LJK/Security Reference Manual


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If the master node is not part of the assessment, violations will be reported as coming from the first tributary node in the assessment, based on the limit in the policy used for that tributary node.

Default policy

The test (USAGE,REMEDIATE,MAXIMUM) is not used

Customizing

Modify the limit to match your local policy

Selector

Limits

Constraint Value Default
MAXIMUM delta-time +00:00:00.00

Exemptions

Constraint Value Parameters
MAXIMUM delta-time <node>

Practical considerations

For NIST Special Publication 800-53, the remediation report is called a "Plan of Action and Milestones" or "POA&M".

SETTIME

Ensure time is set or synchronized sufficiently often.

Violation reports

Constraint Nature of the violation
MAXIMUM Assessment-wide time setting interval exceeds policy maximum

Description

The tests within this element determine whether time is coordinated between multiple systems being assessed.

Note

Violations of this test are actually reported from the master node based on the most restrictive interval set for this test on any policy in the assessment.

Default policy

The test (USAGE,SETTIME,MAXIMUM) is not used because VMS auditing shortcomings (at least through VMS Version 8.3) require additional discipline to cause auditing of setting time

Customizing

Modify the limit to match your local policy.

Setting an interval of "0 00:00:00.00" means there is no restriction in the policy

Selector

Limits

Constraint Value Default
MAXIMUM delta-time +00:00:00.00

Exemptions

Constraint Value Parameters
MAXIMUM delta-time <node>

Practical considerations

Due to VMS auditing shortcomings (at least through VMS Version 8.3) the coordinated setting of time on multiple tributary nodes covered by a single assessment can only be assured by doing separate coordinated SET TIME commands on each node. Using the /CLUSTER qualifier to the VMS command SET TIME does not create an audit trail suitable for measuring compliance.

SYSTEMUSER

Ensure restrictions on SYSTEM username conform to policy.

Violation reports

Constraint Nature of the violation
NOBATCH Batch process for username SYSTEM in violation of policy
NOINTERACT Interactive process for username SYSTEM in violation of policy
NONETWORK Network process for username SYSTEM in violation of policy

Description

The tests within this element determine whether proper restrictions are in place for the SYSTEM username.

Default policy

Only BATCH access is allowed for username SYSTEM

Customizing

Adding exemptions based on earliest-time may be appropriate for situations where use of LJK/Security is introduced late in the game. The earliest-time specified cannot be later than the time at which the exemption is added

Selector

Limits

Constraint Value Default
NOBATCH FALSE or TRUE FALSE
NOINTERACT FALSE or TRUE TRUE
NONETWORK FALSE or TRUE TRUE

Exemptions

Constraint Value Parameters
NOBATCH FALSE or TRUE <node>, <absolute-time> or <earliest-time>
NOINTERACT FALSE or TRUE <node>, <absolute-time> or <earliest-time>
NONETWORK FALSE or TRUE <node>, <absolute-time> or <earliest-time>

Practical considerations

The tests for this element are for usage, while those in the UAF facility are for access control. Thus absolute-time exemptions should be added for the constraint NOINTERACT when the SYSTEM username is used on the console to recover from breakin evasion.

UAFMODIFY

Ensure modification user authorization is done from the proper type of process.

Violation reports

Constraint Nature of the violation
DISUNUSED Unused username was disabled by a prohibited process type
PROHIBITED Privileged changes were made by a prohibited process type
REQUIRED Privileged changes were not made by a required process type

Description

The history of user authorization changes is examined for proper process type.

Unprivileged changes like password and last login date due to logging in are not considered.

Default policy

By default (USAGE,UAFMODIFY,*) tests are not enabled

Customizing

Enabling more than one process type for (USAGE,UAFMODIFY,REQUIRED) is not helpful, since each modification is done by only one process type. selector Limits for this test can take a selector consisting of a login type: LOCAL, DIALUP, REMOTE, NETWORK or BATCH.

Thus, each can be set once for each possible login type. If you do not specify a selector when changing limits, your change applies to all login types.

Note

The availability of separate selector values for LOCAL and DIALUP should not be taken as a suggestion that the DIALUP indication associated with terminals be trusted to accurately represent whether or not a dialup line is actually in use. It is provided, however, for sites which use the DIALUP indication to denote some aspect of a terminal which can be determined with certainty, such as whether or not a given terminal connection is via an X.25 circuit.

Limits

Constraint Value Default
DISUNUSED FALSE or TRUE FALSE
PROHIBITED FALSE or TRUE FALSE
REQUIRED FALSE or TRUE FALSE

Exemptions

Constraint Value Parameters
DISUNUSED FALSE or TRUE <node>,<filespec>
PROHIBITED FALSE or TRUE <node>,<filespec>
REQUIRED FALSE or TRUE <node>,<filespec>

Practical considerations

These tests are for ensuring actions are taken by automated mechanisms.

VALID

Ensure that preservation of past user identification conform to policy.

Violation reports

Constraint Nature of the violation
UIC UIC found in audit logs is no longer valid
USERNAME Username found in audit logs is no longer valid

Description

The tests within this element determine whether UIC and Username values are retained (even if disabled) as long as needed to analyze audit logs and potentially to retain file ownership.

Default policy

UICs and usernames must be retained when usernames are disabled

Customizing

The most obvious reason to modify the limits of this element would be for constraint UIC on systems which intentionally have no Rights Database (RIGHTSLIST.DAT). selector

Limits

Constraint Value Default
UIC FALSE or TRUE TRUE
USERNAME FALSE or TRUE TRUE

Exemptions

Constraint Value Parameters
UIC FALSE or TRUE <node>, <absolute-time> or <earliest-time>
USERNAME FALSE or TRUE <node>, <absolute-time> or <earliest-time>

Practical considerations

Adding exemptions based on earliest-time may be appropriate for situations where use of product is introduced late in the game. The earliest-time specified cannot be later than the time at which the exemption is added.

Certain versions of VMS will fabricate UICs like [1,1], [1,3], [1,6] and Usernames like AUDIT$SERVER and DECNET, that have never existed in the Rights Database (RIGHTSLIST.DAT) or User Authorization File respectively. Since exemptions for the USAGE facility are based on time of incidents rather than on username, you may wish to have the system manager add UIC identifiers and (disabled) User Authorization File entries until you are running some future version of VMS that resolves this discrepancy.

6.10 VMS Tests

Tests in the VMS facility deal with system parameters and other system-wide security considerations which are not readily categorized otherwise.

Exemptions are based on node name.

The node name in an exemption for the VMS facility can include standard VMS wildcard characters (% and *).

More than in other facilities many VMS tests have to do with denial of service issues.


ACME

Ensure the set of enabled ACME Agents conforms to policy.

Violation reports

Constraint Nature of the violation
MATCH Ordered list of ACME Agents does not exactly match policy
MUSTHAVE Set of ACME Agents does not include one required by policy
MUSTLACK Set of ACME Agents includes one prohibited by policy
NOMORETHAN Set of ACME Agents includes more than those permitted by policy
NOTJUST Set of ACME Agents does not include any beyond set declared inadequate by by policy

Description

The tests within the ACME element determine whether the set of enabled ACME agents conforms to policy. Test (VMS, ACME, MATCH) treats the names of ACME agents as an ordered list in a specific order, while the other tests treat the names of ACME agents as a set in no particular order.

Default policy

There are no restrictions

Customizing

Since the test might be considerably longer than a typical DCL command line, these tests allow a command line user to progressively specify text, starting each subsequent value with the character "+".

When adding an agent to the NOMORETHAN list, also add it to MUSTHAVE

Selector

Limits

Constraint Value Default
MATCH 0-511 characters none
MUSTHAVE 0-510 characters none
MUSTLACK 0-510 characters none
NOMORETHAN 0-510 characters none
NOTJUST 0-510 characters none

Exemptions

Constraint Value Parameters
MATCH 0-511 characters <node>
MUSTHAVE 0-510 characters <node>
MUSTLACK 0-510 characters <node>
NOMORETHAN 0-510 characters <node>
NOTJUST 0-510 characters <node>

Practical considerations

The MATCH constraint is different than the others in that the order in which names appears is significant.

Typically a site policy will be implemented using only a few of the constraints within this element.


ACMEORLGI

Ensure the set of enabled ACME Agents and LGI callout providers conforms to policy.

Violation reports

Constraint Nature of the violation
MATCH Ordered list of ACME Agents and LGI-callout modules does not exactly match policy
MUSTHAVE Set of ACME Agents and LGI-callout modules does not include one required by policy
MUSTLACK Set of ACME Agents and LGI-callout modules includes one prohibited by policy
NOMORETHAN Set of ACME Agents and LGI-callout modules includes more than those permitted by policy
NOTJUST Set of ACME Agents and LGI-callout modules does not include any beyond set declared inadequate by by policy

Description

The tests within the ACMEORLGI element determine whether the set of enabled ACME agents and LGI callout providers conforms to policy. Test (VMS, ACMEORLGI, MATCH) treats the names of ACME agents and LGI-callout modules as an ordered list in a specific order (with ACME agents first), while the other tests treat the names of ACME agents and LGI-callout modules as a set in no particular order.

Default policy

There are no restrictions

Customizing

Since the test might be considerably longer than a typical DCL command line, these tests allow a command line user to progressively specify text, starting each subsequent value with the character "+".

When adding an agent to the NOMORETHAN list, also add it to MUSTHAVE

Selector

Limits

Constraint Value Default
MATCH 0-511 characters none
MUSTHAVE 0-510 characters none
MUSTLACK 0-510 characters none
NOMORETHAN 0-510 characters none
NOTJUST 0-510 characters none

Exemptions

Constraint Value Parameters
MATCH 0-511 characters <node>
MUSTHAVE 0-510 characters <node>
MUSTLACK 0-510 characters <node>
NOMORETHAN 0-510 characters <node>
NOTJUST 0-510 characters <node>

Practical considerations

The MATCH constraint is different than the others in that the order in which names appears is significant.

Typically a site policy will be implemented using only a few of the constraints within this element.


ANNOUNCE

See if the contents of the SYS$ANNOUNCE message conform to policy.

Violation reports

Constraint Nature of the violation
CONTAINED SYS$ANNOUNCE message must be contained within the specified text
CONTAINS SYS$ANNOUNCE message must contain the specified text
MATCH SYS$ANNOUNCE message must match the specified text

Description

Compare the value of SYS$ANNOUNCE (or the file to which it points) to the specified policy text.

Default policy

There is no required text

Customizing

Since the message might be considerably longer than a typical DCL command line, these tests allow a command line user to progressively specify text, starting each subsequent value with the character "+". selector

Limits

Constraint Value Default
CONTAINED 0-511 characters none
CONTAINS 0-511 characters none
MATCH 0-511 characters none

Exemptions

Constraint Value Parameters
CONTAINED 0-511 characters <node>
CONTAINS 0-511 characters <node>
MATCH 0-511 characters <node>

Practical considerations

The MATCH constraint is equivalent to including the same text in both the CONTAINED constraint and the MATCH constraint.

Comparison treats line-feed, carriage-return, line-feed and form-feed as equivalent to space. It also treats multiple spaces as equivalent to a single space and artifically inserts a space before and after any punctuation characters.

While the SYS$WELCOME logical name mechanism (measured by WELCOME) can be customized on a per-username basis, the SYS$ANNOUNCE logical name mechanism (measured by ANNOUNCE) lends itself better to requirements that the message stay on a screen until explicit action is taken by the user. (The explicit action being the entering of a username.)


BRKDISUSER

Determine whether the setting to disable usernames on attempted breakin conforms to policy.

Violation reports

Constraint Nature of the violation
PROHIBITED System parameter LGI_BRK_DISUSER is 1 in violation of policy
REQUIRED System parameter LGI_BRK_DISUSER is 0 in violation of policy

Description

System parameter LGI_BRK_DISUSER controls whether a breakin attempt causes a username to be disabled until manually reset.

Default policy

By default LGI_BRK_DISUSER is prohibited

Customizing

Allowing LGI_BRK_DISUSER should be done only with careful consideration of organizational politics

Selector

Limits

Constraint Value Default
PROHIBITED FALSE or TRUE FALSE
REQUIRED FALSE or TRUE FALSE

Exemptions

Constraint Value Parameters
PROHIBITED FALSE or TRUE <node>
REQUIRED FALSE or TRUE <node>

Practical considerations

End users will be hostile to disabling accounts on breakin attempts unless there are adequate provisions for restoring an account to service promptly when the end user follows appropriate procedures. Therefore, before requiring that system parameter LGI_BRK_DISUSER be set to 1, be sure that you have established these procedures and that they are secure and widely published in your organization.

BUGCHKFATL

Determine whether decisions regarding crashing on Executive Mode bugchecks conform to policy.

Violation reports

Constraint Nature of the violation
PROHIBITED System parameter BUGCHECKFATAL is enabled [1] in violation of policy
REQUIRED System parameter BUGCHECKFATAL is disabled [0] in violation of policy

Description

All Kernel Mode bugchecks crash the system, but the outcome of Executive Mode bugchecks is settable.

Default policy

BUGCHECKFATAL is neither prohibited nor required

Customizing

Prohibit BUGCHECKFATAL to avoid immediate denial of service in spite of bugchecks.


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