On 8/13/12 10:47 PM, "Shawn Wells" <[email protected]> wrote:

>On 8/13/12 7:35 PM, Spencer R. Shimko wrote:
>> On 8/13/12 10:37 AM, "Jeffrey Blank" <[email protected]> wrote:
>>
>>> I don't quite follow.  Is this a list of Rules for which no automated
>>> checking is possible?  Or is it a list of things whose remediation
>>> cannot be automated?
>>>
>>> (Essentially, will this be the set (or subset) of all Rules that cannot
>>> be expressed in OVAL?)  (Admittedly there are a few that may be
>>> expressible in the SCE/scripts, but let us avoid that conversation for
>>> now.)
>>>
>>> This is a big topic now.  In transition_notes.xml, you will see a
>>><note>
>>> with a list of references from the RHEL 5 STIG which are policy/manual
>>> checks; we are in the process of determining for the STIG profile (once
>>> we understand fully what a STIG should be) whether these
>>>non-automatable
>>> checks should be included.
>> I do believe Michael's suggestion is combination of those you listed
>>above
>> plus those related to remediation.
>>
>> There is a large set of SSG content that is process-specific and
>>automated
>> checks can not be developed.  To my knowledge those are the ones
>>currently
>> be discussed in transition_notes.  However, there are some that can not
>>be
>> reasonably "assured" (sorry I hate that word) via the existing OVAL
>> checks.  Some of the existing logic is based on the premise that the
>> system in question was generated via a default RHEL config.  But much of
>> it relies on the fact that the state of the system was *always* in the
>> state found when the content was interpreted.
>>
>> For example, password complexity - yes OVAL can ensure the current
>> configuration is correct.  However, it fails to ensure the existing
>> passwords met the specified requirement.  The PAM configuration used
>>when
>> the password is created is not stored in /etc/shadow. A root password or
>> user password entered during Anaconda install may not meet the
>>requirement
>> thus the results of the SSG post-install content interpretation are
>>wrong.
>>   I might be missing something there, but many of the assumptions are
>>based
>> on the fact that the system being audited via SSG content was *installed
>> and booted* w/ the relevant configuration.  Building on that assumption
>>is
>> the fact that the configuration was laid down prior to a reboot and the
>> audit was run after reboot with *no* configuration changes between those
>> two (e.g. Ensure ntp is enabled, reboot, thus it is enabled).
>>
>> In addition to that set of content (process-related + not validatable
>> through automation) there is a set of requirements that can be verified
>> through automated means but can not be met through automated means.
>> However, I have a feeling the correlation between automated auditing and
>> automated remediation sets is strong.   Checking for a 12 character
>> password is not sufficient.  Ensuring the system is configured properly
>> *and* prompting for a password addresses that issue.
>>
>> Undoubtedly you guys have put more thought into the SCAP content than I
>> have.  But this strikes me as a rather systemic issue that must be
>> addressed to ensure interpretation of the SSG content results in an
>> accurate report.
>
>Would an actual profile be called for, or just identification of rules
>that need to be manually validated?

IMO either way works.  In the long term as long as it is well-defined it
will work more generally.  We thought a profile was the least invasive
approach to solve the problem in the short term.

>
>> Yes Michael and myself would like to submit a manual check profile to
>>SSG.
>>   It would address both situations.  If this isn't acceptable we are
>>quite
>> willing to carry a patch that addresses these issues.
>So you want to carry a Tresys fork of SSG?   o_O
>I'd say toss the patch over so we can see exactly what you're talking
>about.

We have one :)  I thought an RFC was a better approach since this was
related to an existing topic-of-interest on the list that was still
in-flux.  We will post it for review tomorrow.

Thanks,
--Spencer

>_______________________________________________
>scap-security-guide mailing list
>[email protected]
>https://lists.fedorahosted.org/mailman/listinfo/scap-security-guide

_______________________________________________
scap-security-guide mailing list
[email protected]
https://lists.fedorahosted.org/mailman/listinfo/scap-security-guide

Reply via email to