Details

The operating system must be configured so that the file integrity tool is configured to verify extended attributes.

Rationale:

Extended attributes in file systems are used to contain arbitrary data and file metadata with security implications.

Solution

Configure the file integrity tool to check file and directory extended attributes.
If AIDE is installed, ensure the xattrs rule is present on all uncommented file and directory selection lists.
Example: vim /etc/aide.conf
add rule that includes the xattrs example:

All= p+i+n+u+g+s+m+S+sha512+acl+xattrs+selinux
/bin All # apply the custom rule to the files in bin
/sbin All # apply the same custom rule to the files in sbin

Supportive Information

The following resource is also helpful.

• https://workbench.cisecurity.org/files/3636

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-6b.
• CCI|CCI-000366
• CSCv6|2.2
• CSCv7|14.6
• Rule-ID|SV-204499r603261_rule
• STIG-ID|RHEL-07-021610

Source

• Tenable.com/audits