Disable named Service

Description

The named service can be disabled with the following command:

$ sudo systemctl mask --now named.service

Rationale

All network services involve some risk of compromise due to implementation flaws and should be disabled if possible.

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='${db:Status-Status}' 'linux-base' 2>/dev/null | grep -q '^installed$'; then

SYSTEMCTL_EXEC='/usr/bin/systemctl'
if [[ $("$SYSTEMCTL_EXEC" is-system-running) != "offline" ]]; then
  "$SYSTEMCTL_EXEC" stop 'named.service'
fi
"$SYSTEMCTL_EXEC" disable 'named.service'
"$SYSTEMCTL_EXEC" mask 'named.service'
# Disable socket activation if we have a unit file for it
if "$SYSTEMCTL_EXEC" -q list-unit-files named.socket; then
    if [[ $("$SYSTEMCTL_EXEC" is-system-running) != "offline" ]]; then
      "$SYSTEMCTL_EXEC" stop 'named.socket'
    fi
    "$SYSTEMCTL_EXEC" mask 'named.socket'
fi
# The service may not be running because it has been started and failed,
# so let's reset the state so OVAL checks pass.
# Service should be 'inactive', not 'failed' after reboot though.
"$SYSTEMCTL_EXEC" reset-failed 'named.service' || true

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:
  - NIST-800-53-CM-6(a)
  - NIST-800-53-CM-7(a)
  - NIST-800-53-CM-7(b)
  - disable_strategy
  - low_complexity
  - low_disruption
  - medium_severity
  - no_reboot_needed
  - service_named_disabled

- name: Disable named Service - Collect systemd Services Present in the System
  ansible.builtin.command: systemctl -q list-unit-files --type service
  register: service_exists
  changed_when: false
  failed_when: service_exists.rc not in [0, 1]
  check_mode: false
  when: '"linux-base" in ansible_facts.packages'
  tags:
  - NIST-800-53-CM-6(a)
  - NIST-800-53-CM-7(a)
  - NIST-800-53-CM-7(b)
  - disable_strategy
  - low_complexity
  - low_disruption
  - medium_severity
  - no_reboot_needed
  - service_named_disabled

- name: Disable named Service - Ensure named.service is Masked
  ansible.builtin.systemd:
    name: named.service
    state: stopped
    enabled: false
    masked: true
  when:
  - '"linux-base" in ansible_facts.packages'
  - service_exists.stdout_lines is search("named.service", multiline=True)
  tags:
  - NIST-800-53-CM-6(a)
  - NIST-800-53-CM-7(a)
  - NIST-800-53-CM-7(b)
  - disable_strategy
  - low_complexity
  - low_disruption
  - medium_severity
  - no_reboot_needed
  - service_named_disabled

- name: Unit Socket Exists - named.socket
  ansible.builtin.command: systemctl -q list-unit-files named.socket
  register: socket_file_exists
  changed_when: false
  failed_when: socket_file_exists.rc not in [0, 1]
  check_mode: false
  when: '"linux-base" in ansible_facts.packages'
  tags:
  - NIST-800-53-CM-6(a)
  - NIST-800-53-CM-7(a)
  - NIST-800-53-CM-7(b)
  - disable_strategy
  - low_complexity
  - low_disruption
  - medium_severity
  - no_reboot_needed
  - service_named_disabled

- name: Disable named Service - Disable Socket named
  ansible.builtin.systemd:
    name: named.socket
    enabled: false
    state: stopped
    masked: true
  when:
  - '"linux-base" in ansible_facts.packages'
  - socket_file_exists.stdout_lines is search("named.socket", multiline=True)
  tags:
  - NIST-800-53-CM-6(a)
  - NIST-800-53-CM-7(a)
  - NIST-800-53-CM-7(b)
  - disable_strategy
  - low_complexity
  - low_disruption
  - medium_severity
  - no_reboot_needed
  - service_named_disabled