ESXI-80-000160 The ESXi host must protect the confidentiality and integrity of transmitted information by isolating vMotion traffic.

Information

While encrypted vMotion is available, vMotion traffic should still be sequestered from other traffic to further protect it from attack. This network must only be accessible to other ESXi hosts, preventing outside access to the network.

The vMotion VMkernel port group must be in a dedicated VLAN that can be on a standard or distributed virtual switch as long as the vMotion VLAN is not shared by any other function and is only routed to ESXi hosts.

NOTE: Nessus has not performed this check. Please review the benchmark to ensure target compliance.

Solution

Configuration of the vMotion VMkernel will be unique to each environment.

For example, to modify the IP address and VLAN information to the correct network on a distributed switch, do the following:

From the vSphere Client, go to Networking.

Select a distributed switch >> Select a port group >> Configure >> Settings >> Properties.

Click "Edit" and select VLAN.

Change the "VLAN Type" to "VLAN" and change the "VLAN ID" to a network allocated and dedicated to vMotion traffic exclusively. Click "OK".

See Also

https://dl.dod.cyber.mil/wp-content/uploads/stigs/zip/U_VMW_vSphere_8-0_Y24M08_STIG.zip

Item Details

Category: SYSTEM AND COMMUNICATIONS PROTECTION

References: 800-53|SC-8, CAT|II, CCI|CCI-002418, Rule-ID|SV-258748r958908_rule, STIG-ID|ESXI-80-000160, Vuln-ID|V-258748

Plugin: VMware

Control ID: aebbd8832dcd29e08faa3a51d9ee46bd2071c03eee2c6ea6b7ccfdf659abbbd1