Details

The Options directive configures the web server features that are available in particular directories. The FollowSymLinks option controls the ability of the server to follow symbolic links. A symbolic link allows a file or a directory to be referenced using a symbolic name raising a potential hazard if symbolic linkage is made to a sensitive area. When web scripts are executed and symbolic links are allowed, the web user could be allowed to access locations on the web server that are outside the scope of the web document root or home directory.

Solution

Edit the httpd.conf file and set the value of ‘FollowSymLinks’ to ‘-FollowSymLinks’.

Supportive Information

The following resource is also helpful.

• https://iasecontent.disa.mil/stigs/zip/U_Apache_2-2_UNIX_V1R11_STIG.zip

This security hardening control applies to the following category of controls within NIST 800-53: Configuration Management.This control applies to the following type of system Unix.

References

• 800-53|CM-7b.
• CAT|II
• Rule-ID|SV-40129r1_rule
• STIG-ID|WA000-WWA052_A22
• Vuln-ID|V-13732

Source

• Tenable.com/audits