System administrators must use templates to deploy virtual machines (VMs) whenever possible.

Overview

Finding ID	Version	Rule ID	IA Controls	Severity
V-256468	VMCH-70-000020	SV-256468r959010_rule		Low

Description

Capture a hardened base operating system image (with no applications installed) in a template to ensure all VMs are created with a known baseline level of security. Use this template to create other, application-specific templates, or use the application template to deploy VMs. Manual installation of the operating system and applications into a VM introduces the risk of misconfiguration due to human or process error.

STIG	Date
VMware vSphere 7.0 Virtual Machine Security Technical Implementation Guide	2024-12-16

Details

Check Text (C-60143r886445_chk)

Ask the system administrator if hardened, patched templates are used for VM creation and properly configured operating system deployments, including applications dependent and nondependent on VM-specific configurations.

If hardened, patched templates are not used for VM creation, this is a finding.

Fix Text (F-60086r886446_fix)

Create hardened VM templates to use for operating system deployments.