Verify Permissions on SSH Server Private *_key Key Files

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Description

SSH server private keys - files that match the /etc/ssh/*_key glob, have to have restricted permissions. If those files are owned by the root user and the root group, they have to have the 0600 permission or stricter.

Rationale

If an unauthorized user obtains the private SSH host key file, the host could be impersonated.

Remediation

Shell script

The following script can be run on the host to remediate the issue.

#!/bin/bash

# Remediation is applicable only in certain platforms
if [ ! -f /.dockerenv ] && [ ! -f /run/.containerenv ]; then

for keyfile in /etc/ssh/*_key; do
    test -f "$keyfile" || continue
    if test root:root = "$(stat -c "%U:%G" "$keyfile")"; then
    
	chmod u-xs,g-xwrs,o-xwrt "$keyfile"
    
    
    else
        echo "Key-like file '$keyfile' is owned by an unexpected user:group combination"
    fi
done

else
    >&2 echo 'Remediation is not applicable, nothing was done'
fi

Ansible playbook

The following playbook can be run with Ansible to remediate the issue.

- name: Find root:root-owned keys
  ansible.builtin.command: find -H /etc/ssh/ -maxdepth 1 -user root -regex ".*_key$"
    -type f -group root -perm /u+xs,g+xwrs,o+xwrt
  register: root_owned_keys
  changed_when: false
  failed_when: false
  check_mode: false
  when: ansible_virtualization_type not in ["docker", "lxc", "openvz", "podman", "container"]
  tags:
  - NIST-800-171-3.1.13
  - NIST-800-171-3.13.10
  - NIST-800-53-AC-17(a)
  - NIST-800-53-AC-6(1)
  - NIST-800-53-CM-6(a)
  - PCI-DSS-Req-2.2.4
  - PCI-DSSv4-2.2.6
  - configure_strategy
  - file_permissions_sshd_private_key
  - low_complexity
  - low_disruption
  - medium_severity
  - no_reboot_needed

- name: Set permissions for root:root-owned keys
  ansible.builtin.file:
    path: '{{ item }}'
    mode: u-xs,g-xwrs,o-xwrt
    state: file
  with_items:
  - '{{ root_owned_keys.stdout_lines }}'
  when: ansible_virtualization_type not in ["docker", "lxc", "openvz", "podman", "container"]
  tags:
  - NIST-800-171-3.1.13
  - NIST-800-171-3.13.10
  - NIST-800-53-AC-17(a)
  - NIST-800-53-AC-6(1)
  - NIST-800-53-CM-6(a)
  - PCI-DSS-Req-2.2.4
  - PCI-DSSv4-2.2.6
  - configure_strategy
  - file_permissions_sshd_private_key
  - low_complexity
  - low_disruption
  - medium_severity
  - no_reboot_needed