1.7.1.1 Ensure message of the day is configured properly

Information

The contents of the /etc/motd file are displayed to users after login and function as a
message of the day for authenticated users.

Unix-based systems have typically displayed information about the OS release and patch
level upon logging in to the system. This information can be useful to developers who are
developing software for a particular OS platform. If mingetty(8) supports the following
options, they display operating system information: m - machine architecture r -
operating system release s - operating system name v - operating system version

Rationale:

Warning messages inform users who are attempting to login to the system of their legal
status regarding the system and must include the name of the organization that owns the
system and any monitoring policies that are in place. Displaying OS and patch level
information in login banners also has the side effect of providing detailed system
information to attackers attempting to target specific exploits of a system. Authorized users
can easily get this information by running the " uname -a " command once they have logged
in.

Solution

Edit the /etc/motd file with the appropriate contents according to your site policy, remove
any instances of m , r , s , v or references to the OS platform

See Also

https://workbench.cisecurity.org/files/2420