VCUI-67-000030 - vSphere UI must set the secure flag for cookies.

Information

The secure flag is an option that can be set by the application server when sending a new cookie to the user within an HTTP Response. The purpose of the secure flag is to prevent cookies from being observed by unauthorized parties due to the transmission of a cookie in clear text. By setting the secure flag, the browser will prevent the transmission of a cookie over an unencrypted channel. vSphere UI is configured to only be accessible over a TLS tunnel, but this cookie flag is still a recommended best practice.

Solution

Navigate to and open /usr/lib/vmware-vsphere-ui/server/conf/web.xml.

Navigate to the /<web-apps>/<session-config>/<cookie-config> node and configure it as follows:

<cookie-config>
<http-only>true</http-only>
<secure>true</secure>
</cookie-config>

See Also

https://dl.dod.cyber.mil/wp-content/uploads/stigs/zip/U_VMW_vSphere_6-7_Y23M07_STIG.zip

Item Details

Category: SYSTEM AND COMMUNICATIONS PROTECTION

References: 800-53|SC-8, CAT|II, CCI|CCI-002418, Rule-ID|SV-239711r879810_rule, STIG-ID|VCUI-67-000030, Vuln-ID|V-239711

Plugin: Unix

Control ID: f1e8ff59d38e69bc74d658f08e862693c05786f68ac6003a3afcace7dc605550