| name | cis-apache24-5.1 |
| description | Ensure Options for the OS Root Directory Are Restricted |
| category | cis-apache |
| version | 2.3.0 |
| author | cyberstrike-official |
| tags | ["cis","apache","linux","features","content","options"] |
| cis_id | 5.1 |
| cis_benchmark | CIS Apache HTTP Server 2.4 Benchmark v2.3.0 |
| tech_stack | ["linux","apache"] |
| cwe_ids | [] |
| chains_with | [] |
| prerequisites | [] |
| severity_boost | {} |
5.1 Ensure Options for the OS Root Directory Are Restricted
Profile Applicability
Description
The Apache Options directive allows for specific configuration of options, including execution of CGI, following symbolic links, server side includes, and content negotiation.
Rationale
The Options directive for the root OS level is used to create a default minimal options policy that allows only the minimal options at the root directory level. Then for specific web sites or portions of the web site, options may be enabled as needed and appropriate. No options should be enabled and the value for the Options directive should be None.
Audit
Perform the following to determine if the recommended state is implemented:
- Search the Apache configuration files (
httpd.conf and any included configuration files) to find a root <Directory> element.
- Ensure there is a single
Options directive with the value of None.
The following may be useful for extracting root directory elements from the Apache configuration for auditing.
perl -ne 'print if /^ *<Directory */\/i .. /<\/Directory>/i'
$APACHE_PREFIX/conf/httpd.conf
Remediation
Perform the following to implement the recommended state:
- Search the Apache configuration files (
httpd.conf and any included configuration files) to find a root <Directory> element.
- Add a single
Options directive if there is none.
- Set the value for
Options to None.
<Directory />
. . .
Options None
. . .
</Directory>
Default Value
The default value for the root directory's Option directive is Indexes FollowSymLinks.
References
- https://httpd.apache.org/docs/2.4/mod/core.html#options
CIS Controls
Controls Version: v8
- 5.4 Restrict Administrator Privileges to Dedicated Administrator Accounts