The macOS system must enable Authenticated Root.
Overview
| Finding ID | Version | Rule ID | IA Controls | Severity |
| V-268565 | APPL-15-005070 | SV-268565r1034635_rule | CCI-000213 | medium |
| Description | ||||
| Authenticated Root must be enabled. When Authenticated Root is enabled, the macOS is booted from a signed volume that is cryptographically protected to prevent tampering with the system volume. NOTE: Authenticated Root is enabled by default on macOS systems. WARNING: If more than one partition with macOS is detected, the csrutil command will hang awaiting input. | ||||
| STIG | Date | |||
| Apple macOS 15 (Sequoia) Security Technical Implementation Guide | 2025-05-05 | |||
Details
Check Text (C-268565r1034635_chk)
Verify the macOS system is configured to enable authenticated root with the following command:
/usr/libexec/mdmclient QuerySecurityInfo | /usr/bin/grep -c "AuthenticatedRootVolumeEnabled = 1;"
If the result is not "1", this is a finding.
Fix Text (F-72496r1034634_fix)
Configure the macOS system to enable authenticated root with the following command:
/usr/bin/csrutil authenticated-root enable
NOTE: To reenable "Authenticated Root", boot the affected system into "Recovery" mode, launch "Terminal" from the "Utilities" menu, and run the command.