Symbolic links will not be used in the web content directory tree.

Overview

Finding ID	Version	Rule ID	IA Controls	Severity
V-2227	WG360	SV-2227r6_rule	ECSC-1	High

Description
A symbolic link allows a file or a directory to be referenced using a symbolic name raising a potential hazard if symbolic linkage is made to a sensitive area. When web scripts are executed and symbolic links are allowed, the web user could be allowed to access locations on the web server that are outside the scope of the web document root or home directory.

STIG	Date
Web Server STIG	2010-10-07

Details

Check Text ( C-29887r1_chk )
This check applies only to UNIX servers. Locate the directories containing the web content ( i.e., /usr/local/apache/htdocs) by using: ls –al. An entry, such as the following, would indicate the presence and use of symbolic links: lr-xr—r-- 4000 wwwusr wwwgrp2345Apr 15 data -> /usr/local/apache/htdocs Such a result found in a web document directory is a finding. If any files in the web document directories have symbolic links, as evidenced by a l as the first character and a redirect to another file, this is a finding.

Check Text ( C-29887r1_chk )

This check applies only to UNIX servers.

Locate the directories containing the web content ( i.e., /usr/local/apache/htdocs) by using:
ls –al.

An entry, such as the following, would indicate the presence and use of symbolic links:

lr-xr—r-- 4000 wwwusr wwwgrp2345Apr 15 data -> /usr/local/apache/htdocs

Such a result found in a web document directory is a finding.

If any files in the web document directories have symbolic links, as evidenced by a l as the first character and a redirect to another file, this is a finding.

Fix Text (F-26783r1_fix)
Disable symbolic links.