cis-apache24-5-1

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

• Level 1

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:

1. Search the Apache configuration files (httpd.conf and any included configuration files) to find a root <Directory> element.
2. 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:

1. Search the Apache configuration files (httpd.conf and any included configuration files) to find a root <Directory> element.
2. Add a single Options directive if there is none.
3. 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

1. 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