| V-214280 | medium | The Apache web server must not perform user management for hosted applications. | User management and authentication can be an essential part of any application hosted by the web server. Along with authenticating users, the user management function must perform several other tasks such as password complexity, locking users after a configurable number of failed logons, and management of temporary and emergency accounts. All of this must be done enterprise-wide.
The web server contains a minimal user management function, but the web server user management function does not offer enterprise-wide user management, and user management is not the primary function of the web server. User management for the hosted applications should be done through a facility that is built for enterprise-wide user management, like LDAP and Active Directory. |
| V-214282 | medium | The Apache web server must allow mappings to unused and vulnerable scripts to be removed. | Scripts allow server-side processing on behalf of the hosted application user or as processes needed in the implementation of hosted applications. Removing scripts not needed for application operation or deemed vulnerable helps to secure the web server.
To ensure scripts are not added to the web server and run maliciously, script mappings that are not needed or used by the web server for hosted application operation must be removed. |
| V-214284 | medium | Users and scripts running on behalf of users must be contained to the document root or home directory tree of the Apache web server. | A web server is designed to deliver content and execute scripts or applications on the request of a client or user. Containing user requests to files in the directory tree of the hosted web application and limiting the execution of scripts and applications guarantees that the user is not accessing information protected outside the application's realm.
The web server must also prohibit users from jumping outside the hosted application directory tree through access to the user's home directory, symbolic links or shortcuts, or through search paths for missing files. |
| V-214286 | medium | The Apache web server must perform RFC 5280-compliant certification path validation. | A certificate's certification path is the path from the end entity certificate to a trusted root certification authority (CA). Certification path validation is necessary for a relying party to make an informed decision regarding acceptance of an end entity certificate. Certification path validation includes checks such as certificate issuer trust, time validity, and revocation status for each certificate in the certification path. Revocation status information for CA and subject certificates in a certification path is commonly provided via certificate revocation lists (CRLs) or online certificate status protocol (OCSP) responses. |
| V-214287 | medium | Only authenticated system administrators or the designated PKI Sponsor for the Apache web server must have access to the Apache web servers private key. | The web server's private key is used to prove the identity of the server to clients and securely exchange the shared secret key used to encrypt communications between the web server and clients.
By gaining access to the private key, an attacker can pretend to be an authorized server and decrypt the SSL traffic between a client and the web server. |
| V-214288 | medium | Cookies exchanged between the Apache web server and client, such as session cookies, must have security settings that disallow cookie access outside the originating Apache web server and hosted application. | Cookies are used to exchange data between the web server and the client. Cookies, such as a session cookie, may contain session information and user credentials used to maintain a persistent connection between the user and the hosted application since HTTP/HTTPS is a stateless protocol.
When the cookie parameters are not set properly (i.e., domain and path parameters), cookies can be shared within hosted applications residing on the same web server or to applications hosted on different web servers residing on the same domain. |
| V-214289 | medium | The Apache web server must augment re-creation to a stable and known baseline. | Making certain that the web server has not been updated by an unauthorized user is always a concern. Adding patches, functions, and modules that are untested and not part of the baseline opens the possibility for security risks. The web server must offer, and not hinder, a method that allows for the quick and easy reinstallation of a verified and patched baseline to guarantee the production web server is up-to-date and has not been modified to add functionality or expose security risks.
When the web server does not offer a method to roll back to a clean baseline, external methods, such as a baseline snapshot or virtualizing the web server, can be used. |
| V-214290 | medium | The Apache web server document directory must be in a separate partition from the Apache web servers system files. | A web server is used to deliver content on the request of a client. The content delivered to a client must be controlled, allowing only hosted application files to be accessed and delivered. To allow a client access to system files of any type is a major security risk that is entirely avoidable. Obtaining such access is the goal of directory traversal and URL manipulation vulnerabilities. To facilitate such access by misconfiguring the web document (home) directory is a serious error. In addition, having the path on the same drive as the system folder compounds potential attacks such as drive space exhaustion. |
| V-214292 | medium | The Apache web server must display a default hosted application web page, not a directory listing, when a requested web page cannot be found. | The goal is to completely control the web user's experience in navigating any portion of the web document root directories. Ensuring all web content directories have at least the equivalent of an index.html file is a significant factor to accomplish this end.
Enumeration techniques, such as URL parameter manipulation, rely upon being able to obtain information about the Apache web server's directory structure by locating directories without default pages. In the scenario, the Apache web server will display to the user a listing of the files in the directory being accessed. By having a default hosted application web page, the anonymous web user will not obtain directory browsing information or an error message that reveals the server type and version. |
| V-214296 | medium | The Apache web server must set an inactive timeout for sessions. | Leaving sessions open indefinitely is a major security risk. An attacker can easily use an already authenticated session to access the hosted application as the previously authenticated user. By closing sessions after a set period of inactivity, the Apache web server can make certain that those sessions that are not closed through the user logging out of an application are eventually closed.
Acceptable values are 5 minutes for high-value applications, 10 minutes for medium-value applications, and 20 minutes for low-value applications. |
| V-214297 | medium | The Apache web server must restrict inbound connections from nonsecure zones. | Remote access to the Apache web server is any access that communicates through an external, non-organization-controlled network. Remote access can be used to access hosted applications or to perform management functions.
A web server can be accessed remotely and must be capable of restricting access from what the DoD defines as nonsecure zones. Nonsecure zones are defined as any IP, subnet, or region that is defined as a threat to the organization. The nonsecure zones must be defined for public web servers logically located in a DMZ, as well as private web servers with perimeter protection devices. By restricting access from nonsecure zones, through the internal web server access list, the Apache web server can stop or slow denial-of-service (DoS) attacks on the web server. |
| V-214298 | medium | Non-privileged accounts on the hosting system must only access Apache web server security-relevant information and functions through a distinct administrative account. | By separating Apache web server security functions from non-privileged users, roles can be developed that can then be used to administer the Apache web server. Forcing users to change from a non-privileged account to a privileged account when operating on the Apache web server or on security-relevant information forces users to only operate as a Web Server Administrator when necessary. Operating in this manner allows for better logging of changes and better forensic information and limits accidental changes to the Apache web server. |
| V-214300 | medium | The Apache web server must only accept client certificates issued by DOD PKI or DoD-approved PKI Certification Authorities (CAs). | Non-DOD approved PKIs have not been evaluated to ensure that they have security controls and identity vetting procedures in place that are sufficient for DOD systems to rely on the identity asserted in the certificate. PKIs lacking sufficient security controls and identity vetting procedures risk being compromised and issuing certificates that enable adversaries to impersonate legitimate users. |
| V-214301 | medium | The Apache web server cookies, such as session cookies, sent to the client using SSL/TLS must not be compressed. | A cookie is used when a web server needs to share data with the client's browser. The data is often used to remember the client when the client returns to the hosted application at a later date. A session cookie is a special type of cookie used to remember the client during the session. The cookie will contain the session identifier (ID) and may contain authentication data to the hosted application. To protect this data from easily being compromised, the cookie can be encrypted.
When a cookie is sent encrypted via SSL/TLS, an attacker must spend a great deal of time and resources to decrypt the cookie. If, along with encryption, the cookie is compressed, the attacker can now use a combination of plaintext injection and inadvertent information leakage through data compression to reduce the time needed to decrypt the cookie. This attack is called Compression Ratio Info-leak Made Easy (CRIME).
Cookies shared between the Apache web server and the client when encrypted should not also be compressed. |
| V-214303 | medium | Cookies exchanged between the Apache web server and the client, such as session cookies, must have cookie properties set to force the encryption of cookies. | Cookies can be sent to a client using TLS/SSL to encrypt the cookies, but TLS/SSL is not used by every hosted application since the data being displayed does not require the encryption of the transmission. To safeguard against cookies, especially session cookies, being sent in plaintext, a cookie can be encrypted before transmission. To force a cookie to be encrypted before transmission, the cookie "Secure" property can be set. |
| V-214304 | low | The Apache web server must prohibit or restrict the use of nonsecure or unnecessary ports, protocols, modules, and/or services. | Web servers provide numerous processes, features, and functionalities that use TCP/IP ports. Some of these processes may be deemed unnecessary or too unsecure to run on a production system.
The web server must provide the capability to disable or deactivate network-related services that are deemed nonessential to the server mission, are too unsecure, or are prohibited by the Ports, Protocols, and Services Management (PPSM) Category Assurance List (CAL) and vulnerability assessments.
Configuring the web server to implement organizationwide security implementation guides and security checklists guarantees compliance with federal standards and establishes a common security baseline across the DOD that reflects the most restrictive security posture consistent with operational requirements.
Satisfies: SRG-APP-000516-WSR-000174, SRG-APP-000383-WSR-000175 |