V-252596

Discussion

Successful authentication must not automatically give an entity access to an asset or security boundary. The lack of authorization-based access control could result in the immediate compromise and unauthorized access to sensitive information. All DoD systems must be properly configured to incorporate access control methods that do not rely solely on authentication for authorized access. Authorization is the process of determining whether an entity, once authenticated, is permitted to access a specific asset. Information systems use access control policies and enforcement mechanisms to implement this requirement. Authorization procedures and controls must be implemented to ensure each authenticated entity also has a validated and current authorization. Access control policies include identity-based policies, role-based policies, and attribute-based policies. Access enforcement mechanisms include access control lists, access control matrices, and cryptography. ALGs must use these policies and mechanisms to control access on behalf of the application for which it is acting as intermediary. IBM Aspera High Speed Transfer Server and IBM Aspera High Speed Transfer Endpoint inherently use file and group ownership of files and directories to support authorization for all supported operating systems. As an additional step and security best practice, ensure all transfers in or out of the authenticated connection are configured to be controlled based on privileges granted to specific users and groups within IBM Aspera configuration.

Check Content

If the IBM Aspera Faspex feature of the Aspera Platform is not installed, this is Not Applicable.

Verify the IBM Aspera Faspex restricts users read, write, and browse permissions by default with the following command:

$ sudo /opt/aspera/bin/asuserdata -a | grep -w 'read_allowed\|write_allowed\|dir_allowed'

read_allowed: "false"
write_allowed: "false"
dir_allowed: "false"

If no results are returned or if the results produce a "true" value, this is a finding.