The pcscd socket on AlmaLinux OS 9 must be active.

The information system ensures that even if the information system is compromised, that compromise will not affect credentials stored on the authentication device.

The daemon program for pcsc-lite and the MuscleCard framework is pcscd. It is a resource manager that coordinates communications with smart card readers and smart cards and cryptographic tokens that are connected to the system.

Verify that the "pcscd" socket is active with the following command:

$ systemctl is-active pcscd.socket

active

If the pcscd socket is not active, this is a finding.

To enable the pcscd socket, run the following command:

$ sudo systemctl enable --now pcscd.socket