Apache HTTP Server
TMA-APACHE-5.8
Ensure the HTTP TRACE Method Is Disabled
Description
Use the Apache TraceEnable directive to disable the HTTP TRACE request method. The HTTP 1.1 protocol requires support for the TRACE request method which reflects the request back as a response and was intended for diagnostics purposes. The TRACE method is not needed and is easily subjected to abuse and should be disabled. TraceEnable must be set and every occurrence must be off (the default is on). Reads the main configuration (APACHE_CONF overrides; default /etc/apache2/apache2.conf, /etc/httpd/conf/httpd.conf or /usr/local/apache2/conf/httpd.conf) and every Include/IncludeOptional file.
How it is checked
Audit method: Shell command
c=${APACHE_CONF:-}; if [ -z "$c" ]; then for f in /etc/apache2/apache2.conf /etc/httpd/conf/httpd.conf /usr/local/apache2/conf/httpd.conf /etc/apache2/httpd.conf; do [ -f "$f" ] && { c=$f; break; }; done; fi; [ -r "$c" ] || exit 1; R=$(awk 'tolower($1)=="serverroot"{v=$2; gsub(/"/,"",v); print v; exit}' "$c"); [ -n "$R" ] || R=$(dirname "$c"); shopt -s nocasematch; inc(){ local p g l; [ ${#FUNCNAME[@]} -lt 16 ] || return 0; p=$1; case $p in /*) ;; *) p=$R/$p;; esac; [ -d "$p" ] && p="$p/*"; for g in $p; do [ -f "$g" ] || continue; while IFS= read -r l || [ -n "$l" ]; do if [[ $l =~ ^[[:space:]]*include(optional)?[[:space:]]+\"?([^\"[:space:]]+) ]]; then inc "${BASH_REMATCH[2]}"; else printf '%s\n' "$l"; fi; done < "$g"; done; }; cfg=$(inc "$c" | sed -e 's/^[[:space:]]*//' -e '/^#/d' -e '/^$/d'); shopt -u nocasematch; printf '%s\n' "$cfg" | awk 'tolower($1)=="traceenable"{n++; if(tolower($2)!="off") bad=1} END{print (n>0&&!bad)?"compliant":"noncompliant"}'- Expected output
compliant
How it is fixed
Fix method: Guidance or infrastructure patch
Add TraceEnable off to the main server configuration. Then run apachectl configtest and reload Apache.
Properties
- Operating systems
- Any
- Tags
- apachefeatures
- Reference
- CIS Apache HTTP Server 2.4 Benchmark v2.4.0 - 5.8 Ensure the HTTP TRACE Method Is Disabled
Check this host
Run this on a machine you are allowed to audit. The scan is read-only.
tmaegis scan --target apache