OL 9 must implement address space layout randomization (ASLR) to protect its memory from unauthorized code execution.

Severity
Group ID
Group Title
Version
Rule ID
Date
STIG Version
mediumV-271761SRG-OS-000433-GPOS-00193OL09-00-002423SV-271761r1091995_rule2025-05-081
Description
ASLR makes it more difficult for an attacker to predict the location of attack code they have introduced into a process' address space during an attempt at exploitation. Additionally, ASLR makes it more difficult for an attacker to know the location of existing code to repurpose it using return-oriented programming (ROP) techniques.
ℹ️ Check
Verify that OL 9 is implementing ASLR with the following command: $ sysctl kernel.randomize_va_space kernel.randomize_va_space = 2 If "kernel.randomize_va_space" is not set to "2" or is missing, this is a finding.
✔️ Fix
Configure OL 9 to implement address space layout randomization (ASLR) to protect its memory from unauthorized code execution. Add or edit the following line in a system configuration file in the "/etc/sysctl.d/" directory: kernel.randomize_va_space = 2 Reload settings from all system configuration files with the following command: $ sudo sysctl --system