The vCenter Server must remove unauthorized port mirroring sessions on distributed switches.

Overview

Finding ID	Version	Rule ID	IA Controls	Severity
V-258965	VCSA-80-000300	SV-258965r961863_rule		Medium

Description
The vSphere Distributed Virtual Switch can enable port mirroring sessions allowing traffic to be mirrored from one source to a destination. If port mirroring is configured unknowingly this could allow an attacker to observe network traffic of virtual machines.

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

Details

Check Text ( C-62705r934551_chk )
If distributed switches are not used, this is not applicable. From the vSphere Client, go to "Networking". Select a distributed switch >> Configure >> Settings >> Port Mirroring. Review any configured "Port Mirroring" sessions. or From a PowerCLI command prompt while connected to the vCenter server, run the following command: Get-VDSwitch \| select Name,@{N="Port Mirroring Sessions";E={$_.ExtensionData.Config.VspanSession.Name}} If there are any unauthorized port mirroring sessions configured, this is a finding.

Check Text ( C-62705r934551_chk )

If distributed switches are not used, this is not applicable.

From the vSphere Client, go to "Networking".

Select a distributed switch >> Configure >> Settings >> Port Mirroring.

Review any configured "Port Mirroring" sessions.

or

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

Get-VDSwitch | select Name,@{N="Port Mirroring Sessions";E={$_.ExtensionData.Config.VspanSession.Name}}

If there are any unauthorized port mirroring sessions configured, this is a finding.

Fix Text (F-62614r934552_fix)
From the vSphere Client, go to "Networking". Select a distributed switch >> Configure >> Settings >> Port Mirroring. Select the unauthorized "Port Mirroring" session and click "Remove". Click "OK".