The ESXi host Secure Shell (SSH) daemon must set a timeout count on idle sessions.

Overview

Finding ID	Version	Rule ID	IA Controls	Severity
V-258765	ESXI-80-000210	SV-258765r959010_rule		Low

Description
Setting a timeout ensures that a user login will be terminated as soon as the "ClientAliveCountMax" is reached.

STIG	Date
VMware vSphere 8.0 ESXi Security Technical Implementation Guide	2024-07-11

Details

Check Text ( C-62505r933354_chk )
From an ESXi shell, run the following command: # esxcli system ssh server config list -k clientalivecountmax or From a PowerCLI command prompt while connected to the ESXi host, run the following commands: $esxcli = Get-EsxCli -v2 $esxcli.system.ssh.server.config.list.invoke() \| Where-Object {$_.Key -eq 'clientalivecountmax'} Example result: clientalivecountmax 3 If "clientalivecountmax" is not configured to "3", this is a finding.

Check Text ( C-62505r933354_chk )

From an ESXi shell, run the following command:

# esxcli system ssh server config list -k clientalivecountmax

or

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

$esxcli = Get-EsxCli -v2
$esxcli.system.ssh.server.config.list.invoke() | Where-Object {$_.Key -eq 'clientalivecountmax'}

Example result:

clientalivecountmax 3

If "clientalivecountmax" is not configured to "3", this is a finding.

Fix Text (F-62414r933355_fix)
From an ESXi shell, run the following command: # esxcli system ssh server config set -k clientalivecountmax -v 3 or From a PowerCLI command prompt while connected to the ESXi host, run the following commands: $esxcli = Get-EsxCli -v2 $arguments = $esxcli.system.ssh.server.config.set.CreateArgs() $arguments.keyword = 'clientalivecountmax' $arguments.value = '3' $esxcli.system.ssh.server.config.set.Invoke($arguments)

Fix Text (F-62414r933355_fix)

From an ESXi shell, run the following command:

# esxcli system ssh server config set -k clientalivecountmax -v 3

or

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

$esxcli = Get-EsxCli -v2
$arguments = $esxcli.system.ssh.server.config.set.CreateArgs()
$arguments.keyword = 'clientalivecountmax'
$arguments.value = '3'
$esxcli.system.ssh.server.config.set.Invoke($arguments)