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11.2 Ensure Apache Processes Run in the httpd_t Confined Context - apachectl

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Information

SELinux includes customizable targeted policies that may be used to confine the Apache httpd server to enforce least privileges so that the httpd server has only the minimal access to specified directories, files and network ports. Access is controlled by process types (domains) defined for the httpd process. There are over a hundred individual httpd related types defined in a default Apache SELinux policy which includes many of the common Apache add-ons and applications such as php, nagios, smokeping and many others. The default SELinux policies work well for a default Apache installation, but implementation of SELinux targeted polices on a complex or highly customized web server requires a rather significant development and testing effort which comprehends both the workings of SELinux and the detailed operations and requirements of the web application.

All directories and files to be accessed by the web server process must have security labels with appropriate types. The following types are a sample of the most commonly used:

http_port_t - Network ports allowed for listening

httpd_sys_content_t - Read access to directories and files with web content

httpd_log_t - Directories and files to be used for writable log data

httpd_sys_script_exec_t - Directories and files for executable content.

Rationale:

With the proper implementation of SELinux, vulnerabilities in the web application may be prevented from being exploited due to the additional restrictions. For example, a vulnerability that allows an attacker to read inappropriate system files may be prevented from execution by SELinux because the inappropriate files are not labeled as httpd_sys_content_t. Likewise writing to an unexpected directory or execution of unexpected content can be prevented by similar mandatory security labels enforced by SELinux.

Solution

If the running httpd processes are not confined to the httpd_t SELinux context. Then check the context for the httpd binary and the apachectl binary and set the httpd binary to have a context of httpd_exec_t and the apachectl executable should have a context of initrc_exec_t as shown below. Also note that on some platforms such as Ubuntu, the Apache executable is named apache2 instead of httpd.

# ls -alZ /usr/sbin/httpd /usr/sbin/httpd.* /usr/sbin/apachectl
-rwxr-xr-x. root root system_u:object_r:initrc_exec_t:s0 /usr/sbin/apachectl
-rwxr-xr-x. root root system_u:object_r:httpd_exec_t:s0 /usr/sbin/httpd
-rwxr-xr-x. root root system_u:object_r:httpd_exec_t:s0 /usr/sbin/httpd.worker
-rwxr-xr-x. root root system_u:object_r:httpd_exec_t:s0 /usr/sbin/httpd.event

If the executable files are not labeled correctly, they may be relabeled with the chcon command, as shown, however the file system labeling is based on the SELinux file context polices and the file systems will on some occasions be relabeled according to the policy.

# chcon -t initrc_exec_t /usr/sbin/apachectl
# chcon -t httpd_exec_t /usr/sbin/httpd /usr/sbin/httpd.*

Since the file system may be relabeled based on SELinux policy, it's best to check the SELinux policy with semanage fcontext -l option. If the policy is not present, then add the pattern to the policy using the -a option. The restorecon command shown below will restore the file context label according to the current policy, which is required if a pattern was added.

# ### Check the Policy
# semanage fcontext -l | fgrep 'apachectl'
/usr/sbin/apachectl regular file system_u:object_r:initrc_exec_t:s0
# semanage fcontext -l | fgrep '/usr/sbin/httpd'
/usr/sbin/httpd regular file system_u:object_r:httpd_exec_t:s0
/usr/sbin/httpd.worker regular file system_u:object_r:httpd_exec_t:s0
/usr/sbin/httpd.event regular file system_u:object_r:httpd_exec_t:s0
# ### Add to the policy, if not present
# semanage fcontext -f -- -a -t httpd_exec_t '/usr/sbin/httpd'
# semanage fcontext -f -- -a -t httpd_exec_t '/usr/sbin/httpd.worker'
# semanage fcontext -f -- -a -t httpd_exec_t '/usr/sbin/httpd.event'
# semanage fcontext -f -- -a -t initrc_exec_t /usr/sbin/apachectl

# ### Restore the file labeling accord to the SELinux policy
# restorecon -v /usr/sbin/httpd /usr/sbin/httpd.* /usr/sbin/apachectl

Default Value:

SELinux is not enabled by default.

See Also

https://workbench.cisecurity.org/files/3021

Item Details

References: CSCv6|14.4, CSCv7|14.6

Plugin: Unix

Control ID: 1ce5eb795b958012249b0b864f7817c2c289fb2fac0e8baca46a79fa851dddea