The Cisco switch must be configured to have Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP) unreachable messages disabled on all external interfaces.

Severity
Group ID
Group Title
Version
Rule ID
Date
STIG Version
mediumV-221084SRG-NET-000362-RTR-000113CISC-RT-000170SV-221084r999693_rule2026-03-043

Description

The ICMP supports IP traffic by relaying information about paths, routes, and network conditions. Switches automatically send ICMP messages under a wide variety of conditions. Host unreachable ICMP messages are commonly used by attackers for network mapping and diagnosis.

ℹ️ Check

Review the switch configuration to determine if it is compliant with this requirement. The ip unreachables command must not be found on any interface as shown in the example below: interface Ethernet2/7 no switchport ip address x.22.4.2/30 ip unreachables If ICMP unreachable notifications are sent from any external interfaces, this is a finding.

✔️ Fix

Disable ip unreachables on all external interfaces as shown below: SW1(config)# int e2/7 SW1(config-if)# no ip unreachables SW1(config-if)# end