RHEL 9 must prevent a user from overriding the session lock-delay setting for the graphical user interface.

Overview

Finding ID	Version	Rule ID	IA Controls	Severity
V-258026	RHEL-09-271080	SV-258026r1045103_rule		Medium

Description

A session time-out lock is a temporary action taken when a user stops work and moves away from the immediate physical vicinity of the information system but does not logout because of the temporary nature of the absence. Rather than relying on the user to manually lock their operating system session prior to vacating the vicinity, the GNOME desktop can be configured to identify when a user's session has idled and take action to initiate the session lock. As such, users should not be allowed to change session settings.

STIG	Date
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 Security Technical Implementation Guide	2024-12-04

Details

Check Text (C-61767r1045101_chk)

Note: This requirement assumes the use of the RHEL 9 default graphical user interface, the GNOME desktop environment. If the system does not have any graphical user interface installed, this requirement is Not Applicable.

Verify RHEL 9 prevents a user from overriding settings for graphical user interfaces.

$ gsettings writable org.gnome.desktop.screensaver lock-delay

false

If "lock-delay" is writable and the result is "true", this is a finding.

Fix Text (F-61691r1045102_fix)

Configure RHEL 9 to prevent a user from overriding settings for graphical user interfaces.

Create a database to contain the systemwide screensaver settings (if it does not already exist) with the following command:

Note: The example below is using the database "local" for the system. If the system is using another database in "/etc/dconf/profile/user", the file should be created under the appropriate subdirectory.

$ sudo touch /etc/dconf/db/local.d/locks/session

Add the following setting to prevent nonprivileged users from modifying it:

/org/gnome/desktop/screensaver/lock-delay

Run the following command to update the database:

$ sudo dconf update