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The WebSphere Application Server process must not be started from the command line with the -password option.

Overview

Finding IDVersionRule IDIA ControlsSeverity
V-255856WBSP-AS-000910SV-255856r960963_ruleCCI-000381medium
Description
The use of the -password option to launch a WebSphere process from the command line can result in a security exposure. Password information may become visible to any user with the ability to view system processes. For example, on a Linux system the "ps" command will display all running processes, which would include all of the command line flags used to start a WebSphere process.
STIGDate
IBM WebSphere Traditional V9.x Security Technical Implementation Guide2026-02-26

Related Frameworks

1 mapping across 5 frameworks
SCF0 mappings

No source states a mapping between these directly.

Also reachable in 3 hops (2) derived by us, not asserted by any source

Each of these is a route we composed by chaining published mappings. No publisher states a relationship between the two endpoints.

CFG-01Configuration Management Program
1.00
CFG-03Least Functionality
1.00
NIST 800-530 mappings

No source states a mapping between these directly.

Also reachable in 2 hops (36) derived by us, not asserted by any source

Each of these is a route we composed by chaining published mappings. No publisher states a relationship between the two endpoints.

AC-11Device Lock
1.00
AC-17(1)Monitoring and Control
1.00
AC-17(10)Authenticate Remote Commands
1.00
AC-17(9)Disconnect or Disable Access
1.00
AC-18(1)Authentication and Encryption
1.00
AC-2(1)Automated System Account Management
1.00
AC-3Access Enforcement
1.00
AC-4Information Flow Enforcement
1.00
AU-12Audit Record Generation
1.00
AU-3Content of Audit Records
1.00

+26 more (top 10 by confidence shown)

NIST 800-1710 mappings

No source states a mapping between these directly.

Also reachable in 3 hops (1) derived by us, not asserted by any source

Each of these is a route we composed by chaining published mappings. No publisher states a relationship between the two endpoints.

3.4.6
1.00
CCI1 mapping
CCI-000381
1.00
NIST CSF 2.00 mappings

No source states a mapping between these directly.

Also reachable in 3 hops (2) derived by us, not asserted by any source

Each of these is a route we composed by chaining published mappings. No publisher states a relationship between the two endpoints.

PR.PS-01
1.00
PR.PS-05
1.00

Who does this work

5 NICE work roles and 5 EC-Council certifications.

This is an inference across published mappings, not a single claim by anyone. This check maps to a control, which maps to a Cybersecurity Framework outcome, which NIST assigns to the work roles below. EC-Council separately maps its certifications to those same roles.

A certification prepares someone for a role. It is not evidence that a holder is qualified, and neither NIST nor EC-Council has stated that any certification here addresses this check.

Work-role assignments published by NIST (NICE Framework Components 2.2.0 and the CSF 2.0 OLIR crosswalk). Certification mappings published by EC-Council.

Details

Check Text (C-255856r960963_chk)

Review System Security Plan documentation. Interview the system administrator. Access operating system to list commands currently running. For UNIX: run "ps -ef | grep -i wsadmin.sh" For windows: from a DOS prompt as admin user run "WMIC path win32_process where "caption='wsadmin.exe'" get CommandLine" If the results show "wsadmin.sh(exe) -user <username> -password <password>", this is a finding.

Fix Text (F-59472r876858_fix)

When starting WebSphere commands, such as wsadmin, stopManager, stopNode, stopServer, or syncNode; do not use the "-password <password>" option. Use the interactive mode instead; you will be prompted for user id and password. For scripts, you may configure user id and password in the "connector properties" files. These files are under "Profile_Root/Properties" folder. - soap.client.props: for default SOAP - sas.client.props : for RMI and JSR160RMI connectors - ipc.client.props: for IPC connector