The vCenter Server must restrict access to the default roles with cryptographic permissions.

Overview

Finding ID	Version	Rule ID	IA Controls	Severity
V-258951	VCSA-80-000284	SV-258951r1003606_rule		Medium

Description
In vSphere, the built-in "Administrator" role contains permission to perform cryptographic operations such as Key Management Server (KMS) functions and encrypting and decrypting virtual machine disks. This role must be reserved for cryptographic administrators where virtual machine encryption and/or vSAN encryption is in use. A new built-in role called "No Cryptography Administrator" exists to provide all administrative permissions except cryptographic operations. Permissions must be restricted such that normal vSphere administrators are assigned the "No Cryptography Administrator" role or more restrictive. The "Administrator" role must be tightly controlled and must not be applied to administrators who will not be doing cryptographic work. Catastrophic data loss can result from poorly administered cryptography.

Description

In vSphere, the built-in "Administrator" role contains permission to perform cryptographic operations such as Key Management Server (KMS) functions and encrypting and decrypting virtual machine disks. This role must be reserved for cryptographic administrators where virtual machine encryption and/or vSAN encryption is in use. A new built-in role called "No Cryptography Administrator" exists to provide all administrative permissions except cryptographic operations. Permissions must be restricted such that normal vSphere administrators are assigned the "No Cryptography Administrator" role or more restrictive. The "Administrator" role must be tightly controlled and must not be applied to administrators who will not be doing cryptographic work. Catastrophic data loss can result from poorly administered cryptography.

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

Details

Check Text ( C-62691r1003605_chk )
By default, there are five roles that contain cryptographic related permissions: Administrator, No Trusted Infrastructure Administrator, vCLSAdmin, VMOperator Controller Manager, and vSphere Kubernetes Manager. From the vSphere Client, go to Administration >> Access Control >> Roles. or From a PowerCLI command prompt while connected to the vCenter server, run the following command: Get-VIPermission \| Where {$_.Role -eq "Admin" -or $_.Role -eq "NoTrustedAdmin" -or $_.Role -eq "vCLSAdmin" -or $_.Role -eq "VMOperatorController" -or $_.Role -eq "vSphereKubernetesManager"} \| Select Role,Principal,Entity,Propagate,IsGroup \| FT -Auto If there are any users or groups assigned to the default roles with cryptographic permissions and are not explicitly designated to perform cryptographic operations, this is a finding. The built-in solution users assigned to the administrator role are NOT a finding.

Check Text ( C-62691r1003605_chk )

By default, there are five roles that contain cryptographic related permissions: Administrator, No Trusted Infrastructure Administrator, vCLSAdmin, VMOperator Controller Manager, and vSphere Kubernetes Manager.

From the vSphere Client, go to Administration >> Access Control >> Roles.

or

From a PowerCLI command prompt while connected to the vCenter server, run the following command:

Get-VIPermission | Where {$_.Role -eq "Admin" -or $_.Role -eq "NoTrustedAdmin" -or $_.Role -eq "vCLSAdmin" -or $_.Role -eq "VMOperatorController" -or $_.Role -eq "vSphereKubernetesManager"} | Select Role,Principal,Entity,Propagate,IsGroup | FT -Auto

If there are any users or groups assigned to the default roles with cryptographic permissions and are not explicitly designated to perform cryptographic operations, this is a finding.

The built-in solution users assigned to the administrator role are NOT a finding.

Fix Text (F-62600r934510_fix)
From the vSphere Client, go to Administration >> Access Control >> Roles. Move any accounts not explicitly designated for cryptographic operations, other than Solution Users, to other roles such as "No Cryptography Administrator".