OL08-00-010550 - OL 8 must not permit direct logons to the root account using remote access via SSH.

Information

Although the communications channel may be encrypted, an additional layer of security is gained by extending the policy of not logging on directly as root. In addition, logging on with a user-specific account provides individual accountability of actions performed on the system.

Solution

Configure OL 8 to stop users from logging on remotely as the 'root' user via SSH.

Edit the appropriate '/etc/ssh/sshd_config' file to uncomment or add the line for the 'PermitRootLogin' keyword and set its value to 'no':

PermitRootLogin no

The SSH daemon must be restarted for the changes to take effect. To restart the SSH daemon, run the following command:

$ sudo systemctl restart sshd.service

See Also

https://dl.dod.cyber.mil/wp-content/uploads/stigs/zip/U_Oracle_Linux_8_V2R1_STIG.zip

Item Details

Category: IDENTIFICATION AND AUTHENTICATION

References: 800-53|IA-2(5), CAT|II, CCI|CCI-004045, Rule-ID|SV-248613r986343_rule, STIG-ID|OL08-00-010550, Vuln-ID|V-248613

Plugin: Unix

Control ID: 41aded104fd801334e51c452931fa1193c01241a96be456a84d72fff62f0a71b