SV-245542r961632: Kubernetes API Server must disable basic authentication to protect information in transit. | Kubernetes STIG SCAP Benchmark

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Assessment Title

Rule Text

Kubernetes API Server must disable basic authentication to protect information in transit.

Description

Discussion Text

Kubernetes basic authentication sends and receives request containing username, uid, groups, and other fields over a clear text HTTP communication. Basic authentication does not provide any security mechanisms using encryption standards. PKI certificate-based authentication must be set over a secure channel to ensure confidentiality and integrity. Basic authentication must not be set in the manifest file.

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

IA Controls

NIST SP 800-53

Not mappedCCI-002448

References

DPMS Target Kubernetes DISA DPMS Target Kubernetes 5376

Checks

DISA STIG (Manual Reference)

Change to the /etc/kubernetes/manifests/ directory on the Kubernetes Control Plane. Run the command:
grep -i basic-auth-file * 

If "basic-auth-file" is set in the Kubernetes API server manifest file this is a finding.

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.stig.kubernetes:def:245542
# Kubernetes API Server must disable basic authentication to protect information in transit.
# Per-module read mechanism curated from static teardown of DISA's SCC tool
# (SCAP Compliance Checker) -- see the SCC Automation Reference above.

# textfilecontent54_object (textfilecontent54_test)
test_1() {
  ! ( grep -Pq '(?i)^[ -]*basic-auth-file\b' '/etc/kubernetes/manifests/kube-apiserver.yaml' &>/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.stig.kubernetes:def:245542


if [ ! -f "/etc/kubernetes/manifests/kube-apiserver.yaml" ]; then echo "PASS"; exit 0; fi
if grep -qE "(?i)^[ -]*basic-auth-file\\b" /etc/kubernetes/manifests/kube-apiserver.yaml && grep -c "(?i)^[ -]*basic-auth-file\\b" /etc/kubernetes/manifests/kube-apiserver.yaml -ge 1; then echo "FAIL"; exit 1; fi
echo "PASS"; exit 0

Remediation

Edit the Kubernetes API Server manifest file in the /etc/kubernetes/manifests directory on the Kubernetes Control Plane. Remove the setting "--basic-auth-file".