1.1.23 Disable USB Storage - lsmod

Information

USB storage provides a means to transfer and store files insuring persistence and availability of the files independent of network connection status. Its popularity and utility has led to USB-based malware being a simple and common means for network infiltration and a first step to establishing a persistent threat within a networked environment.

Note: An alternative solution to disabling the usb-storage module may be found in USBGuard. Use of USBGuard and construction of USB device policies should be done in alignment with site policy.

Rationale:

Restricting USB access on the system will decrease the physical attack surface for a device and diminish the possible vectors to introduce malware.

Solution

Edit or create a file in the /etc/modprobe.d/ directory ending in .conf
Example: vi /etc/modprobe.d/usb_storage.conf
and add the following line:

install usb-storage /bin/true

Run the following command to unload the usb-storage module:

rmmod usb-storage

See Also

https://workbench.cisecurity.org/files/2920

Item Details

Category: SYSTEM AND INFORMATION INTEGRITY

References: 800-53|SI-3, CSCv7|8.4, CSCv7|8.5

Plugin: Unix

Control ID: d65c03a124debd531107979bab85fc128e888f673974eabd71942cbd9e9eb63d