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2.1.33 Ensure the operating system has enabled the hardware random number generator entropy gatherer service

Information

The operating system must enable the hardware random number generator entropy gatherer service.

The most important characteristic of a random number generator is its randomness, namely its ability to deliver random numbers that are impossible to predict. Entropy in computer security is associated with the unpredictability of a source of randomness. The random source with high entropy tends to achieve a uniform distribution of random values. Random number generators are one of the most important building blocks of cryptosystems.

The rngd service feeds random data from hardware device to kernel random device. Quality (non-predictable) random number generation is important for several security functions (i.e., ciphers).

Solution

Start the rngd service, and enable the rngd service with the following commands:

# systemctl start rngd.service

# systemctl enable rngd.service

See Also

https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/19886

Item Details

Category: CONFIGURATION MANAGEMENT

References: 800-53|CM-6b., CAT|III, Rule-ID|SV-230285r928587_rule, Vuln-ID|V-230285

Plugin: Unix

Control ID: aa5acc67e6872ed58856ac767db1bda3c27a1f9897bd1a8ad41eacfa37632bb1