CM-7(1) Periodic Review
Enhancement of: CM-7
High-Level Description
Family: Configuration Management (CM) Framework: NIST SP 800-53 Rev 5
Organizations review functions, ports, protocols, and services provided by systems or system components to determine the functions and services that are candidates for elimination. Such reviews are especially important during transition periods from older technologies to newer technologies (e.g., transition from IPv4 to IPv6). These technology transitions may require implementing the older and newer technologies simultaneously during the transition period and returning to minimum essential functions, ports, protocols, and services at the earliest opportunity. Organizations can either decide the relative security of the function, port, protocol, and/or service or base the security decision on the assessment of other entities. Unsecure protocols include Bluetooth, FTP, and peer-to-peer networking.
What to Check
- Verify CM-7(1) Periodic Review is documented in SSP
- Validate all 2 control requirements are implemented
- Confirm control is operating effectively
- Review evidence of continuous monitoring for CM-7(1)
- Verify enhancement builds upon base control CM-7
How to Test
Step 1: Review Documentation
Examine the System Security Plan (SSP) and related artifacts for CM-7(1) implementation details. Verify the organization has documented how this control is satisfied.
Step 2: Validate Implementation
# For cloud environments, use cloud-audit-mcp tools
# For on-premises, review system configurations directly
# Example: Check if account management policies exist
grep -r "account.management\|access.control" /etc/security/ 2>/dev/null
Step 3: Test Operating Effectiveness
Verify the control is actively functioning, not just documented. Check logs, configurations, and operational evidence.
Tools
| Tool | Purpose | Usage |
|---|---|---|
| cloud-audit-mcp | Check configuration baselines | cloud_audit_config |
| AWS CLI | Review Config rules | aws configservice describe-config-rules |
Remediation Guide
Control Statement
Review the system [organization-defined] to identify unnecessary and/or nonsecure functions, ports, protocols, software, and services; and Disable or remove [organization-defined].
Implementation Guidance
Organizations review functions, ports, protocols, and services provided by systems or system components to determine the functions and services that are candidates for elimination. Such reviews are especially important during transition periods from older technologies to newer technologies (e.g., transition from IPv4 to IPv6). These technology transitions may require implementing the older and newer technologies simultaneously during the transition period and returning to minimum essential functions, ports, protocols, and services at the earliest opportunity. Organizations can either decide the relative security of the function, port, protocol, and/or service or base the security decision on the assessment of other entities. Unsecure protocols include Bluetooth, FTP, and peer-to-peer networking.
Risk Assessment
| Finding | Severity | Impact |
|---|---|---|
| CM-7(1) Periodic Review not implemented | Medium | Configuration Management |
| CM-7(1) partially implemented | Low | Incomplete Configuration Management |
CWE Categories
| CWE ID | Title |
|---|---|
| CWE-16 | Configuration |
References
- NIST SP 800-53 Rev 5 - CM-7(1)
- NIST SP 800-53A Rev 5 (Assessment Procedures)
- NIST SP 800-53 Rev 5 Full Catalog
Checklist
- Control documented in SSP
- Implementation evidence collected
- Operating effectiveness validated
- Continuous monitoring in place
- Related controls (AC-18) reviewed