The Photon operating system must restrict access to the kernel message buffer.
Overview
| Finding ID | Version | Rule ID | IA Controls | Severity |
| V-258828 | PHTN-40-000067 | SV-258828r958524_rule | Medium |
| Description |
| Restricting access to the kernel message buffer limits access only to root. This prevents attackers from gaining additional system information as a nonprivileged user. |
| STIG | Date |
| VMware vSphere 8.0 vCenter Appliance Photon OS 4.0 Security Technical Implementation Guide | 2024-07-11 |
Details
| Check Text (C-62568r933543_chk) |
| At the command line, run the following command to verify kernel message buffer restrictions are enabled: # /sbin/sysctl kernel.dmesg_restrict Example result: kernel.dmesg_restrict = 1 If the "kernel.dmesg_restrict" kernel parameter is not set to "1", this is a finding. |
| Fix Text (F-62477r933544_fix) |
| Navigate to and open: /etc/sysctl.d/zz-stig-hardening.conf Add or update the following line: kernel.dmesg_restrict = 1 At the command line, run the following command to load the new configuration: # /sbin/sysctl --load /etc/sysctl.d/zz-stig-hardening.conf Note: If the file zz-stig-hardening.conf does not exist, it must be created. |