The ESXi host must enable Secure Boot.

Overview

Finding ID	Version	Rule ID	IA Controls	Severity
V-258741	ESXI-80-000094	SV-258741r933284_rule		Medium

Description
Secure Boot is part of the Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) firmware standard. With UEFI Secure Boot enabled, a host refuses to load any UEFI driver or app unless the operating system bootloader has a valid digital signature. Secure Boot for ESXi requires support from the firmware and requires that all ESXi kernel modules, drivers, and vSphere Installation Bundles (VIBs) be signed by VMware or a partner subordinate. Secure Boot is enabled in the BIOS of the ESXi physical server and supported by the hypervisor boot loader. There is no ESXi control to "turn on" Secure Boot. Requiring Secure Boot (failing to boot without it present) is accomplished in another control.

Description

Secure Boot is part of the Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) firmware standard. With UEFI Secure Boot enabled, a host refuses to load any UEFI driver or app unless the operating system bootloader has a valid digital signature. Secure Boot for ESXi requires support from the firmware and requires that all ESXi kernel modules, drivers, and vSphere Installation Bundles (VIBs) be signed by VMware or a partner subordinate. Secure Boot is enabled in the BIOS of the ESXi physical server and supported by the hypervisor boot loader. There is no ESXi control to "turn on" Secure Boot. Requiring Secure Boot (failing to boot without it present) is accomplished in another control.

STIG	Date
VMware vSphere 8.0 ESXi Security Technical Implementation Guide	2023-10-11

Details

Check Text ( C-62481r933282_chk )
From an ESXi shell, run the following command: # /usr/lib/vmware/secureboot/bin/secureBoot.py -s If Secure Boot is not "Enabled", this is a finding.

Fix Text (F-62390r933283_fix)
From an ESXi shell, run the following command: # /usr/lib/vmware/secureboot/bin/secureBoot.py -c If the output indicates that Secure Boot cannot be enabled, correct the discrepancies and try again. Once all discrepancies are resolved, the server ESXi is installed on can be updated to enable Secure Boot in the firmware. To enable Secure Boot in the server's firmware follow the instructions for the specific manufacturer.

Fix Text (F-62390r933283_fix)

From an ESXi shell, run the following command:

# /usr/lib/vmware/secureboot/bin/secureBoot.py -c

If the output indicates that Secure Boot cannot be enabled, correct the discrepancies and try again.

Once all discrepancies are resolved, the server ESXi is installed on can be updated to enable Secure Boot in the firmware.

To enable Secure Boot in the server's firmware follow the instructions for the specific manufacturer.