3.2.10 Ensure rate limiting measures are set - config

Information

The operating system must protect against or limit the effects of Denial of Service (DoS) attacks by validating the operating system is implementing rate-limiting measures on impacted network interfaces.

Rationale:

DoS is a condition when a resource is not available for legitimate users. When this occurs, the organization either cannot accomplish its mission or must operate at degraded capacity.

This requirement addresses the configuration of the operating system to mitigate the impact of DoS attacks that have occurred or are ongoing on system availability. For each system, known and potential DoS attacks must be identified and solutions for each type implemented. A variety of technologies exist to limit or, in some cases, eliminate the effects of DoS attacks (e.g., limiting processes or establishing memory partitions). Employing increased capacity and bandwidth, combined with service redundancy, may reduce the susceptibility to some DoS attacks.

Solution

Set the system to implement rate-limiting measures by adding the following line to /etc/sysctl.conf or a configuration file in the /etc/sysctl.d/ directory (or modify the line to have the required value):
Example: vim /etc/sysctl.conf

net.ipv4.tcp_invalid_ratelimit = 500

Issue the following command to make the changes take effect:

# sysctl --system

Notes:

This Benchmark recommendation maps to:

Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 Security Technical Implementation Guide:

Version 2, Release: 3 Benchmark Date: 26 Apr 2019



Vul ID: V-72271

Rule ID: SV-86895r3_rule

STIG ID: RHEL-07-040510

Severity: CAT II

See Also

https://workbench.cisecurity.org/files/2688

Item Details

Category: SYSTEM AND COMMUNICATIONS PROTECTION

References: 800-53|SC-5

Plugin: Unix

Control ID: 77085e5d10d3e929bcd18b2f0437b39edd680aead8d8119b1e2caebacbb0bb25