cyberstrikeus 10.6 Enable strict servlet Compliance (Manual)
Description
The STRICT_SERVLET_COMPLIANCE influences Tomcat's behavior in several subtle ways. See the References below for the complete list. It is recommended that STRICT_SERVLET_COMPLIANCE be set to true.
Rationale
When STRICT_SERVLET_COMPLIANCE is set to true, Tomcat will always send an HTTP Content-type header when responding to requests. This is significant as the behavior of web browsers is inconsistent in the absence of the Content-type header. Some browsers will attempt to determine the appropriate content-type by sniffing
Impact
Changing this to true will change a number of other default values which is likely to break the majority of systems as some browsers are unable to correctly handle the cookie headers that result from a strict adherence to the specifications. Please refer to the referenced documentation for a complete list of changed values. Defaults, regardless of whether or not they have been changed by setting org.apache.catalina.STRICT_SERVLET_COMPLIANCE can always be overridden by explicitly setting the appropriate system property or element attribute.
Audit Procedure
Ensure the -Dorg.apache.catalina.STRICT_SERVLET_COMPLIANCE=true parameter is added to the startup script which by default is located at $CATALINA_HOME/bin/catalina.sh.
Remediation
Start Tomcat with strict compliance enabled, add -Dorg.apache.catalina.STRICT_SERVLET_COMPLIANCE=true to your startup script.
Default Value
The default value is false.
References
CIS Controls
| Controls Version | Control | IG 1 | IG 2 | IG 3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| v8 | 13.10 Perform Application Layer FilteringPerform application layer filtering. Example implementations include a filtering proxy, application layer firewall, or gateway. | ● | ||
| v7 | 5.1 Establish Secure ConfigurationsMaintain documented, standard security configuration standards for all authorized operating systems and software. | ● | ● | ● |
Profile
Level 2