The ESXi host must remove keys from the SSH authorized_keys file.

Overview

Finding ID	Version	Rule ID	IA Controls	Severity
V-239284	ESXI-67-000029	SV-239284r674781_rule		Medium

Description

ESXi hosts come with SSH, which can be enabled to allow remote access without requiring user authentication. To enable password-free access, copy the remote user's public key into the "/etc/ssh/keys-root/authorized_keys" file on the ESXi host. The presence of the remote user's public key in the "authorized_keys" file identifies the user as trusted, meaning the user is granted access to the host without providing a password. If using Lockdown Mode and SSH is disabled, then logon with authorized keys will have the same restrictions as username/password.

STIG	Date
VMware vSphere 6.7 ESXi Security Technical Implementation Guide	2022-01-05

Details

Check Text ( C-42517r674779_chk )
From an SSH session connected to the ESXi host, or from the ESXi shell, run the following command: # ls -la /etc/ssh/keys-root/authorized_keys or # cat /etc/ssh/keys-root/authorized_keys If the "authorized_keys" file exists and is not empty, this is a finding.

Fix Text (F-42476r674780_fix)
From an SSH session connected to the ESXi host, or from the ESXi shell, zero out or remove the /etc/ssh/keys-root/authorized_keys file: # >/etc/ssh/keys-root/authorized_keys or # rm /etc/ssh/keys-root/authorized_keys