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5.3.12 Ensure SSH root login is disabled

Information

The PermitRootLogin parameter specifies if the root user can log in using ssh. The default is no.

Disallowing root logins over SSH requires system admins to authenticate using their own individual account, then escalating to root via sudo . This in turn limits opportunity for non-repudiation and provides a clear audit trail in the event of a security incident

Solution

Edit the /etc/ssh/sshd_config file to set the parameter as follows:

PermitRootLogin no

See Also

https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/8415

Item Details

Category: CONFIGURATION MANAGEMENT

References: 800-53|CM-6b., CAT|II, CCI|CCI-000366, CSCv7|4.3, Rule-ID|SV-204592r603261_rule, STIG-ID|RHEL-07-040370, Vuln-ID|V-204592

Plugin: Unix

Control ID: ab25dd61ce0686b0d2272dcf6ac768e6d202ed88e506fd325faf4082ccaece9e