1.1.18 Ensure noexec option set on /dev/shm partition

Information

The noexec mount option specifies that the filesystem cannot contain executable binaries.

Rationale:

Setting this option on a file system prevents users from executing programs from shared memory. This deters users from introducing potentially malicious software on the system.

Solution

Edit the /etc/fstab file and add noexec to the fourth field (mounting options) for the /dev/shm partition. See the fstab(5) manual page for more information.
Example: vim /etc/fstab
Run the following command to remount /dev/shm:

# mount -o remount,noexec /dev/shm

Notes:

Some distributions mount /dev/shm through other means and require /dev/shm to be added to /etc/fstab even though it is already being mounted on boot. Others may configure /dev/shm in other locations and may override /etc/fstab configuration. Consult the documentation appropriate for your distribution.

This Benchmark recommendation maps to:

Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 Security Technical Implementation Guide:

Version 2, Release: 3 Benchmark Date: 26 Apr 2019



Vul ID: V-81013

Rule ID: SV-95725r2_rule

STIG ID: RHEL-07-021024

Severity: CAT III

See Also

https://workbench.cisecurity.org/files/2688

Item Details

Category: CONFIGURATION MANAGEMENT

References: 800-53|CM-11, CSCv7|2.6

Plugin: Unix

Control ID: f3f84e332c66203c508d7e98c4cf524c8ab407d89d4e062e3127756f36b64bac