Detections
Analytics

1.303 ALMA-09-038850

Information

For PKI-based authentication, AlmaLinux OS 9 must enforce authorized access to the corresponding private key.

GROUP ID: V-269410
RULE ID: SV-269410r1050293

If the private key is discovered, an attacker can use the key to authenticate as an authorized user and gain access to the network infrastructure.

The cornerstone of the PKI is the private key used to encrypt or digitally sign information.

If the private key is stolen, this will lead to the compromise of the authentication and nonrepudiation gained through PKI because the attacker can use the private key to digitally sign documents and pretend to be the authorized user.

Both the holders of a digital certificate and the issuing authority must protect the computers, storage devices, or whatever they use to keep the private keys.

NOTE: Nessus has not performed this check. Please review the benchmark to ensure target compliance.

Solution

Create a new private and public key pair that uses a passcode, as the correct user, with the following command:

$ ssh-keygen -n [passphrase]

See Also

https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/27039

Item Details

Category: IDENTIFICATION AND AUTHENTICATION

References: 800-53|IA-5(2), CCI|CCI-000186, Rule-ID|SV-269410r1050293_rule, STIG-ID|ALMA-09-038850, Vuln-ID|V-269410

Plugin: Unix

Control ID: b1e37551067b576c831ea12afd3376d969c9fb6ba1cbe402a04074d7e8cefb02