Ensure that only one user ID has write access to the WebSphere Liberty configuration files

MediumLevel 1Manual reviewwebsphere

Description

Ensure that only one user ID has write access to the WebSphere Liberty configuration files. If there are multiple administrators, they can use sudo and the /etc/sudoers file to elevate their privilege when write access is required. The benchmark marks this recommendation Manual; TMAegis reports it as a manual review item with the audit steps.

How it is checked

Audit method: Manual review

This recommendation cannot be checked automatically. A scan lists it with these instructions when you pass --include-manual.

Verify that all WebSphere administrators have been added to the group that owns the server's configuration directory, which will grant them read but not write access. Ensure that the user that owns the server's configuration directory is a non-login user. Use sudo and the /etc/sudoers file to grant the administrators the ability to elevate their privilege to the user that owns the server's configuration directory when write access is required.

How it is fixed

Fix method: Guidance or infrastructure patch

Create a single, non-login, user ID that owns the server's configuration directory. Add any WebSphere administrators to the group that owns the server's configuration directory, which will automatically give them read access to the server's configuration, but not write access. Use sudo and the /etc/sudoers file to allow these administrators to elevate their privilege to the user ID that owns the server's configuration directory when write access is required.

Properties

Operating systems: Any
Tags: webspheremanual-review
Reference: CIS IBM WebSphere Liberty Benchmark v1.0.0 - 1.4 Ensure that only one user ID has write access to the WebSphere Liberty configuration files