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2.2.3 Ensure telnet client is not installed

Information

The telnet package contains the telnet client, which allows users to start connections to other systems via the telnet protocol.

The telnet protocol is insecure and unencrypted. The use of an unencrypted transmission medium could allow an unauthorized user to steal credentials. The ssh package provides an encrypted session and stronger security and is included in most Linux distributions.

Solution

Run the following command to remove the telnet package:

# dnf remove telnet

Impact:

Removing the telnet client prevents establishing outbound telnet connections from this host. Use ssh for remote command-line access instead.

See Also

https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/27891

Item Details

Category: CONFIGURATION MANAGEMENT

References: 800-53|CM-6, 800-53|CM-7, CSCv7|2.6

Plugin: Unix

Control ID: e94c9ad135f1f76636740fac3fb97db23ffcbc46ffc51958b65f212ce73dc37b