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← Back to Oracle Linux 8 Security Technical Implementation Guide

V-248839

CAT II (Medium)

An OL 8 firewall must employ a deny-all, allow-by-exception policy for allowing connections to other systems.

Rule ID

SV-248839r958672_rule

STIG

Oracle Linux 8 Security Technical Implementation Guide

Version

V2R8

CCIs

CCI-002314

Discussion

Failure to restrict network connectivity only to authorized systems permits inbound connections from malicious systems. It also permits outbound connections that may facilitate exfiltration of DoD data. OL 8 incorporates the "firewalld" daemon, which allows for many different configurations. One of these configurations is zones. Zones can be used in a deny-all, allow-by-exception approach. The default "drop" zone will drop all incoming network packets unless it is explicitly allowed by the configuration file or is related to an outgoing network connection.

Check Content

Verify "firewalld" is configured to employ a deny-all, allow-by-exception policy for allowing connections to other systems with the following commands: 
 
     $ sudo firewall-cmd --state 
     running 
 
     $ sudo firewall-cmd --get-active-zones 
     [custom] 
     interfaces: ens33 
 
     $ sudo firewall-cmd --info-zone=[custom] | grep target 
     target: DROP 
 
If no zones are active on the OL 8 interfaces or if the target is set to an option other than "DROP", this is a finding.

If the "firewalld" package is not installed, ask the System Administrator if an alternate firewall (such as iptables) is installed and in use, and how is it configured to employ a deny-all, allow-by-exception policy. 

If the alternate firewall is not configured to employ a deny-all, allow-by-exception policy, this is a finding.

If no firewall is installed, this is a finding.

Fix Text

Configure the "firewalld" daemon to employ a deny-all, allow-by-exception policy with the following commands:

     $ sudo firewall-cmd --permanent --new-zone=[custom]

     $ sudo cp /usr/lib/firewalld/zones/drop.xml /etc/firewalld/zones/[custom].xml

This will provide a clean configuration file to work with that employs a deny-all approach.

Note: Add the exceptions that are required for mission functionality and update the short title in the xml file to match the [custom] zone name.

Reload the firewall rules to make the new [custom] zone available to load:
     $ sudo firewall-cmd --reload

Set the default zone to the new [custom] zone:
     $ sudo firewall-cmd --set-default-zone=[custom]

Note: This is a runtime and permanent change.

Add any interfaces to the new [custom] zone:
     $ sudo firewall-cmd --permanent --zone=[custom] --change-interface=ens33

Reload the firewall rules for changes to take effect:
     $ sudo firewall-cmd --reload