5.3.3.1.19 Ensure the use of a non-default faillock tally directory on the pam_faillock module while SELinux enforces a targeted policy

Information

The Operating system (OS) must configure SELinux context type to allow the use of a non-default faillock tally directory.

By limiting the number of failed logon attempts, the risk of unauthorized system access via user password guessing, otherwise known as brute-force attacks, is reduced. Limits are imposed by locking the account.

From "Pam_Faillock" man pages: Note that the default directory that "pam_faillock" uses is usually cleared on system boot so the access will be reenabled after system reboot. If that is undesirable, a different tally directory must be set with the "dir" option.

SELinux, enforcing a targeted policy, will require any non-default tally directory's security context type to match the default directory's security context type. Without updating the security context type, the pam_faillock module will not write failed login attempts to the non-default tally directory.

Solution

Configure the OS to allow the use of a non-default faillock tally directory while SELinux enforces a targeted policy.

Update the /etc/selinux/targeted/contexts/files/file_contexts.local with "faillog_t" context type for the non-default faillock tally directory with the following command:

# semanage fcontext -a -t faillog_t "/var/log/faillock(/.*)?"

Next, update the context type of the non-default faillock directory/subdirectories and files with the following command:

# restorecon -R -v /var/log/faillock

See Also

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