SV-38681r2: The system must be configured to operate in a security mode. | HP-UX 11.23 Security Technical Implementation Guide

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Assessment Title

Rule Text

The system must be configured to operate in a security mode.

Description

Discussion Text

When operating in standard mode, account passwords are stored in the /etc/passwd file, which is world readable. By operating in either Trusted Mode or Standard Mode with Security Extensions, the system security posture is enhanced thru the addition of a secure, non-world readable password container other than /etc/passwd.

How this relates to the STIG checklist: STIG vs SCAP benchmark.

IA Controls

NIST SP 800-53

Not mappedCCI-000293Not mappedCCI-000633

Additional Details

Responsibility

System Administrator

IA Controls

DCSW-1

References

DPMS Target HP-UX 11.23 DISA DPMS Target HP-UX 11.23 2170

SCC Automation Reference

The reconstructed evaluation script behind this rule's OVAL check(s) — every module a compound check combines, with this rule's own concrete values and DISA's SCC tool's real per-module mechanism curated from static teardown of SCC releases.

#!/bin/bash
# Reconstructed from oval:mil.disa.fso.hpux11:def:3
# The system must be configured to operate in a security mode.
# Per-module read mechanism curated from static teardown of DISA's SCC tool
# (SCAP Compliance Checker) -- see the SCC Automation Reference above.

# The HP-UX system must be in Trusted Mode
# file_object (file_test)
test_1() {
  test -e '/tcb' &>/dev/null
}

if test_1; then
  echo "PASS"
else
  echo "FAIL"
fi

Assessment Script Powered by AISandbox-executed

A standalone Shell script to assess this control automatically. Review before running it in your environment.

Syntax-checked and actually executed in an isolated sandbox (not the real system this checks) — confirmed to run without errors.

#!/bin/sh
# OVAL Definition: oval:mil.disa.fso.hpux11:def:3
if [ -e /tcb ]; then echo "PASS"; exit 0; else echo "FAIL"; exit 1; fi

Remediation

SAM/SMH must be used to convert standard mode HP-UX to Trusted Mode (optional for SMSE). 
For Trusted Mode only:
The following command may be used to “manually” convert from Standard Mode to Trusted Mode (note that its use is not vendor supported):
# tsconvert -c

For SMSE only:
The following command may be used to “manually” create the /etc/shadow file with information from the /etc/passwd file (use of this commend is vendor supported).
# pwconv

Note that additional software bundles and/or patches may be required in order to completely convert a standard mode system to SMSE.