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vSphere UI must set the secure flag for cookies.


Overview

Finding ID Version Rule ID IA Controls Severity
V-256809 VCUI-70-000032 SV-256809r889426_rule Medium
Description
The secure flag is an option that can be set by the application server when sending a new cookie to the user within an HTTP response. The purpose of the secure flag is to prevent cookies from being observed by unauthorized parties due to the transmission of a cookie in clear text. By setting the secure flag, the browser will prevent the transmission of a cookie over an unencrypted channel. vSphere UI is configured to only be accessible over a Transport Layer Security (TLS) tunnel, but this cookie flag is still a recommended best practice.
STIG Date
VMware vSphere 7.0 vCenter Appliance UI Security Technical Implementation Guide 2023-02-21

Details

Check Text ( C-60484r889424_chk )
At the command prompt, run the following command:

# xmllint --format /usr/lib/vmware-vsphere-ui/server/conf/web.xml | sed 's/xmlns=".*"//g' | xmllint --xpath '/web-app/session-config/cookie-config/secure' -

Expected result:

true

If the output of the command does not match the expected result, this is a finding.
Fix Text (F-60427r889425_fix)
Navigate to and open:

/usr/lib/vmware-vsphere-ui/server/conf/web.xml

Navigate to the /// node and configure it as follows.


true
true


Restart the service with the following command:

# vmon-cli --restart vsphere-ui