1.8.7 Ensure GDM disabling automatic mounting of removable media is not overridden

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This audit has been deprecated and will be removed in a future update.

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Information

By default GNOME automatically mounts removable media when inserted as a convenience to the user

By using the lockdown mode in dconf, you can prevent users from changing specific settings.

To lock down a dconf key or subpath, create a locks subdirectory in the keyfile directory. The files inside this directory contain a list of keys or subpaths to lock. Just as with the keyfiles, you may add any number of files to this directory.

Example Lock File:

# Lock desktop screensaver settings

/org/gnome/desktop/media-handling/automount

/org/gnome/desktop/media-handling/automount-open

Rationale:

With automounting enabled anyone with physical access could attach a USB drive or disc and have its contents available in system even if they lacked permissions to mount it themselves.

Impact:

The use of portable hard drives is very common for workstation users

Solution

Run the following script to lock disable automatic mounting of media for all GNOME users:

#!/usr/bin/env bash

{
# Check if GNMOE Desktop Manager is installed. If package isn't installed, recommendation is Not Applicable

# determine system's package manager
l_pkgoutput=''
if command -v dpkg-query > /dev/null 2>&1; then
l_pq='dpkg-query -W'
elif command -v rpm > /dev/null 2>&1; then
l_pq='rpm -q'
fi
# Check if GDM is installed
l_pcl='gdm gdm3' # Space seporated list of packages to check
for l_pn in $l_pcl; do
$l_pq '$l_pn' > /dev/null 2>&1 && l_pkgoutput='y' && echo -e '
- Package: '$l_pn' exists on the system
- remediating configuration if needed'
done
# Check configuration (If applicable)
if [ -n '$l_pkgoutput' ]; then
# Look for automount to determine profile in use, needed for remaining tests
l_kfd='/etc/dconf/db/$(grep -Psril '^h*automountb' /etc/dconf/db/*/ | awk -F'/' '{split($(NF-1),a,'.');print a[1]}').d' #set directory of key file to be locked
# Look for automount-open to determine profile in use, needed for remaining tests
l_kfd2='/etc/dconf/db/$(grep -Psril '^h*automount-openb' /etc/dconf/db/*/ | awk -F'/' '{split($(NF-1),a,'.');print a[1]}').d' #set directory of key file to be locked
if [ -d '$l_kfd' ]; then # If key file directory doesn't exist, options can't be locked
if grep -Priq '^h*/org/gnome/desktop/media-handling/automountb' '$l_kfd'; then
echo ' - 'automount' is locked in '$(grep -Pril '^h*/org/gnome/desktop/media-handling/automountb' '$l_kfd')''
else
echo ' - creating entry to lock 'automount''
[ ! -d '$l_kfd'/locks ] && echo 'creating directory $l_kfd/locks' && mkdir '$l_kfd'/locks
{
echo -e '
# Lock desktop media-handling automount setting'
echo '/org/gnome/desktop/media-handling/automount'
} >> '$l_kfd'/locks/00-media-automount
fi
else
echo -e ' - 'automount' is not set so it can not be locked
- Please follow Recommendation 'Ensure GDM automatic mounting of removable media is disabled' and follow this Recommendation again'
fi
if [ -d '$l_kfd2' ]; then # If key file directory doesn't exist, options can't be locked
if grep -Priq '^h*/org/gnome/desktop/media-handling/automount-openb' '$l_kfd2'; then
echo ' - 'automount-open' is locked in '$(grep -Pril '^h*/org/gnome/desktop/media-handling/automount-openb' '$l_kfd2')''
else
echo ' - creating entry to lock 'automount-open''
[ ! -d '$l_kfd2'/locks ] && echo 'creating directory $l_kfd2/locks' && mkdir '$l_kfd2'/locks
{
echo -e '
# Lock desktop media-handling automount-open setting'
echo '/org/gnome/desktop/media-handling/automount-open'
} >> '$l_kfd2'/locks/00-media-automount
fi
else
echo -e ' - 'automount-open' is not set so it can not be locked
- Please follow Recommendation 'Ensure GDM automatic mounting of removable media is disabled' and follow this Recommendation again'
fi
# update dconf database
dconf update
else
echo -e ' - GNOME Desktop Manager package is not installed on the system
- Recommendation is not applicable'
fi
}

See Also

https://workbench.cisecurity.org/files/4115