create-rule

name	create-rule
description	Create a new security rule with all required components

Create Rule

Create a new security rule for ComplianceAsCode. This skill handles both templated and non-templated rules.

Rule ID: $ARGUMENTS

Tool Strategy

This skill uses mcp__content-mcp__* tools when available (preferred — deterministic, structured results). When the MCP server is not configured, fall back to filesystem-based alternatives noted as Fallback in each step. See .claude/skills/shared/mcp_fallbacks.md for detailed fallback procedures. The skill must complete successfully either way.

Phase 1: Validate Input

1. Validate rule ID format:

   • Must be lowercase with underscores (no hyphens or uppercase)
   • Example valid IDs: sshd_max_auth_tries, accounts_password_minlen

2. Check if rule already exists: Use mcp__content-mcp__search_rules with query=$ARGUMENTS to check if a rule with this ID already exists. Fallback: Use Glob to search for **/$ARGUMENTS/rule.yml.

   • If rule exists, inform user and ask if they want to modify it instead

3. Determine rule location:

   • Ask user where to create the rule within the guide hierarchy
   • Provide suggestions based on rule ID prefix (e.g., sshd_* goes under linux_os/guide/services/ssh/ssh_server/)

Phase 2: Determine Rule Type

Use AskUserQuestion to ask the user:

Question: "What type of rule do you want to create?"

Options:

1. Templated rule (Recommended) - Uses an existing template for checks and remediations. Faster to create, inherits tests from template.
2. Non-templated rule - Custom OVAL, Bash, and Ansible implementations. Requires writing test scenarios.

Phase 3: Template Selection (if templated)

If user chose templated rule:

1. List available templates using mcp__content-mcp__list_templates to get all available templates with their descriptions. Fallback: Run ls shared/templates/ to list available template directories.

2. Present available templates from the list obtained in step 1 and help the user select the right one based on their use case.

3. Ask for template selection using AskUserQuestion

4. Get template parameter schema using mcp__content-mcp__get_template_schema with template_name=<selected_template> to get the full parameter schema, supported languages, and documentation. Fallback: Read shared/templates/<template_name>/template.yml or template.py for parameter definitions. Check existing rules using this template for usage examples.

5. Collect template variables:

   • Use the schema from step 4 to identify required and optional parameters
   • Ask user for each required variable

Phase 4: Gather Rule Metadata

Collect the following information using AskUserQuestion or prompts:

Required Fields

1. Title: Short descriptive title (displayed in scan results)

   • Example: "Disable SSH Root Login"

2. Description: Detailed description using Jinja2 templating

   • Can use macros like {{{ sshd_config_file() }}}, {{{ describe_mount(...) }}}

3. Rationale: Why this rule is important for security

4. Severity: One of low, medium, high, unknown. Default value would be medium.

Identifiers

5. CCE identifiers: Ask which RHEL products need CCEs (rhel8, rhel9, rhel10)

   • Format: cce@rhel9: CCE-XXXXX-X
   • Automatic CCE allocation:
     1. Read available CCEs from shared/references/cce-redhat-avail.txt
     2. For each requested product, take the first available CCE from the file
     3. After adding the CCE to rule.yml, remove it from cce-redhat-avail.txt to prevent reuse
   • If user doesn't want CCEs now, leave blank (can be added later)

   # Read first available CCE
   head -1 shared/references/cce-redhat-avail.txt
   
   # After using a CCE, remove it from the file
   sed -i '1d' shared/references/cce-redhat-avail.txt
   

References (Optional but Recommended)

6. Security references - ask if user has any of:
   • nist: NIST SP 800-53 controls (e.g., AC-6(2),CM-6(a))
   • srg: DISA SRG IDs (e.g., SRG-OS-000480-GPOS-00227)
   • stigid and cis references are filled in automatically by placing the rule into an appropriate control file

Additional Fields

7. Platform (optional): Platform applicability

   • Example: platform: machine (not for containers)
   • Example: platform: package[openssh-server]

8. OCIL (optional): OCIL check description

   • Often uses macros like {{{ complete_ocil_entry_sshd_option(...) }}}

Phase 5: Generate Rule

For Templated Rules

Use mcp__content-mcp__generate_rule_from_template with:

• template_name: The selected template name
• parameters: Template variables collected from the user
• rule_id: $ARGUMENTS
• product: The target product

This generates the rule directory and rule.yml with the template configuration automatically.

Fallback: Create the rule directory and rule.yml manually using Write tool. Include the template: key with name: and vars: based on the selected template.

For Non-Templated Rules

Use mcp__content-mcp__generate_rule_boilerplate with:

• rule_id: $ARGUMENTS
• title: The rule title
• description: The rule description
• severity: The severity level
• product: The target product
• rationale: The rationale (optional)
• location: The guide path (optional, e.g., linux_os/guide/services/ssh)

Fallback: Create the directory structure and all files manually using Write tool, following the skeleton templates below.

This generates the rule directory structure with skeleton files:

<location>/$ARGUMENTS/
├── rule.yml
├── oval/
│   └── shared.xml
├── bash/
│   └── shared.sh
├── ansible/
│   └── shared.yml
└── tests/
    ├── correct.pass.sh
    └── wrong.fail.sh

Post-Generation Customization

After MCP generates the boilerplate, customize the generated files:

• Add CCE identifiers, references, and platform applicability to rule.yml
• For non-templated rules, implement the OVAL, Bash, Ansible, and test content

Skeleton Files for Non-Templated Rules

oval/shared.xml:

<def-group>
  <definition class="compliance" id="{{{ rule_id }}}" version="1">
    {{{ oval_metadata("{DESCRIPTION}", rule_title=rule_title) }}}
    <criteria>
      <!-- Add OVAL criteria here -->
    </criteria>
  </definition>
  <!-- Add OVAL tests, objects, and states here -->
</def-group>

Note: rule_id and rule_title are automatically populated during build from the rule.yml.

bash/shared.sh:

# platform = multi_platform_all
# reboot = false
# strategy = configure
# complexity = low
# disruption = low

# Remediation script for $ARGUMENTS
# TODO: Implement remediation

ansible/shared.yml:

# platform = multi_platform_all
# reboot = false
# strategy = configure
# complexity = low
# disruption = low

- name: "{TITLE}"
  # TODO: Implement remediation
  ansible.builtin.debug:
    msg: "Remediation not yet implemented"

tests/correct.pass.sh:

#!/bin/bash
# packages = {REQUIRED_PACKAGES}

# Set up compliant state
# TODO: Configure system to be compliant

tests/wrong.fail.sh:

#!/bin/bash
# packages = {REQUIRED_PACKAGES}

# Set up non-compliant state
# TODO: Configure system to be non-compliant

Phase 6: Add to Component

Every rule must belong to a component. Components are defined in components/*.yml and map rules to their associated packages and groups.

Step 1: Identify Appropriate Component

Based on the rule's purpose and location, suggest likely components:

# List all available components
ls components/*.yml | sed 's|components/||;s|\.yml||' | sort

Finding the right component: Search existing component files for rules with a similar prefix to identify the likely component:

# Find which component contains rules with a similar prefix
grep -l '<rule_prefix>' components/*.yml

Step 2: Verify Component Exists

# Check if suggested component exists
cat components/<component_name>.yml

Step 3: Ask User to Confirm or Select Component

Use AskUserQuestion with options:

1. Suggested component (if identified)
2. Browse/search for another component
3. Create a new component

Step 4a: Add Rule to Existing Component

If user selects an existing component:

1. Read the component file:

   cat components/<component_name>.yml
   

2. Add the rule ID to the rules: list in alphabetical order:

   rules:
   - existing_rule_1
   - existing_rule_2
   - $ARGUMENTS        # Add new rule here
   - existing_rule_3
   

3. If using a template, verify the template is listed in templates: section. If not, add it:

   templates:
   - existing_template
   - {TEMPLATE_NAME}   # Add if not present
   

Step 4b: Create New Component

If no suitable component exists:

1. Ask for component details:

   • Component name (lowercase, hyphenated, e.g., my-service)
   • Associated packages (list)
   • Associated groups (from rule hierarchy)

2. Create the component file components/<component_name>.yml:

   groups:
   - <group_from_rule_hierarchy>
   name: <component_name>
   packages:
   - <package_name>
   rules:
   - $ARGUMENTS
   templates:
   - {TEMPLATE_NAME}   # If templated rule
   

3. Verify the new component:

   python3 -c "import yaml; yaml.safe_load(open('components/<component_name>.yml'))"
   

Component File Structure Reference

groups:        # Rule groups this component covers (from guide hierarchy)
- service_name
- service_name_server
name: component-name   # Matches filename without .yml
packages:      # Packages associated with this component
- package-name
- package-name-server
rules:         # Rule IDs belonging to this component (alphabetical)
- rule_id_1
- rule_id_2
templates:     # Templates used by rules in this component
- template_name

Phase 7: Add to Profile(s) or Control File(s)

Most profiles in the project reference control files rather than listing rules directly. When adding a rule to a profile that uses a control file, add the rule to the control file instead.

Step 1: List Available Profiles

Use mcp__content-mcp__list_profiles with product=<product> to list all available profiles for each target product. Fallback: Run ls products/<product>/profiles/*.profile to list profiles.

Step 2: Ask User Which Profile(s)

Use AskUserQuestion to ask which profile(s) to add the rule to. Allow multiple selection.

Step 3: Detect Control File Reference

For each selected profile, read it and check if it references a control file:

grep -E "^\s+-\s+\w+:all" products/<product>/profiles/<profile>.profile

Control file reference patterns:

• cis_rhel9:all or cis_rhel9:all:l2_server → Control file: products/rhel9/controls/cis_rhel9.yml
• stig_rhel9:all → Control file: products/rhel9/controls/stig_rhel9.yml
• hipaa:all → Control file: controls/hipaa.yml (shared across products)

How to find the control file:

1. Extract the control ID from the selection (e.g., cis_rhel9 from cis_rhel9:all:l2_server)
2. Look in products/<product>/controls/<control_id>.yml first
3. If not found, look in controls/<control_id>.yml

Step 4a: Add to Control File (if profile uses control file)

If the profile references a control file:

1. Read the control file to understand its structure

2. Ask user for control placement:

   • For CIS: Ask for the section ID (e.g., 5.2.15 for SSH settings)
   • For STIG: Ask for the STIG ID (e.g., RHEL-09-123456)
   • Show the control file structure to help user decide

3. Determine the level(s) for the rule:

   • CIS: l1_server, l2_server, l1_workstation, l2_workstation
   • STIG: high, medium, low

4. Add a new control entry to the control file:

   For CIS control files:

   - id: 5.2.15
     title: Ensure SSH MaxAuthTries is set to 4 or less (Automated)
     levels:
         - l1_server
         - l1_workstation
     status: automated
     rules:
         - $ARGUMENTS
   

   For STIG control files:

   - id: RHEL-09-123456
     levels:
         - medium
     title: RHEL 9        
     
          
      
   

Step 4b: Add Directly to Profile (if no control file)

If the profile lists rules directly (no control file reference):

1. Read the profile file
2. Add the rule ID to the selections: list
3. Maintain alphabetical order if the profile uses it

Control File Locations

Product-specific (preferred for product-specific benchmarks):

• products/rhel8/controls/*.yml
• products/rhel9/controls/*.yml
• products/rhel10/controls/*.yml

Shared (for cross-product policies):

• controls/*.yml

Common Control Files by Profile

Profile	Control File
cis.profile (rhel9)	products/rhel9/controls/cis_rhel9.yml
stig.profile (rhel9)	products/rhel9/controls/stig_rhel9.yml
hipaa.profile	controls/hipaa.yml
pci-dss.profile	controls/pcidss_4.yml
ospp.profile	controls/ospp.yml
anssi_bp28_*.profile	controls/anssi.yml

Reference Security Policies

When adding to CIS or STIG control files, reference the corresponding security policy document to find the correct control ID:

• CIS RHEL 9: security_policies/CIS_Red_Hat_Enterprise_Linux_9_Benchmark_v2.0.0.md
• STIG RHEL 9: security_policies/Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 STIG V2R5 - STIG-A-View.md

Step 5: Update Profile Stability Test Data

IMPORTANT: Whenever a rule is added to a profile (whether directly or via control file), the profile stability test data must also be updated.

Profile stability test data is located in tests/data/profile_stability/<product>/<profile>.profile and contains a sorted list of rule IDs, one per line.

1. Check if stability test file exists:

   ls tests/data/profile_stability/<product>/<profile>.profile
   

2. If the file exists, add the rule ID in alphabetical order:

   # Read current file, add new rule, sort, and write back
   (cat tests/data/profile_stability/<product>/<profile>.profile; echo "$ARGUMENTS") | sort -u > /tmp/profile_stability_tmp
   mv /tmp/profile_stability_tmp tests/data/profile_stability/<product>/<profile>.profile
   

3. If the file doesn't exist, this may be a new profile or a product without stability tests. Check if the product directory exists:

   ls tests/data/profile_stability/<product>/
   

   • If the product directory exists but the profile file doesn't, create it with just the new rule
   • If the product directory doesn't exist, skip this step (stability tests may not be set up for this product)

Profile stability test file format:

rule_id_1
rule_id_2
rule_id_3
...

Rules are listed one per line, sorted alphabetically, with no duplicates.

Discover products with stability tests:

ls tests/data/profile_stability/

Phase 8: Verify and Report

1. Verify created files:

   ls -la <rule_directory>/
   cat <rule_directory>/rule.yml
   

2. Validate rule YAML using mcp__content-mcp__validate_rule_yaml with the content of the generated rule.yml. This validates syntax, structure, and reference formats. Fallback: Validate against the JSON schema:

   python3 -c "
   import json, yaml, sys
   from jsonschema import validate, ValidationError
   schema = json.load(open('shared/schemas/rule.json'))
   data = yaml.safe_load(open(sys.argv[1]))
   try:
       validate(instance=data, schema=schema)
       print('Valid')
   except ValidationError as e:
       print(f'Invalid: {e.message}')
   " <path_to_rule.yml>
   

   For control files, use mcp__content-mcp__validate_control_file with the control file path. Fallback: Validate against the control schema:

   python3 -c "
   import json, yaml, sys
   from jsonschema import validate, ValidationError
   schema = json.load(open('shared/schemas/control.json'))
   data = yaml.safe_load(open(sys.argv[1]))
   try:
       validate(instance=data, schema=schema)
       print('Valid')
   except ValidationError as e:
       print(f'Invalid: {e.message}')
   " <path_to_control.yml>
   

3. Verify CCE was removed from available list (if CCE was allocated):

   grep "<allocated_cce>" shared/references/cce-redhat-avail.txt  # should return nothing
   

4. Verify rule is in component:

   grep "$ARGUMENTS" components/<component>.yml
   

5. Verify profile stability test data (if profile was modified):

   grep "$ARGUMENTS" tests/data/profile_stability/<product>/<profile>.profile
   

6. Report to user:

   • List all created files
   • Show CCE allocations (and confirm removal from available list)
   • Show component file modification
   • Show control file or profile modifications
   • Show profile stability test data updates

Important Notes

• Do NOT make test files executable - the test framework handles this
• Use the project's custom Jinja2 delimiters — this project does NOT use standard Jinja2 syntax. The custom delimiters (defined in ssg/jinja.py) avoid conflicts with YAML/XML curly braces:
  • Variables/expressions: {{{ expr }}} (triple braces), NOT {{ expr }}
  • Statements (if/for/set): {{% stmt %}}, NOT {% stmt %}
  • Comments: {{# comment #}}, NOT {# comment #}
  • Examples: {{{ full_name }}}, {{{ describe_service_enable(service="auditd") }}}, {{% if product in ["rhel9"] %}}, {{% set var="value" %}}
• Check existing similar rules for reference on structure and content
• Templated rules are preferred when a suitable template exists
• Every rule must belong to a component - add to existing component or create new one
• Control files are preferred over direct profile modification - they provide better structure and automatic reference population
• CCE identifiers must be unique - always remove allocated CCEs from cce-redhat-avail.txt
• Update profile stability test data - when adding to a profile, also update tests/data/profile_stability/<product>/<profile>.profile

Error Handling

• If rule creation fails, clean up any partially created files
• If CCE allocation fails, do not remove CCEs from the available list
• Validate YAML syntax before writing
• Check for common mistakes:
  • Missing required fields
  • Invalid template names
  • Malformed references
  • Duplicate control IDs in control files
  • Invalid level names in control files
  • Rule not added to any component
  • Component file syntax errors
  • Profile stability test data not updated