CIS VMware ESXi 6.5 v1.0.0 Level 1

Audit Details

Name: CIS VMware ESXi 6.5 v1.0.0 Level 1

Updated: 1/3/2024

Authority: CIS

Plugin: VMware

Revision: 1.17

Estimated Item Count: 56

File Details

Filename: CIS_VMware_ESXi_6.5_v1.0.0_L1.audit

Size: 194 kB

MD5: 6ce038f790d07c7668ec3618f986faa9
SHA256: eda1d1afe1516f63ceb55944e0cecd599569a64f0d17a8214facbf7cd97a3405

Audit Items

DescriptionCategories
1.1 Ensure ESXi is properly patched

SYSTEM AND INFORMATION INTEGRITY

2.1 Ensure NTP time synchronization is configured properly

AUDIT AND ACCOUNTABILITY

2.3 Ensure Managed Object Browser (MOB) is disabled

CONFIGURATION MANAGEMENT

2.5 Ensure SNMP is configured properly - 'community name private does not exist'

SYSTEM AND INFORMATION INTEGRITY

2.5 Ensure SNMP is configured properly - 'community name public does not exist'

SYSTEM AND INFORMATION INTEGRITY

2.6 Ensure dvfilter API is not configured if not used

SYSTEM AND INFORMATION INTEGRITY

3.2 Ensure persistent logging is configured for all ESXi hosts

AUDIT AND ACCOUNTABILITY

3.3 Ensure remote logging is configured for ESXi hosts

AUDIT AND ACCOUNTABILITY

4.2 Ensure passwords are required to be complex

IDENTIFICATION AND AUTHENTICATION

4.3 Ensure Active Directory is used for local user authentication - Enabled = 'true'

IDENTIFICATION AND AUTHENTICATION

4.3 Ensure Active Directory is used for local user authentication - Review Domain

IDENTIFICATION AND AUTHENTICATION

4.4 Ensure only authorized users and groups belong to the esxAdminsGroup group

ACCESS CONTROL

4.5 Ensure the Exception Users list is properly configured

ACCESS CONTROL

4.6 Ensure the maximum failed login attempts is set to 3

ACCESS CONTROL

4.7 Ensure account lockout is set to 15 minutes

ACCESS CONTROL

5.1 Ensure the DCUI timeout is set to 600 seconds or less

ACCESS CONTROL

5.3 Ensure the ESXi shell is disabled

SYSTEM AND INFORMATION INTEGRITY

5.4 Ensure SSH is disabled

SYSTEM AND INFORMATION INTEGRITY

5.5 Ensure CIM access is limited

ACCESS CONTROL

5.6 Ensure Lockdown mode is enabled

ACCESS CONTROL

5.8 Ensure idle ESXi shell and SSH sessions time out after 300 seconds or less

ACCESS CONTROL

5.9 Ensure the shell services timeout is set to 1 hour or less

ACCESS CONTROL

5.10 Set DCUI.Access to allow trusted users to override lockdown mode

IDENTIFICATION AND AUTHENTICATION

6.1 Ensure bidirectional CHAP authentication for iSCSI traffic is enabled

IDENTIFICATION AND AUTHENTICATION

6.2 Ensure uniqueness of CHAP authentication secrets for iSCSI traffic

IDENTIFICATION AND AUTHENTICATION

6.3 Ensure storage area network (SAN) resources are segregated properly

SECURITY ASSESSMENT AND AUTHORIZATION, SYSTEM AND COMMUNICATIONS PROTECTION, SYSTEM AND INFORMATION INTEGRITY

7.1 Ensure the vSwitch Forged Transmits policy is set to reject

SYSTEM AND COMMUNICATIONS PROTECTION

7.2 Ensure the vSwitch MAC Address Change policy is set to reject

SYSTEM AND COMMUNICATIONS PROTECTION

7.3 Ensure the vSwitch Promiscuous Mode policy is set to reject

SYSTEM AND COMMUNICATIONS PROTECTION

7.4 Ensure port groups are not configured to the value of the native VLAN

SYSTEM AND INFORMATION INTEGRITY

7.5 Ensure that port groups are not configured to VLAN values reserved by upstream physical switches

SYSTEM AND COMMUNICATIONS PROTECTION, SYSTEM AND INFORMATION INTEGRITY

7.6 Ensure port groups are not configured to VLAN 4095 except for Virtual Guest Tagging (VGT)

SYSTEM AND INFORMATION INTEGRITY

8.1.1 Ensure informational messages from the VM to the VMX file are limited

AUDIT AND ACCOUNTABILITY

8.2.1 Ensure unnecessary floppy devices are disconnected

SYSTEM AND INFORMATION INTEGRITY

8.2.3 Ensure unnecessary parallel ports are disconnected

SYSTEM AND INFORMATION INTEGRITY

8.2.4 Ensure unnecessary serial ports are disconnected

SYSTEM AND INFORMATION INTEGRITY

8.2.5 Ensure unnecessary USB devices are disconnected

SYSTEM AND INFORMATION INTEGRITY

8.2.6 Ensure unauthorized modification and disconnection of devices is disabled

SYSTEM AND INFORMATION INTEGRITY

8.2.7 Ensure unauthorized connection of devices is disabled

SYSTEM AND INFORMATION INTEGRITY

8.3.1 Ensure unnecessary or superfluous functions inside VMs are disabled

SYSTEM AND INFORMATION INTEGRITY

8.3.2 Ensure use of the VM console is limited

CONFIGURATION MANAGEMENT

8.3.3 Ensure secure protocols are used for virtual serial port access

SYSTEM AND COMMUNICATIONS PROTECTION

8.3.4 Ensure templates are used whenever possible to deploy VMs

CONFIGURATION MANAGEMENT

8.4.1 Ensure access to VMs through the dvfilter network APIs is configured correctly

SYSTEM AND COMMUNICATIONS PROTECTION, SYSTEM AND INFORMATION INTEGRITY

8.4.2 Ensure VMsafe Agent Address is configured correctly

SYSTEM AND COMMUNICATIONS PROTECTION, SYSTEM AND INFORMATION INTEGRITY

8.4.3 Ensure VMsafe Agent Port is configured correctly

SYSTEM AND INFORMATION INTEGRITY

8.4.4 Ensure VMsafe Agent is configured correctly

SYSTEM AND INFORMATION INTEGRITY

8.4.24 Ensure VM Console Copy operations are disabled

SYSTEM AND INFORMATION INTEGRITY

8.4.25 Ensure VM Console Drag and Drop operations is disabled

SYSTEM AND INFORMATION INTEGRITY

8.4.26 Ensure VM Console GUI Options is disabled

SYSTEM AND INFORMATION INTEGRITY