What changed in VMware vSphere 8.0 vCenter Appliance Photon OS 4.0 STIG V2R3V2R3 changes

VMware vSphere 8.0 vCenter Appliance Photon OS 4.0 STIG V2R3 (2026-09-30) replaced V2R2 (2026-07-01): 7 checks updated. It has 107 checks, against 107 in V2R2.

  • 0 added
  • 0 removed
  • 7 updated

Updated fields: Discussion 6Fix text 3Check text 2Title 1

Updated in V2R3 (7)

V-258803CAT IIThe Photon operating system must display the Standard Mandatory DoW Notice and Consent Banner before granting local or remote access to the system.Title, Check text, Fix text, Discussion

Title

The Photon operating system must display the Standard Mandatory DODoW Notice and Consent Banner before granting local or remote access to the system.

Check text

At the command line, run the following command to verify SSH is configured to use the /etc/issue file for a banner: # sshd -T|&grep -i Banner Example result: banner /etc/issue If the "banner" setting is not configured to "/etc/issue", this is a finding. Next, open /etc/issue with a text editor. If the file does not contain the Standard Mandatory DODDoW Notice and Consent Banner, this is a finding. Standard Mandatory DODDoW Notice and Consent Banner: "You are accessing a U.S. Government (USG) Information System (IS) that is provided for USG-authorized use only. By using this IS (which includes any device attached to this IS), you consent to the following conditions: -The USG routinely intercepts and monitors communications on this IS for purposes including, but not limited to, penetration testing, COMSEC monitoring, network operations and defense, personnel misconduct (PM), law enforcement (LE), and counterintelligence (CI) investigations. -At any time, the USG may inspect and seize data stored on this IS. -Communications using, or data stored on, this IS are not private, are subject to routine monitoring, interception, and search, and may be disclosed or used for any USG authorized purpose. -This IS includes security measures (e.g., authentication and access controls) to protect USG interests--not for your personal benefit or privacy. -Notwithstanding the above, using this IS does not constitute consent to PM, LE or CI investigative searching or monitoring of the content of privileged communications, or work product, related to personal representation or services by attorneys, psychotherapists, or clergy, and their assistants. Such communications and work product are private and confidential. See User Agreement for details."

Fix text

Navigate to and open: /etc/ssh/sshd_config Ensure the "Banner" line is uncommented and set to the following: Banner /etc/issue Navigate to and open: /etc/issue Ensure the file contains the Standard Mandatory DODDoW Notice and Consent Banner. "You are accessing a U.S. Government (USG) Information System (IS) that is provided for USG-authorized use only. By using this IS (which includes any device attached to this IS), you consent to the following conditions: -The USG routinely intercepts and monitors communications on this IS for purposes including, but not limited to, penetration testing, COMSEC monitoring, network operations and defense, personnel misconduct (PM), law enforcement (LE), and counterintelligence (CI) investigations. -At any time, the USG may inspect and seize data stored on this IS. -Communications using, or data stored on, this IS are not private, are subject to routine monitoring, interception, and search, and may be disclosed or used for any USG authorized purpose. -This IS includes security measures (e.g., authentication and access controls) to protect USG interests--not for your personal benefit or privacy. -Notwithstanding the above, using this IS does not constitute consent to PM, LE or CI investigative searching or monitoring of the content of privileged communications, or work product, related to personal representation or services by attorneys, psychotherapists, or clergy, and their assistants. Such communications and work product are private and confidential. See User Agreement for details." At the command line, run the following command: # systemctl restart sshd.service

Discussion

Display of a standardized and approved use notification before granting access to the operating system ensures privacy and security notification verbiage used is consistent with applicable federal laws, Executive Orders, directives, policies, regulations, standards, and guidance. System use notifications are required only for access via logon interfaces with human users and are not required when such human interfaces do not exist. The banner must be formatted in accordance with applicable DODDoW policy. Use the following verbiage for operating systems that can accommodate banners of 1300 characters: "You are accessing a U.S. Government (USG) Information System (IS) that is provided for USG-authorized use only. By using this IS (which includes any device attached to this IS), you consent to the following conditions: -The USG routinely intercepts and monitors communications on this IS for purposes including, but not limited to, penetration testing, COMSEC monitoring, network operations and defense, personnel misconduct (PM), law enforcement (LE), and counterintelligence (CI) investigations. -At any time, the USG may inspect and seize data stored on this IS. -Communications using, or data stored on, this IS are not private, are subject to routine monitoring, interception, and search, and may be disclosed or used for any USG-authorized purpose. -This IS includes security measures (e.g., authentication and access controls) to protect USG interests--not for your personal benefit or privacy. -Notwithstanding the above, using this IS does not constitute consent to PM, LE or CI investigative searching or monitoring of the content of privileged communications, or work product, related to personal representation or services by attorneys, psychotherapists, or clergy, and their assistants. Such communications and work product are private and confidential. See User Agreement for details." Use the following verbiage for operating systems that have severe limitations on the number of characters that can be displayed in the banner: "I've read & consent to terms in IS user agreem't." Satisfies: SRG-OS-000023-GPOS-00006, SRG-OS-000228-GPOS-00088

V-258805CAT IIThe Photon operating system must monitor remote access logins.Discussion

Discussion

Remote access services, such as those providing remote access to network devices and information systems, which lack automated monitoring capabilities, increase risk and make remote user access management difficult at best. Remote access is access to DODDoW nonpublic information systems by an authorized user (or an information system) communicating through an external, nonorganization-controlled network. Remote access methods include, for example, dial-up, broadband, and wireless. Automated monitoring of remote access sessions allows organizations to detect cyberattacks and also ensure ongoing compliance with remote access policies by auditing connection activities of remote access capabilities, such as Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP), on a variety of information system components (e.g., servers, workstations, notebook computers, smartphones, and tablets).

V-258821CAT IIThe Photon operating systems must enforce a 90-day maximum password lifetime restriction.Check text, Fix text

Check text

At the command line, run the following command to verify a 90180-day maximum password lifetime restriction: # grep '^PASS_MAX_DAYS' /etc/login.defs If "PASS_MAX_DAYS" is not set to &lt= 90180, is missing or commented out, this is a finding. If "PASS_MAX_DAYS" is disabled or set to -1, this is a finding.

Fix text

Navigate to and open: /etc/login.defs Add or update the following line: PASS_MAX_DAYS 9180

V-258827CAT IIThe Photon operating system must use mechanisms meeting the requirements of applicable federal laws, Executive orders, directives, policies, regulations, standards, and guidance for authentication to a cryptographic module.Discussion

Discussion

Unapproved mechanisms that are used for authentication to the cryptographic module are not verified and therefore cannot be relied upon to provide confidentiality or integrity, and DODDoW data may be compromised. Operating systems utilizing encryption are required to use FIPS-compliant mechanisms for authenticating to cryptographic modules. FIPS 140-2/140-3 is the current standard for validating that mechanisms used to access cryptographic modules utilize authentication that meets DODDoW requirements. This allows for Security Levels 1, 2, 3, or 4 for use on a general purpose computing system.

V-258835CAT IThe Photon operating system must implement only approved ciphers to protect the integrity of remote access sessions.Discussion

Discussion

Without cryptographic integrity protections, information can be altered by unauthorized users without detection. Remote access (e.g., RDP) is access to DODDoW nonpublic information systems by an authorized user (or an information system) communicating through an external, nonorganization-controlled network. Remote access methods include, for example, dial-up, broadband, and wireless. Cryptographic mechanisms used for protecting the integrity of information include, for example, signed hash functions using asymmetric cryptography enabling distribution of the public key to verify the hash information while maintaining the confidentiality of the secret key used to generate the hash.

V-258900CAT IThe Photon operating system must implement only approved Message Authentication Codes (MACs) to protect the integrity of remote access sessions.Discussion

Discussion

Without cryptographic integrity protections, information can be altered by unauthorized users without detection. Remote access (e.g., RDP) is access to DODDoW nonpublic information systems by an authorized user (or an information system) communicating through an external, nonorganization-controlled network. Remote access methods include, for example, dial-up, broadband, and wireless. Cryptographic mechanisms used for protecting the integrity of information include, for example, signed hash functions using asymmetric cryptography enabling distribution of the public key to verify the hash information while maintaining the confidentiality of the secret key used to generate the hash.

V-285222CAT IIThe Photon operating system must be configured to use the pam_deny.so module.Fix text, Discussion

Fix text

Navigate to and open: /etc/sysctlpam.d/zzsystem-stig-hardening.confauth Add or update the following line: fs.suid_dumpable =making 0 Note:sure "0"it is recommendedpresent foras normal operation. If core dumps need to be captured for troubleshooting purposes, then "2" is also an acceptable value. At the commandlast line,auth run the following command to load the new configurationentry: #auth /sbin/sysctlrequired --load /etc/sysctlpam_deny.d/zz-stig-hardening.conf Note: If the file zz-stig-hardening.conf does not exist, it must be created.so

Discussion

Configuring the operating system to implement organizationwide security implementation guides and security checklists ensures compliance with federal standards and establishes a common security baseline across DODDoW that reflects the most restrictive security posture consistent with operational requirements. Configuration settings are the set of parameters that can be changed in hardware, software, or firmware components of the system that affect the security posture and/or functionality of the system. Security-related parameters impact the security state of the system and include the parameters required to satisfy other security control requirements. Security-related parameters include, for example, registry settings; account, file, and directory permission settings; and settings for functions, ports, protocols, services, and remote connections.

How these changes are found

Checks are matched across the two releases by V-number. A check counts as updated when DISA gave it a new rule revision (the r number in its SV-…_rule id) and its title, severity, check text, fix text, discussion, CCIs or other fields changed — the same comparison STIG Compare makes. Added checks are new V-numbers; removed checks are V-numbers V2R3 no longer has.

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