The graphical display manager must not be the default target on RHEL 9 unless approved.
Severity | Group ID | Group Title | Version | Rule ID | Date | STIG Version |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| medium | V-257781 | SRG-OS-000480-GPOS-00227 | RHEL-09-211030 | SV-257781r991589_rule | 2025-02-27 | 2 |
| Description |
|---|
| Unnecessary service packages must not be installed to decrease the attack surface of the system. Graphical display managers have a long history of security vulnerabilities and must not be used, unless approved and documented. |
| ℹ️ Check |
|---|
| Verify that RHEL 9 is configured to boot to the command line: $ systemctl get-default multi-user.target If the system default target is not set to "multi-user.target" and the information system security officer (ISSO) lacks a documented requirement for a graphical user interface, this is a finding. |
| ✔️ Fix |
|---|
| Document the requirement for a graphical user interface with the ISSO or set the default target to multi-user with the following command: $ sudo systemctl set-default multi-user.target |