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

Overview

Finding ID	Version	Rule ID	IA Controls	Severity
V-258766	ESXI-80-000211	SV-258766r959010_rule		Low

Description
Automatically logging out idle users guards against compromises via hijacked administrative sessions.

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

Details

Check Text ( C-62506r933357_chk )
From an ESXi shell, run the following command: # esxcli system ssh server config list -k clientaliveinterval 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 'clientaliveinterval'} Example result: clientaliveinterval 200 If "clientaliveinterval" is not configured to "200", this is a finding.

Check Text ( C-62506r933357_chk )

From an ESXi shell, run the following command:

# esxcli system ssh server config list -k clientaliveinterval

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 'clientaliveinterval'}

Example result:

clientaliveinterval 200

If "clientaliveinterval" is not configured to "200", this is a finding.

Fix Text (F-62415r933358_fix)
From an ESXi shell, run the following command: # esxcli system ssh server config set -k clientaliveinterval -v 200 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 = 'clientaliveinterval' $arguments.value = '200' $esxcli.system.ssh.server.config.set.Invoke($arguments)

Fix Text (F-62415r933358_fix)

From an ESXi shell, run the following command:

# esxcli system ssh server config set -k clientaliveinterval -v 200

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 = 'clientaliveinterval'
$arguments.value = '200'
$esxcli.system.ssh.server.config.set.Invoke($arguments)