cyberstrikeus 3.6.3 Ensure loopback traffic is configured (Scored)
Profile Applicability
- Level 1 - Server
- Level 1 - Workstation
Description
Configure the loopback interface to accept traffic. Configure all other interfaces to deny traffic to the loopback network (127.0.0.0/8).
Rationale
Loopback traffic is generated between processes on machine and is typically critical to operation of the system. The loopback interface is the only place that loopback network (127.0.0.0/8) traffic should be seen, all other interfaces should ignore traffic on this network as an anti-spoofing measure.
Audit Procedure
Run the following commands and verify output includes the listed rules in order (packet and byte counts may differ):
iptables -L INPUT -v -n
# Expected:
# Chain INPUT (policy DROP 0 packets, 0 bytes)
# pkts bytes target prot opt in out source destination
# 0 0 ACCEPT all -- lo * 0.0.0.0/0 0.0.0.0/0
# 0 0 DROP all -- * * 127.0.0.0/8 0.0.0.0/0
iptables -L OUTPUT -v -n
# Expected:
# Chain OUTPUT (policy DROP 0 packets, 0 bytes)
# pkts bytes target prot opt in out source destination
# 0 0 ACCEPT all -- * lo 0.0.0.0/0 0.0.0.0/0
Expected Result
INPUT chain should accept all traffic on loopback interface and drop traffic from 127.0.0.0/8 on other interfaces. OUTPUT chain should accept all traffic on loopback interface.
Remediation
Run the following commands to implement the loopback rules:
iptables -A INPUT -i lo -j ACCEPT
iptables -A OUTPUT -o lo -j ACCEPT
iptables -A INPUT -s 127.0.0.0/8 -j DROP
Default Value
Not configured. Note: Changing firewall settings while connected over network can result in being locked out of the system. Remediation will only affect the active system firewall, be sure to configure the default policy in your firewall management to apply on boot as well.
References
- CIS Controls: 9.2 - Leverage Host-based Firewalls
Profile
- Level 1 - Server
- Level 1 - Workstation