The noexec option must be added to removable media partitions.

Overview

Finding ID	Version	Rule ID	IA Controls	Severity
V-38655	RHEL-06-000271	SV-50456r1_rule		Low

Description
Allowing users to execute binaries from removable media such as USB keys exposes the system to potential compromise.

STIG	Date
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 Security Technical Implementation Guide	2015-05-26

Details

Check Text ( C-46216r1_chk )
To verify that binaries cannot be directly executed from removable media, run the following command: # grep noexec /etc/fstab The output should show "noexec" in use. If it does not, this is a finding.

Fix Text (F-43605r1_fix)
The "noexec" mount option prevents the direct execution of binaries on the mounted filesystem. Users should not be allowed to execute binaries that exist on partitions mounted from removable media (such as a USB key). The "noexec" option prevents code from being executed directly from the media itself, and may therefore provide a line of defense against certain types of worms or malicious code. Add the "noexec" option to the fourth column of "/etc/fstab" for the line which controls mounting of any removable media partitions.

Fix Text (F-43605r1_fix)

The "noexec" mount option prevents the direct execution of binaries on the mounted filesystem. Users should not be allowed to execute binaries that exist on partitions mounted from removable media (such as a USB key). The "noexec" option prevents code from being executed directly from the media itself, and may therefore provide a line of defense against certain types of worms or malicious code. Add the "noexec" option to the fourth column of "/etc/fstab" for the line which controls mounting of any removable media partitions.