RHEL 9 must enable mitigations against processor-based vulnerabilities.

Overview

Finding IDVersionRule IDIA ControlsSeverity
V-257795RHEL-09-212050SV-257795r1044845_ruleCCI-000381low
Description
Kernel page-table isolation is a kernel feature that mitigates the Meltdown security vulnerability and hardens the kernel against attempts to bypass kernel address space layout randomization (KASLR). Satisfies: SRG-OS-000433-GPOS-00193, SRG-OS-000095-GPOS-00049
STIGDate
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 Security Technical Implementation Guide2025-05-14

Related Frameworks

3 paths across 3 frameworks
NIST 800-531 mapping
CM-7
1.00
  • DISA · 2 · disa_xccdf · related
  • DISA · 2025-01-23 · disa_cci_list · equivalent
NIST 800-1711 mapping
3.4.6
1.00
  • DISA · 2 · disa_xccdf · related
  • DISA · 2025-01-23 · disa_cci_list · equivalent
  • NIST · Rev 2 (Feb 2020, errata Jan 2021) · nist_800_171_app_d · equivalent
CCI1 mapping
CCI-000381
1.00
  • DISA · 2 · disa_xccdf · related

Details

Check Text (C-257795r1044845_chk)

Verify RHEL 9 enables kernel page-table isolation with the following command: $ sudo grubby --info=ALL | grep args | grep -v 'pti=on' If any output is returned, this is a finding. Check that kernel page-table isolation is enabled by default to persist in kernel updates: $ grep pti /etc/default/grub GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX="pti=on" If "pti" is not set to "on", is missing or commented out, this is a finding.

Fix Text (F-61460r925371_fix)

Configure RHEL 9 to enable kernel page-table isolation with the following command: $ sudo grubby --update-kernel=ALL --args="pti=on" Add or modify the following line in "/etc/default/grub" to ensure the configuration survives kernel updates: GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX="pti=on"