TMA-MSSQL2022-2.14
Ensure the 'sa' Login Account has been renamed
MediumLevel 1Automatedmssql
Description
The sa account is a widely known and often widely used SQL Server login with sysadmin privileges. The sa login is the original login created during installation and always has principal_id=1 and sid=0x01. It is more difficult to launch password-guessing and brute-force attacks against the sa login if the name is not known.
How it is checked
Audit method: SQL query
sql_query
sqlcmd -b -h -1 -W -Q "SET NOCOUNT ON; SELECT CASE WHEN name = 'sa' THEN 'noncompliant' ELSE 'compliant' END FROM sys.server_principals WHERE sid = 0x01;"- Expected output
compliant
How it is fixed
Fix method: Guidance or infrastructure patch
Replace the <different_user> value within the below syntax and execute to rename the sa login. ALTER LOGIN sa WITH NAME = <different_user>;
Properties
- Operating systems
- Any
- Tags
- loggingmssqlsqlserver-2022
- Reference
- CIS Microsoft SQL Server 2022 Benchmark v1.3.0 - 2.14 Ensure the 'sa' Login Account has been renamed
Check this host
Run this on a machine you are allowed to audit. The scan is read-only.
shell
tmaegis scan --target mssql