Set SSH authentication attempt limit

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Description

The MaxAuthTries parameter specifies the maximum number of authentication attempts permitted per connection. Once the number of failures reaches half this value, additional failures are logged. to set MaxAUthTries edit /etc/ssh/sshd_config as follows:

MaxAuthTries 4

Rationale

Setting the MaxAuthTries parameter to a low number will minimize the risk of successful brute force attacks to the SSH server.

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 dpkg-query --show --showformat='${db:Status-Status}
' 'kernel' 2>/dev/null | grep -q installed; then

sshd_max_auth_tries_value='4'


mkdir -p /etc/ssh/sshd_config.d
touch /etc/ssh/sshd_config.d/00-complianceascode-hardening.conf

LC_ALL=C sed -i "/^\s*MaxAuthTries\s\+/Id" "/etc/ssh/sshd_config"
LC_ALL=C sed -i "/^\s*MaxAuthTries\s\+/Id" "/etc/ssh/sshd_config.d"/*.conf
if [ -e "/etc/ssh/sshd_config.d/00-complianceascode-hardening.conf" ] ; then
    
    LC_ALL=C sed -i "/^\s*MaxAuthTries\s\+/Id" "/etc/ssh/sshd_config.d/00-complianceascode-hardening.conf"
else
    touch "/etc/ssh/sshd_config.d/00-complianceascode-hardening.conf"
fi
# make sure file has newline at the end
sed -i -e '$a\' "/etc/ssh/sshd_config.d/00-complianceascode-hardening.conf"

cp "/etc/ssh/sshd_config.d/00-complianceascode-hardening.conf" "/etc/ssh/sshd_config.d/00-complianceascode-hardening.conf.bak"
# Insert at the beginning of the file
printf '%s\n' "MaxAuthTries $sshd_max_auth_tries_value" > "/etc/ssh/sshd_config.d/00-complianceascode-hardening.conf"
cat "/etc/ssh/sshd_config.d/00-complianceascode-hardening.conf.bak" >> "/etc/ssh/sshd_config.d/00-complianceascode-hardening.conf"
# Clean up after ourselves.
rm "/etc/ssh/sshd_config.d/00-complianceascode-hardening.conf.bak"

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: Gather the package facts
  package_facts:
    manager: auto
  tags:
  - PCI-DSSv4-2.2
  - PCI-DSSv4-2.2.6
  - low_complexity
  - low_disruption
  - medium_severity
  - no_reboot_needed
  - restrict_strategy
  - sshd_set_max_auth_tries
- name: XCCDF Value sshd_max_auth_tries_value # promote to variable
  set_fact:
    sshd_max_auth_tries_value: !!str 4
  tags:
    - always

- name: Set SSH authentication attempt limit
  block:

  - name: Deduplicate values from /etc/ssh/sshd_config
    lineinfile:
      path: /etc/ssh/sshd_config
      create: false
      regexp: (?i)(?i)^\s*{{ "MaxAuthTries"| regex_escape }}\s+
      state: absent

  - name: Check if /etc/ssh/sshd_config.d exists
    stat:
      path: /etc/ssh/sshd_config.d
    register: _etc_ssh_sshd_config_d_exists

  - name: Check if the parameter MaxAuthTries is present in /etc/ssh/sshd_config.d
    find:
      paths: /etc/ssh/sshd_config.d
      recurse: 'yes'
      follow: 'no'
      contains: (?i)^\s*{{ "MaxAuthTries"| regex_escape }}\s+
    register: _etc_ssh_sshd_config_d_has_parameter
    when: _etc_ssh_sshd_config_d_exists.stat.isdir is defined and _etc_ssh_sshd_config_d_exists.stat.isdir

  - name: Remove parameter from files in /etc/ssh/sshd_config.d
    lineinfile:
      path: '{{ item.path }}'
      create: false
      regexp: (?i)(?i)^\s*{{ "MaxAuthTries"| regex_escape }}\s+
      state: absent
    with_items: '{{ _etc_ssh_sshd_config_d_has_parameter.files }}'
    when: _etc_ssh_sshd_config_d_has_parameter.matched

  - name: Insert correct line to /etc/ssh/sshd_config.d/00-complianceascode-hardening.conf
    lineinfile:
      path: /etc/ssh/sshd_config.d/00-complianceascode-hardening.conf
      create: true
      regexp: (?i)(?i)^\s*{{ "MaxAuthTries"| regex_escape }}\s+
      line: MaxAuthTries {{ sshd_max_auth_tries_value }}
      state: present
      insertbefore: BOF
      validate: /usr/sbin/sshd -t -f %s
  when: '"kernel" in ansible_facts.packages'
  tags:
  - PCI-DSSv4-2.2
  - PCI-DSSv4-2.2.6
  - low_complexity
  - low_disruption
  - medium_severity
  - no_reboot_needed
  - restrict_strategy
  - sshd_set_max_auth_tries