN ID set to 4095) and click Edit settings. Change the VLAN ID to not be 4095 and click OK. or From a PowerCLI command prompt while connected to the ESXi host run the following command: Get-VirtualPortGroup -Name "portgroup name" \| Set-VirtualPortGroup -VLanId "New VLAN#"

Fix Text (F-7918r364389_fix)

From the vSphere Web Client select the ESXi Host and go to Configure >> Networking >> Virtual switches. Highlight a port group (where VLAN ID set to 4095) and click Edit settings. Change the VLAN ID to not be 4095 and click OK.

or

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

Get-VirtualPortGroup -Name "portgroup name" | Set-VirtualPortGroup -VLanId "New VLAN#"