RHEL 9 must configure a DNS processing mode in Network Manager.
Severity | Group ID | Group Title | Version | Rule ID | Date | STIG Version |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| medium | V-257949 | SRG-OS-000480-GPOS-00227 | RHEL-09-252040 | SV-257949r1134947_rule | 2026-02-05 | 2 |
Description
To ensure that DNS resolver settings are respected, a DNS mode in Network Manager must be configured. The following are common DNS values in NetworkManager.conf [main]:
- default: NetworkManager will update /etc/resolv.conf to reflect the nameservers provided by currently active connections.
- none: NetworkManager will not modify /etc/resolv.conf. Used when DNS is managed manually or by another service.
- systemd-resolved: Uses systemd-resolved to manage DNS.
- dnsmasq: Enables the internal dnsmasq plugin.
ℹ️ Check
Verify that RHEL 9 has a DNS mode configured in Network Manager.
$ NetworkManager --print-config
[main]
dns=none
If the dns key under main does not exist or is not set to "default", "none", or "systemd-resolved", this is a finding.
Note: If RHEL 9 is configured to use a DNS resolver other than Network Manager, the configuration must be documented and approved by the information system security officer (ISSO).
✔️ Fix
Configure NetworkManager in RHEL 9 to use a DNS mode.
In "/etc/NetworkManager/NetworkManager.conf", add the following line in the "[main]" section:
dns = <dns processing mode>
Where <dns processing mode> is default, none, or systemd-resolved.
NetworkManager must be reloaded for the change to take effect.
$ sudo systemctl reload NetworkManager