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ESXi hosts using Host Profiles and/or Auto Deploy must use the vSphere Authentication Proxy to protect passwords when adding themselves to Active Directory.

Overview

Finding IDVersionRule IDIA ControlsSeverity
V-256403ESXI-70-000038SV-256403r958482_ruleCCI-000764medium
Description
If a host is configured to join an Active Directory domain using Host Profiles and/or Auto Deploy, the Active Directory credentials are saved in the profile and are transmitted over the network. To avoid having to save Active Directory credentials in the Host Profile and to avoid transmitting Active Directory credentials over the network, use the vSphere Authentication Proxy.
STIGDate
VMware vSphere 7.0 ESXi Security Technical Implementation Guide2025-02-11

Related Frameworks

1 mapping across 5 frameworks
SCF0 mappings

No source states a mapping between these directly.

Also reachable in 3 hops (5) 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.

IAC-01.2Authenticate, Authorize and Audit (AAA)
1.00
IAC-02Identification & Authentication for Organizational Users
1.00
IAC-03Identification & Authentication for Non-Organizational Users
1.00
IAC-04Identification & Authentication for Devices
1.00
IAC-05Identification & Authentication for Third-Party Technology Assets, Applications and/or Services (TAAS)
1.00
NIST 800-530 mappings

No source states a mapping between these directly.

Also reachable in 2 hops (71) 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-10Concurrent Session Control
1.00
AC-11Device Lock
1.00
AC-11(1)Pattern-hiding Displays
1.00
AC-17(10)Authenticate Remote Commands
1.00
AC-2(1)Automated System Account Management
1.00
AC-2(10)Shared and Group Account Credential Change
1.00
AC-2(11)Usage Conditions
1.00
AC-2(2)Automated Temporary and Emergency Account Management
1.00
AC-2(3)Disable Accounts
1.00
AC-2(4)Automated Audit Actions
1.00

+61 more (top 10 by confidence shown)

NIST 800-1710 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.

3.5.1
1.00
3.5.2
1.00
CCI1 mapping
CCI-000764
1.00
NIST CSF 2.00 mappings

No source states a mapping between these directly.

Also reachable in 3 hops (3) 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.AA-01
1.00
PR.AA-03
1.00
PR.AA-05
1.00

Who does this work

7 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-256403r958482_chk)

If the organization is not using Host Profiles to join Active Directory, this is not applicable. From the vSphere Client, go to Home >> Policies and Profiles >> Host Profiles. Click a Host Profile >> Configure >> Security and Services >> Security Settings >> Authentication Configuration >> Active Directory Configuration >> Join Domain Method. If the method used to join hosts to a domain is not set to "Use vSphere Authentication Proxy to add the host to domain", this is a finding. or From a PowerCLI command prompt while connected to vCenter, run the following command: Get-VMHost | Select Name, ` @{N="HostProfile";E={$_ | Get-VMHostProfile}}, ` @{N="JoinADEnabled";E={($_ | Get-VmHostProfile).ExtensionData.Config.ApplyProfile.Authentication.ActiveDirectory.Enabled}}, ` @{N="JoinDomainMethod";E={(($_ | Get-VMHostProfile).ExtensionData.Config.ApplyProfile.Authentication.ActiveDirectory | Select -ExpandProperty Policy | Where {$_.Id -eq "JoinDomainMethodPolicy"}).Policyoption.Id}} If "JoinADEnabled" is "True" and "JoinDomainMethod" is not "FixedCAMConfigOption", this is a finding.

Fix Text (F-60021r885989_fix)

From the vSphere Client, go to Home >> Policies and Profiles >> Host Profiles. Click a Host Profile >> Configure >> Security and Services >> Security Settings >> Authentication Configuration >> Active Directory Configuration. Click "Edit Host Profile...". Set the "Join Domain Method" to "Use vSphere Authentication Proxy to add the host to domain" and provide the IP address of the vSphere Authentication Proxy server. Click "Save".