| name | CIS Ubuntu 14.04 LTS - 1.5.4 Ensure prelink is disabled |
| description | Verify that prelink is disabled to prevent interference with AIDE integrity checking |
| category | cis-os-hardening |
| version | 2.1.0 |
| author | cyberstrike-official |
| tags | ["cis","ubuntu","ubuntu-14.04","level-1","scored","hardening"] |
| cis_id | 1.5.4 |
| cis_benchmark | CIS Ubuntu Linux 14.04 LTS Benchmark v2.1.0 |
| tech_stack | ["ubuntu","linux"] |
| cwe_ids | [] |
| chains_with | ["cis-ubuntu1404-v210-1-3-1"] |
| prerequisites | [] |
| severity_boost | medium |
1.5.4 Ensure prelink is disabled (Scored)
Profile Applicability
- Level 1 - Server
- Level 1 - Workstation
Description
prelink is a program that modifies ELF shared libraries and ELF dynamically linked binaries in such a way that the time needed for the dynamic linker to perform relocations at startup significantly decreases.
Rationale
The prelinking feature can interfere with the operation of AIDE, because it changes binaries. Prelinking can also increase the vulnerability of the system if a malicious user is able to compromise a common library such as libc.
Audit Procedure
Run the following command and verify prelink is not installed:
dpkg -s prelink
Expected Result
The output should indicate that the package is not installed.
Remediation
Run the following command to restore binaries to normal:
prelink -ua
Run the following command to uninstall prelink:
apt-get remove prelink
Default Value
prelink is not installed by default.
References
- CIS Controls: 3.5 Use File Integrity Tools For Critical System Files
Profile
- Level 1 - Server
- Level 1 - Workstation
