10.17 Setting Security Lifecycle Listener

Information

The Security Lifecycle Listener performs a number of security checks when Tomcat starts and prevents Tomcat from starting if they fail.

When enabled, the Security Lifecycle Listener can

- Enforce a blacklist of OS users that must not be used to start Tomcat.
- Set the least restrictive umask before Tomcat start

Solution

Uncomment the listener in $CATALINA_BASE/conf/server.xml If the operating system supports umask then the line in $CATALINA_HOME/bin/catalina.sh that obtains the umask also needs to be uncommented.

Within Server elements add:

- checkedOsUsers : A comma separated list of OS users that must not be used to start Tomcat. If not specified, the default value of root is used.
- minimumUmask : The least restrictive umask that must be configured before Tomcat will start. If not specified, the default value of 0007 is used. <Listener className="org.apache.catalina.security.SecurityListener" checkedOsUsers="alex,bob" minimumUmask="0007" />

See Also

https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/15137