cyberstrikeus 2.5 Create Separate Partition for /var (Scored)
Profile Applicability
- Level 1
Description
The /var directory is used by daemons and other system services to temporarily store dynamic data. Some directories created by these processes may be world-writable.
Rationale
Since the /var directory may contain world-writable files and directories, there is a risk of resource exhaustion if it is not bound to a separate partition.
Audit Procedure
Using Command Line
grep "[[:space:]]/var[[:space:]]" /etc/fstab
Expected Result
A partition entry for /var should be returned. If the command emits no output then the system is not configured as recommended.
Remediation
Using Command Line
For new installations, during installation create a custom partition setup and specify a separate partition for /var.
For systems that were previously installed, use the Logical Volume Manager (LVM) to create partitions.
Default Value
By default, Ubuntu does not create a separate partition for /var.
References
- CIS Ubuntu 12.04 LTS Server Benchmark v1.1.0
- AJ Lewis, "LVM HOWTO", http://tldp.org/HOWTO/LVM-HOWTO/
Profile
Level 1 - Scored