Run the following script to disable automatic mounting of media for all GNOME users: #!/usr/bin/env bash { l_pkgoutput="" l_gpname="local" # Set to desired dconf profile name (default is local) # Check if GNOME Desktop Manager is installed. If package isn't installed, recommendation is Not Applicable\n # determine system's package manager if command -v dpkg-query > /dev/null 2>&1; then l_pq="dpkg-query -W" elif command -v rpm > /dev/null 2>&1; then l_pq="rpm -q" fi # Check if GDM is installed l_pcl="gdm gdm3" # Space seporated list of packages to check for l_pn in $l_pcl; do $l_pq "$l_pn" > /dev/null 2>&1 && l_pkgoutput="$l_pkgoutput\n - Package: \"$l_pn\" exists on the system\n - checking configuration" done # Check configuration (If applicable) if [ -n "$l_pkgoutput" ]; then echo -e "$l_pkgoutput" # Look for existing settings and set variables if they exist l_kfile="$(grep -Prils -- '^\h*automount\b' /etc/dconf/db/*.d)" l_kfile2="$(grep -Prils -- '^\h*automount-open\b' /etc/dconf/db/*.d)" # Set profile name based on dconf db directory ({PROFILE_NAME}.d) if [ -f "$l_kfile" ]; then l_gpname="$(awk -F\/ '{split($(NF-1),a,".");print a[1]}' <<< "$l_kfile")" echo " - updating dconf profile name to \"$l_gpname\"" elif [ -f "$l_kfile2" ]; then l_gpname="$(awk -F\/ '{split($(NF-1),a,".");print a[1]}' <<< "$l_kfile2")" echo " - updating dconf profile name to \"$l_gpname\"" fi # check for consistency (Clean up configuration if needed) if [ -f "$l_kfile" ] && [ "$(awk -F\/ '{split($(NF-1),a,".");print a[1]}' <<< "$l_kfile")" != "$l_gpname" ]; then sed -ri "/^\s*automount\s*=/s/^/# /" "$l_kfile" l_kfile="/etc/dconf/db/$l_gpname.d/00-media-automount" fi if [ -f "$l_kfile2" ] && [ "$(awk -F\/ '{split($(NF-1),a,".");print a[1]}' <<< "$l_kfile2")" != "$l_gpname" ]; then sed -ri "/^\s*automount-open\s*=/s/^/# /" "$l_kfile2" fi [ -z "$l_kfile" ] && l_kfile="/etc/dconf/db/$l_gpname.d/00-media-automount" # Check if profile file exists if grep -Pq -- "^\h*system-db:$l_gpname\b" /etc/dconf/profile/*; then echo -e "\n - dconf database profile exists in: \"$(grep -Pl -- "^\h*system-db:$l_gpname\b" /etc/dconf/profile/*)\"" else if [ ! -f "/etc/dconf/profile/user" ]; then l_gpfile="/etc/dconf/profile/user" else l_gpfile="/etc/dconf/profile/user2" fi echo -e " - creating dconf database profile" { echo -e "\nuser-db:user" echo "system-db:$l_gpname" } >> "$l_gpfile" fi # create dconf directory if it doesn't exists l_gpdir="/etc/dconf/db/$l_gpname.d" if [ -d "$l_gpdir" ]; then echo " - The dconf database directory \"$l_gpdir\" exists" else echo " - creating dconf database directory \"$l_gpdir\"" mkdir "$l_gpdir" fi # check automount-open setting if grep -Pqs -- '^\h*automount-open\h*=\h*false\b' "$l_kfile"; then echo " - \"automount-open\" is set to false in: \"$l_kfile\"" else echo " - creating \"automount-open\" entry in \"$l_kfile\"" ! grep -Psq -- '\^\h*\[org\/gnome\/desktop\/media-handling\]\b' "$l_kfile" && echo '[org/gnome/desktop/media-handling]' >> "$l_kfile" sed -ri '/^\s*\[org\/gnome\/desktop\/media-handling\]/a \\nautomount-open=false' "$l_kfile" fi # check automount setting if grep -Pqs -- '^\h*automount\h*=\h*false\b' "$l_kfile"; then echo " - \"automount\" is set to false in: \"$l_kfile\"" else echo " - creating \"automount\" entry in \"$l_kfile\"" ! grep -Psq -- '\^\h*\[org\/gnome\/desktop\/media-handling\]\b' "$l_kfile" && echo '[org/gnome/desktop/media-handling]' >> "$l_kfile" sed -ri '/^\s*\[org\/gnome\/desktop\/media-handling\]/a \\nautomount=false' "$l_kfile" fi # update dconf database dconf update else echo -e "\n - GNOME Desktop Manager package is not installed on the system\n - Recommendation is not applicable" fi } - OR - Run the following command to uninstall the GNOME desktop Manager package: # dnf remove gdm Impact: The use of portable hard drives is very common for workstation users. If your organization allows the use of portable storage or media on workstations and physical access controls to workstations is considered adequate there is little value add in turning off automounting.

Detections

Analytics

Revision 1.4May 4, 2026

Functional Update

Miscellaneous

Added

Removed