The macOS system must configure the SSH ServerAliveInterval to 900.
Overview
Finding ID | Version | Rule ID | IA Controls | Severity |
V-268444 | APPL-15-000110 | SV-268444r1034800_rule | Medium |
Description |
SSH must be configured with an Active Server Alive Maximum Count set to 900. Setting the Active Server Alive Maximum Count to 900 will log users out after a 900-second interval of inactivity. NOTE: /etc/ssh/ssh_config will be automatically modified to its original state following any update or major upgrade to the operating system. |
STIG | Date |
Apple macOS 15 (Sequoia) Security Technical Implementation Guide | 2025-05-05 |
Details
Check Text (C-72474r1034270_chk) |
Verify the macOS system is configured to set the SSH ServerAliveInterval to 900 with the following command: ret="pass" for u in $(/usr/bin/dscl . -list /Users UniqueID | /usr/bin/awk '$2 > 500 {print $1}'); do sshCheck=$(/usr/bin/sudo -u $u /usr/bin/ssh -G . | /usr/bin/grep -c "^serveraliveinterval 900") if [[ "$sshCheck" == "0" ]]; then ret="fail" break fi done /bin/echo $ret If the result is not "pass", this is a finding. |
Fix Text (F-72375r1034799_fix) |
Configure the macOS system to set the SSH ServerAliveInterval to 900 with the following command: include_dir=$(/usr/bin/awk '/^Include/ {print $2}' /etc/ssh/ssh_config | /usr/bin/tr -d '*') ssh_config_string=("ServerAliveInterval 900") for ssh_config in $ssh_config_string; do ssh_setting=$(echo $ssh_config | /usr/bin/cut -d " " -f1) /usr/bin/grep -qEi "^$ssh_setting" "${include_dir}01-mscp-ssh.conf" && /usr/bin/sed -i "" "s/^$ssh_setting.*/${ssh_config}/" "${include_dir}01-mscp-ssh.conf" || echo "$ssh_config" >> "${include_dir}01-mscp-ssh.conf" for u in $(/usr/bin/dscl . list /users shell | /usr/bin/egrep -v '(^_)|(root)|(/usr/bin/false)' | /usr/bin/awk '{print $1}'); do config=$(/usr/bin/sudo -u $u /usr/bin/ssh -Gv . 2>&1) configfiles=$(echo "$config" | /usr/bin/awk '/Reading configuration data/ {print $NF}'| /usr/bin/tr -d '\r') configarray=( ${(f)configfiles} ) if ! echo $config | /usr/bin/grep -q -i "$ssh_config" ; then for c in $configarray; do if [[ "$c" == "/etc/ssh/crypto.conf" ]]; then continue fi /usr/bin/sudo -u $u /usr/bin/grep -qEi "^$ssh_setting" "$c" && /usr/bin/sed -i "" "s/^$ssh_setting.*/${ssh_config}/I" "$c" if [[ "$c" =~ ".ssh/config" ]]; then if /usr/bin/grep -qEi "$ssh_setting" "$c" 2> /dev/null; then old_file=$(cat ~$u/.ssh/config) echo "$ssh_config" > ~$u/.ssh/config echo "$old_file" >> ~$u/.ssh/config fi fi done fi done done |