Ensure Content Caching Is Disabled

LowLevel 2Automatedmacos

Description

Starting with macOS 10.13, Apple introduced a service to make it easier to deploy data from Apple, including software updates, where there are bandwidth constraints to the Internet and fewer constraints or greater bandwidth exist on the local subnet. This capability can be very valuable for organizations that have throttled and possibly metered Internet connections. In heterogeneous enterprise networks with multiple subnets, the effectiveness of this capability would be determined by how many Macs were on each subnet at the time new, large updates were made available upstream. This capability requires the use of mac OS clients as P2P nodes for updated Apple content. Unless there is a business requirement to manage operational Internet connectivity and bandwidth, user endpoints should not store content and act as a cluster to provision data. Content types supported by Content Caching i...

How it is checked

Audit method: Shell command

shell

/usr/bin/osascript -l JavaScript <<'EOS'
function run() {
  let pref1 = ObjC.unwrap($.NSUserDefaults.alloc.initWithSuiteName('com.apple.AssetCache').objectForKey('Activated'))
  let pref2 = ObjC.unwrap($.NSUserDefaults.alloc.initWithSuiteName('com.apple.applicationaccess').objectForKey('allowContentCaching'))
  if ( ( pref1 == 0 ) || ( pref2 == 0 ) ) {
    return("true")
  } else {
    return("false")
  }
}
EOS

Expected output: true

How it is fixed

Fix method: Guidance or infrastructure patch

Graphical Method: Perform the following steps to disable Content Caching: 1. Open System Settings 2. Select General 3. Select Sharing 4. Set Content Caching to disabled Terminal Method: Run the following command to disable Content Caching: % /usr/bin/sudo /usr/bin/AssetCacheManagerUtil deactivate The output will include Content caching deactivated Profile Method: Create or edit a configuration profile with the following information: 1. The PayloadType string is com.apple.applicationaccess 2. The key to include is allowContentCaching 3. The key must be set to <false/>

Properties

Operating systems: macos-14
Tags: macossonoma
Reference: CIS Apple macOS 14.0 Sonoma Benchmark v3.1.0 - 2.3.3.8 Ensure Content Caching Is Disabled

Check this host

Run this on a machine you are allowed to audit. The scan is read-only.

shell

tmaegis scan --target macos --level 2