---
title: Disable RDS Support
description: Datadog, the leading service for cloud-scale monitoring.
breadcrumbs: Docs > Datadog Security > OOTB Rules > Disable RDS Support
---

# Disable RDS Support
 
## Description{% #description %}

The Reliable Datagram Sockets (RDS) protocol is a transport layer protocol designed to provide reliable high-bandwidth, low-latency communications between nodes in a cluster. To configure the system to prevent the `rds` kernel module from being loaded, add the following line to the file `/etc/modprobe.d/rds.conf`:

```
install rds /bin/false
```

This entry will cause a non-zero return value during a `rds` module installation and additionally convey the meaning of the entry to the user in form of an error message. If you would like to omit a non-zero return value and an error message, you may want to add a different line instead (both `/bin/true` and `/bin/false` are allowed by OVAL and will be accepted by the scan):

```
install rds /bin/true
```

## Rationale{% #rationale %}

Disabling RDS protects the system against exploitation of any flaws in its implementation.

## Remediation{% #remediation %}

### Shell script{% #shell-script %}

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

```bash
#!/bin/bash

# Remediation is applicable only in certain platforms
if rpm --quiet -q kernel-core; then

if LC_ALL=C grep -q -m 1 "^install rds" /etc/modprobe.d/rds.conf ; then
	
	sed -i 's#^install rds.*#install rds /bin/false#g' /etc/modprobe.d/rds.conf
else
	echo -e "\n# Disable per security requirements" >> /etc/modprobe.d/rds.conf
	echo "install rds /bin/false" >> /etc/modprobe.d/rds.conf
fi

if ! LC_ALL=C grep -q -m 1 "^blacklist rds$" /etc/modprobe.d/rds.conf ; then
	echo "blacklist rds" >> /etc/modprobe.d/rds.conf
fi

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

### Ansible playbook{% #ansible-playbook %}

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

```go
- name: Gather the package facts
  package_facts:
    manager: auto
  tags:
  - CCE-89280-2
  - NIST-800-53-CM-6(a)
  - NIST-800-53-CM-7(a)
  - NIST-800-53-CM-7(b)
  - disable_strategy
  - kernel_module_rds_disabled
  - low_complexity
  - low_severity
  - medium_disruption
  - reboot_required

- name: Ensure kernel module 'rds' is disabled
  ansible.builtin.lineinfile:
    create: true
    dest: /etc/modprobe.d/rds.conf
    regexp: install\s+rds
    line: install rds /bin/false
  when: '"kernel-core" in ansible_facts.packages'
  tags:
  - CCE-89280-2
  - NIST-800-53-CM-6(a)
  - NIST-800-53-CM-7(a)
  - NIST-800-53-CM-7(b)
  - disable_strategy
  - kernel_module_rds_disabled
  - low_complexity
  - low_severity
  - medium_disruption
  - reboot_required

- name: Ensure kernel module 'rds' is blacklisted
  ansible.builtin.lineinfile:
    create: true
    dest: /etc/modprobe.d/rds.conf
    regexp: ^blacklist rds$
    line: blacklist rds
  when: '"kernel-core" in ansible_facts.packages'
  tags:
  - CCE-89280-2
  - NIST-800-53-CM-6(a)
  - NIST-800-53-CM-7(a)
  - NIST-800-53-CM-7(b)
  - disable_strategy
  - kernel_module_rds_disabled
  - low_complexity
  - low_severity
  - medium_disruption
  - reboot_required
```