The Apache web server must be tuned to handle the operational requirements of the hosted application.
Severity | Group ID | Group Title | Version | Rule ID | Date | STIG Version |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| medium | V-214291 | SRG-APP-000246-WSR-000149 | AS24-U2-000590 | SV-214291r1067787_rule | 2025-02-12 | 2 |
Description
A denial of service (DoS) can occur when the Apache web server is so overwhelmed that it can no longer respond to additional requests. A web server not properly tuned may become overwhelmed and cause a DoS condition even with expected traffic from users. To avoid a DoS, the Apache web server must be tuned to handle the expected traffic for the hosted applications.
Satisfies: SRG-APP-000246-WSR-000149, SRG-APP-000435-WSR-000148
ℹ️ Check
Determine the location of the "HTTPD_ROOT" directory and the "httpd.conf" file:
# apachectl -V | egrep -i 'httpd_root|server_config_file'
-D HTTPD_ROOT="/etc/httpd"
-D SERVER_CONFIG_FILE="conf/httpd.conf"
Note: The apachectl front end is the preferred method for locating the Apache httpd file. For some Linux distributions, "apache2ctl -V" or "httpd -V" can also be used.
Verify the "Timeout" directive is specified to have a value of "60" seconds or less.
# cat /<path_to_file>/httpd.conf | grep -i "Timeout"
If the "Timeout" directive is not configured or is set for more than "60" seconds, this is a finding.
✔️ Fix
Determine the location of the "HTTPD_ROOT" directory and the "httpd.conf" file:
# apachectl -V | egrep -i 'httpd_root|server_config_file'
-D HTTPD_ROOT="/etc/httpd"
-D SERVER_CONFIG_FILE="conf/httpd.conf"
Add or modify the "Timeout" directive in the Apache configuration to have a value of "60" seconds or less.
"Timeout 60"