The graphical display manager must not be the default target on RHEL 9 unless approved.
Overview
| Finding ID | Version | Rule ID | IA Controls | Severity |
| V-257781 | RHEL-09-211030 | SV-257781r991589_rule | CCI-000366 | medium |
| Description | ||||
| Unnecessary service packages must not be installed to decrease the attack surface of the system. Graphical display managers have a long history of security vulnerabilities and must not be used, unless approved and documented. | ||||
| STIG | Date | |||
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 Security Technical Implementation Guide | 2025-05-14 | |||
Details
Check Text (C-257781r991589_chk)
Verify that RHEL 9 is configured to boot to the command line:
$ systemctl get-default
multi-user.target
If the system default target is not set to "multi-user.target" and the information system security officer (ISSO) lacks a documented requirement for a graphical user interface, this is a finding.
Fix Text (F-61446r925329_fix)
Document the requirement for a graphical user interface with the ISSO or set the default target to multi-user with the following command:
$ sudo systemctl set-default multi-user.target