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AIX Operating System Hardening Procedures & Security Guide

By Michael Desrosiers
m3ip Inc.
Email: mdesrosiers@m3ipinc.com
Web Site: http://secure-it-consulting.com
1.1 Preamble
IBM has positioned AIX 5 L version 5.1, as the new standard in Unix operating systems. It is built upon AIX 4.3.3 and provides
improvements in critical areas such as reliability, availability, performance and security. The recommended way to harden the AIX
Operating System is to use the principle of least privilege. If the user does not need the service, they are not allowed to access that service.
Also if the server is to be an application server, only allow those specific services like ports 80 443 and 8080 to the server. There is a
security principle that says you should configure computers to provide only selected network services. The basic idea is this; every network
service you offer is an opportunity for the bad guys (alternatively a risk to your system). That's not to say that you shouldn't offer any
services -- a web application server that doesn't offer web services isn't very useful. Instead, the principle says you should have a good
understanding of network services and you should not offer any service unless there are very good reasons for doing so. This paper offers
reasons to harden both server and network services for AIX 5.1 -- an application of the security principle.
Some security packages address the problem by stripping all (or nearly all) network services and then instruct you to be careful about what
you add to the system. That's a great approach but requires that you "get your hands on" the system before anyone layers anything onto it and
you understand what you're adding to the system when you add it back in. These are two conditions that do not apply at many sites. The
approach here is different. We will consider services offered by the AIX 5.1 operating system, try to explain what each does, note the risks
involved with each and make recommendations about what one ought to do to mitigate the risk.
1.1.1 Security Planning and Framework
Planning – This is the part of the plan where you must define the overall security policies and goals. In many
Organizations, this initial step is performed at the corporate level, and is likely to have already been completed.
How much security is needed?

How much security can your business afford?
What is the “crown jewel” that you are protecting?
Architecture – This is where the design of your environment is defined to meet the requirements of the planning
phase.
What are the weakest points in your environment?

What would be the nature of the attempted attacks?
Where would the exploits come from? Internal? External?
Where is your company focused? Border? Perimeter?
Implementation – This is where the infrastructure is built from the architectural design.
Start with securing the servers and working out towards the perimeter.
Start with one security package and rollout to the other servers.
Start from the top down, in other words, physical layer, network layer, etc.
Monitoring – Once the infrastructure is built, you will need to continuously monitor it for vulnerabilities and suspected attacks. A
better approach might be to schedule weekly audits, so as not to choke the network with useless snmp traffic. Problems that are
found here should then be addressed through the previous phases in order to find the best resolution possible.
Application logs
System logs (syslog, sulog, wtmp, lastlogin, failedlogin, etc.)
Audit logs
System errors (errlog)
System performance (vmstat, iostat, ptx, sar, wlmstat, etc.)
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Network performance (no, netstat, netpmon, etc.)

Filesystems and permission structures
File Integrity (tripwire, AIDE, md5, etc.)
Incident Response – This is the phase that you must address your worse fears. The worst time to begin working on this phase is
after an attack or breach that has already occurred. The time spent in the beginning considering how you should respond to a real
attack will pay for itself many times over if you are ever in this situation. You must think of this “Pre-emptive” thinking.
Identify the severity of the breach.

Start an outline or working document for evidence gathering.
Work methodically from the inside to the outside of your environment.
Start at physical layer and work your why through.
Have a checklist to work off of before the event takes place.
Document everything you do and validate it.
If additional help is needed have a vendor contract in place.
1.1.2 Policy Considerations
Your organization's security policy for networked systems should require that a detailed computer deployment plan be developed,
implemented, and maintained whenever computers are being deployed. Access to your deployment plan should only be given to
those who require the information to perform their jobs. All new and updated servers be installed, configured, and tested in a stand-
alone mode or within test networks (i.e., not connected to operational networks). You must present a policy that defines in detail
appropriate behavior within it’s I/T infrastructure. All servers present a warning banner to all users indicating that they are legally
accountable for their actions and, by using the servers; they are consenting to having their actions logged.
2. Requirements
2.1 Policies and Procedures
You must develop a server deployment plan that includes security issues. Most deployment plans address the cost of the computers,
schedules to minimize work disruption, installation of applications software, and user training. In addition, you need to include a discussion
of security issues. You can eliminate many networked systems vulnerabilities and prevent many security problems if you securely configure
computers and networks before you deploy them. Vendors typically set computer defaults to maximize available functions, so you usually
need to change defaults to meet your organization's security requirements. You are more likely to make decisions about configuring
computers appropriately and consistently when you use a detailed, well-designed deployment plan. Developing such a plan will support you
in making some of the hard trade-off decisions between functionality and security. Consistency is a key factor in security, because it fosters
predictable behavior. This will make it easier for you to maintain secure configurations and help you to identify security problems (which
often manifest themselves as deviations from common, expected behavior). Refer to the better practice that keeping the AIX operating
system and applications software up to date is an essential part of this strategy.
2.1.1 Services Identification

Identify the purpose of each computer. Document how the computer will be used.
Consider the following:
What categories of information will be stored on the computer?

What kind of information will be processed on the computer?
What are the security requirements for that information?
What network service(s) will be provided by the computer?
What are the security requirements for those services?
Identify the network services that will be provided on the server. Servers as a general rule should be dedicated to a single service.
This usually simplifies the configuration, which reduces the likelihood of configuration errors. In the case of the servers, the
application server should be limited to www or https services. The db2 server should be ports 50000 (db2idb2inst1) and 50001
(db2idb2inst1). It also can eliminate unexpected and unsafe interactions among the services that present opportunities for intruders.
In some cases, it may be appropriate to offer more than one service on a single host computer. For example, the server software
from many vendors combines the file transfer protocol (FTP) and the hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) services in a single
package. It may be appropriate to provide access to public information via both protocols from the same server host but we do not
recommend this as it is a less secure configuration.
Determine how the servers will be connected to your network. There are concerns relating to network connections that can affect
the configuration and use of any one computer. Many organizations use a broadcast technology such as Ethernet for their local area
networks. In these cases, information traversing a network segment can be seen by any computer on that segment. This suggests that
you should only place “trusted” computers on the same network segment, or else encrypts information before transmitting it. The
servers should be in there own private subnet.
2.1.2 AIX Installation Procedures

Develop and follow a documented procedure for installing an operating system. I have compiled a separate document that pertains
to this bullet. In this document, the steps to implement and install a base AIX 5.1 image are detailed and described with all the
parameters that are set during installation. Make all your parameter choices explicit, even if they match the default settings. (This
may seem to be unnecessary, but it can prevent security problems if you subsequently reuse your scripts or configuration files to
configure servers). Your explicit choices will still be used even if the defaults have changed with new AIX releases. Your
installation procedure should also specify the security-related updates or patches that are to be applied to the operating system. If
possible, have a single person perform the installation procedure for each computer and capture each installation step in a
documented manner (such as through using a checklist).
2.1.3 Authentication and Authorization
The most common approach is the use of passwords; but other mechanisms can be used, such as keys, tokens, and biometric
devices (devices that recognize a person based on biological characteristics such as fingerprints or patterns of the retinal blood
vessels). Because authentication mechanisms like passwords require information to be accessible to the authentication software,
carefully document how that information will be protected. Authentication data is critical security information that requires a high
level of protection. You should follow the security group’s guidelines for administrative access into your sensitive data
environment. In other words, password length of 8 characters with at least 2 alpha characters, etc. We will be discussing this in
more detail in the recommendations section of this document.
Determine how appropriate access to information resources will be enforced. For many resources, such as program and data files,
the access controls provided by AIX are the most obvious means to enforce access privileges. Also, consider using encryption
technologies to protect the confidentiality of sensitive information. In some cases, protection mechanisms will need to be
augmented by policies that guide user's behavior related to their workstations. Identify the users or categories of users of the
computer. The categories are based on user roles that reflect their authorized activity. The roles are often based on similar work
assignments and similar needs for access to particular information resources—system administrators, software developers, data
entry personnel, etc. If appropriate, include groups of remote users and temporary or guest users. Document the categories of users
that will be allowed access to the provided services. You may need to categorize users by their organizational department, physical
location, or job responsibilities. You also need a category of administrative users who will need access to administer the servers and
possibly another category for backup operators.
Access to AIX servers should be restricted to only those administrators responsible for operating and maintaining the
server. This will ensure that the server's users are restricted to those who are authorized to access the provided service and
responsible for server administration. Determine the privileges that each category of user will have on the servers. To document
privileges, create a matrix that shows the users or user categories (defined in the previous step) cross-listed with the privileges they
will possess. The privileges are customarily placed in groups that define what system resources or services a user can read, write,
change, execute, create, delete, install, remove, turn on, or turn off. Decide how users will be authenticated and how authentication
data will be protected. There are usually two kinds of authentication: (1) the kind provided with the operating system, commonly
used for authenticating administrative users and (2) the kind provided by the network service software, commonly used for
authenticating users of the service. A particular software implementation of a network service may use the provided authentication
capability, and thus it may be necessary for users of that service to have a local identity (usually a local account) on the server.
2.1.4 Backup and Recovery
Document procedures for backup and recovery of information resources stored on the computer. Possessing recent, secure backup
copies of information resources makes it possible for you to quickly restore the integrity and availability of information resources.
Successful restoration depends on configuring the operating system, installing appropriate tools, and following defined operating
procedures. You need to document backup procedures including roles, responsibilities, and how the physical media that store the
backup data are handled, stored, and managed. Consider using encryption technologies like ssh to protect backups. Your backup
procedures need to account for the possibility that backup files may have been compromised by an undetected intrusion. Verify the
integrity of all backup files prior to using them to recover systems.
3. Tools and Checklists

3.1 Tools
3.1.1 AIX 5.1 server tools
Here are the tools that are used in I/T environments today. These tools are freeware, but have been validated by there reliability
over the last 5 – 10 years.
Tool Purpose Extent of usage Comments

md5 Validate integrity of file Daily (automated) freeware
contents
tripwire or AIDE Verify integrity of Daily (automated) freeware
directories and files on the
server
tcp_wrapper Log unauthorized Daily (Viewing of logs) freeware
connections to servers
syslog Collect log information for Daily (Automated) Part of Operating System
unauthorized entry on the
server
swatch Log parsing tool, that Daily (Automated) freeware
makes log reader more
bearable
lsof Monitors service/port Daily (Automated) freeware
connections to server
ssh To encrypt connections to Daily (Automated) freeware
servers
tcpdump Analyze packets on the Daily (Automated) freeware
servers interface
ethereal Packet capturing tool Daily (Automated) freeware
openssl Encapsulation/tunneling of freeware
Communication paths
nmap Network exploration tool Weekly(Automated) freeware
and security scanner
nessus Network scanner and Weekly (Automated) freeware
vulnerability assessment
tool
3.2 Checklist
3.2.1 AIX Security Checklist
3.2.1.1 AIX Environment Procedures

The best way to approach this portion of the checklist is to do a comprehensive physical inventory of the servers. Serial numbers
and physical location would be sufficient.
____ Record server serial numbers
____ Physical location of the servers
Next we want to gather a rather comprehensive list of both the AIX and pseries inventories. By running these next 4 scripts we can
gather the information for analyze.
____ Run these 4 scripts: sysinfo, tcpchk, nfsck and nethwchk. (See Appendix A for scripts)
____ sysinfo:
____ Determine active logical volume groups on the servers: lsvg -o
____ List physical volumes in each volume group: lsvg –p “vgname”
____ List logical volumes for each volume group: lsvg –l “vgname”
____ List physical volumes information for each hard disk
____ lspv hdiskx
____ lspv –p hdiskx
____ lspv –l hdiskx
____ List server software inventory: lslpp -L
____ List server software history: lslpp –h
____ List all hardware attached to the server: lsdev –C | sort –d
____ List system name, nodename, LAN network number, AIX release, AIX version and machine ID: uname
–x
____ List all system resources on the server: lssrc –a
____ List inetd services: lssrc –t ‘service name’ –p ‘process id’
____ List all host entries on the servers: hostent -S
____ Name all nameservers the servers have access to: namerslv –Is
____ Show status of all configured interfaces on the server: netstat –i
____ Show network addresses and routing tables: netstat –nr
____ Show interface settings: ifconfig
____ Check user and group system variables
____ Check users: usrck –t ALL
____ Check groups: grpck –t ALL
____ Run tcbck to verify if it is enabled: tcbck
____ Examine the AIX failed logins: who –s /etc/security/failedlogin
____ Examine the AIX user log: who /var/adm/wtmp
____ Examine the processes from users logged into the servers: who –p /var/adm/wtmp
____ List all user attributes: lsuser ALL | sort –d
____ List all group attributes: lsgroup ALL
____ tcpchk:
____ Confirm the tcp subsystem installed: lslpp –l | grep bos.net
____ Determine if it is running: lssrc –g tcpip
____ Search for .rhosts and .netrc files: find / -name .rhosts -print ; find / -name .netrc –print
____ Checks for rsh functionality on host: cat /etc/hosts.equiv
____ Checks for remote printing capability: cat /etc/hosts.lpd | grep v #
____ nfschk:
____ Verify NFS is installed: lslpp -L | bin/grep nfs
____ Check NFS/NIS status: lssrc -g nfs | bin/grep active
____ Checks to see if it is an NFS server and what directories are exported: cat /etc/xtab
____ Show hosts that export NFS directories: showmount
____ Show what directories are exported: showmount –e
____ nethwchk
____ Show network interfaces that are connected: lsdev –Cc if
____ Display active connection on boot: odmget -q value=up CuAt | grep name|cut -c10-12
____ Show all interface status: ifconfig ALL
3.2.1.2 Root level access

____ Limit users who can su to another UID: lsuser –f ALL
____ Audit the sulog: cat /var/adm/sulog
____ Verify /etc/profile does not include current directory
____ Lock down cron access
____ To allow root only: rm –i /var/adm/cron/cron.deny and rm –I /var/adm/cron/cron.allow
____ To allow all users: touch cron.allow (if file does not already exist)
____ To allow a user access: touch /var/adm/cron/cron.allow then echo “UID”>/var/adm/cron/cron.allow
____ To deny a user access: touch /var/adm/cron/cron.deny then echo “UID”>/var/adm/cron/cron.deny
____ Disable direct herald root access: add rlogin=false to root in /etc/security/user file or through smit
____ Limit the $PATH variable in /etc/environment. Use the users .profile instead.
3.2.1.3 Authorization/authentication administration
____ Report all password inconsistencies and not fix them: pwdck –n ALL
____ Report all password inconsistencies and fix them: pwdck –y ALL
____ Report all group inconsistencies and not fix them: grpck –n ALL
____ Report all group inconsistencies and fix them: grpck –y ALL
____ Browse the /etc/shadow, etc/password and /etc/group file weekly
3.2.1.4 SUID/SGID
____ Review all SUID/SGID programs owned by root, daemon, and bin.
____ Review all SETUID programs: find / -perm -1000 –print
____ Review all SETGID programs: find / -perm -2000 –print
____ Review all sticky bit programs: find / -perm -3000 –print
____ Set user .profile in /etc/security/.profile
3.2.1.5 Permissions structures
____ System directories should have 755 permissions at a minimum
____ Root system directories should be owned by root
____ Use the sticky bit on the /tmp and /usr/tmp directories.
____ Run checksum (md5) against all /bin, /usr/bin, /dev and /usr/sbin files.
____ Check device file permissions:
____ disk, storage, tape, network (should be 600) owned by root.
____ tty devices (should be 622) owned by root.
____ /dev/null should be 777.
____ List all hidden files in there directories ( the .files).
____ List all writable directories (use the find command).
____ $HOME directories should be 710
____ $HOME .profile or .login files should be 600 or 640.
____ Look for un-owned files on the server: find / -nouser –print.
Note: Do not remove any /dev files.
____ Do not use r-type commands: rsh, rlogin, rcp and tftp or .netrc or .rhosts files.
____ Change /etc/host file permissions to 660 and review its contents weekly.
____ Check for both tcp/udp failed connections to the servers: netstat –p tcp; netstat –p udp.
____ Verify contents of /etc/exports (NFS export file).
____ If using ftp, make this change to the /etc/inetd.conf file to enable logging.
ftp stream tcp6 nowait root /usr/sbin/ftpd ftpd –l
____ Set NFS mounts to –ro (read only) and only to the hosts that they are needed.
____ Consider using extended ACL’s (please review the tcb man page).
____ Before making network connection collect a full system file listing and store it off-line:
ls -Ra -la>/tmp/allfiles.system
____ Make use of the strings command to check on files: strings /etc/hosts | grep Kashmir
4. Recommendations
4.1 Remove unnecessary services
By default the Unix operating system gives us 1024 services to connect to, we want to parse this down to a more manageable value.
There are 2 files in particular that we want to parse. The first is the /etc/services file itself. A good starting point is to eliminate all
unneeded services and add services as you need them. Below is a screenshot of an existing ntp server etc/services file on one of my
lab servers.
#
# Network services, Internet style
#
ssh 22/udp
ssh 22/tcp mail
auth 113/tcp authentication
sftp 115/tcp
ntp 123/tcp # Network Time Protocol
ntp 123/udp # Network Time Protocol
#
# UNIX specific services
#
login 513/tcp
shell 514/tcp cmd # no passwords used
4.2 Parse /etc/rc.tcpip file

This file starts the daemons that we will be using for the tcp/ip stack on AIX servers. By default the file will start the sendmail,
snmp and other daemons. We want to parse this to reflect what
functionality we need this server for. Here is the example for my ntp server.
# Start up the daemons

#
echo "Starting tcpip daemons:"
trap 'echo "Finished starting tcpip daemons."' 0
# Start up syslog daemon (for error and event logging)

start /usr/sbin/syslogd "$src_running"
# Start up Portmapper
start /usr/sbin/portmap "$src_running"
# Start up socket-based daemons

start /usr/sbin/inetd "$src_running"
# Start up Network Time Protocol (NTP) daemon

start /usr/sbin/xntpd "$src_running"
This helps also to better understand what processes are running on the server.
4.3 Remove unauthorized /etc/inittab entries

Be aware of what is in the /etc/inittab file on the AIX servers. This file works like the registry in a Microsoft environment. If an
intruder wants to hide an automated script, he would want it launched here or in the cron file. Monitor this file closely.
4.4 Parse /etc/inetd.conf file

This is the AIX system file that starts system services, like telnet, ftp, etc. We also want to closely watch this file to see if there are
any services that have been enabled without authorization. If you are using ssh for example this is what the inetd.con file should
look like. Because we are using other internet connections, this file is not used in my environment and should not be of use to you.
This is why ssh should be used for all administrative connections into the environment. It provides an encrypted tunnel so
connection traffic is secure. In the case of telnet, it is very trivial to sniff the UID and password.
## protocol. "tcp" and "udp" are interpreted as IPv4.

##
## service socket protocol wait/ user server server program
## name type nowait program arguments
##
4.5 Edit /etc/rc.net

This is network configuration file used by AIX. This is the file you use to set your default network route along your no (for network
options) attributes. Because the servers will not be used as routers to forward traffic and we do not want to use loose source routing
at you, we will be making a few changes in this file. A lot of them are to protect from DOS and DDOS attacks from the internet.
Also protects from ACK and SYN attacks on the internal network.
##################################################################
##################################################################
# Changes made on 06/07/02 to tighten up socket states on this
# server.
##################################################################
if [ -f /usr/sbin/no ] ; then
/usr/sbin/no -o udp_pmtu_discover=0 # stops autodiscovery of MTU
/usr/sbin/no -o tcp_pmtu_discover=0 # on the network interface
/usr/sbin/no -o clean_partial_conns=1 # clears incomplete 3-way conn.
/usr/sbin/no -o bcastping=0 # protects against smurf icmp attacks
/usr/sbin/no -o directed_broadcast=0 # stops packets to broadcast add.
/usr/sbin/no -o ipignoreredirects=1 # prevents loose
/usr/sbin/no -o ipsendredirects=0 # source routing
/usr/sbin/no -o ipsrcrouterecv=0 # attacks on
/usr/sbin/no -o ipsrcrouteforward=0 # our network
/usr/sbin/no -o ip6srcrouteforward=0 # from using indirect
/usr/sbin/no -o icmpaddressmask=0 # dynamic routes
/usr/sbin/no -o nonlocsrcroute=0 # to attack us from
/usr/sbin/no -o ipforwarding=0 # Stops server from acting like a router
fi
4.6 Securing root

4.6.1 Change the /etc/motd banner
This computer system is the private property of XYZ Insurance. It is for authorized use only. All users (authorized or non-
authorized) have no explicit or implicit expectations of privacy.
Any or all users of this system and all the files on this system may be intercepted, monitored, recorded, copied, audited, inspected
and disclosed to XYZ Insurance's management personnel.
By using this system, the end user consents to such interception, monitoring, recording, copying, auditing, inspection and disclosure
at the discretion of such personnel. Unauthorized or improper use of this system may result in civil and/or criminal penalities and
administrative or disciplinary action, as deemed appropriate by said actions. By continuing to use this system, the individual
indicates his/her awareness of and consent to these terms and conditions of use.
LOG OFF IMMEDIATELY if you do not agree to the provisions stated in this warning banner.
4.6.2 Modify /etc/security/user

root:
loginretries = 5 – failed retries until account locks
rlogin = false – Disables remote herald access to a root shell. Need to su from another UID.
admgroups = system
minage = 0 – minimum aging is no time value
maxage = 4 – maximum aging is set to 30 days or 4 weeks
umask = 22
4.6.3 Tighten up /etc/security/limits

This is an attribute that should be changed due to a runaway resource hog. This orphaned process can grow to use
an exorbinate amount of disk space. To provent this we can set the ulimit value here.
default:
#fsize = 2097151
fsize = 8388604 – sets the soft file block size to a max of 8 Gig.
4.6.4 Variable changes in /etc/profile

Set the $TMOUT variable in /etc/profile. This will cause an open shell to close after 15 minutes of inactivity. It works in
conjunction with the screensaver, to prevent an open session to be used to either delete the server or worse corrupt data on the
server.
# Automatic logout, include in export line if uncommented

TMOUT=900
4.6.5 Sudo is your friend….

This is a nice piece of code that the system administrators can use in order to allow “root-like” functionality. It allows a non-root
user to run system binaries or commands. The /etc/sudoers file is used to configure exactly what the user can do. The service is
configured and running on ufxcpidev. The developers are running a script called changeperms in order to tag there .ear files with
there own ownership attributes.
First we setup sudo to allow root-like or superuser doer access to sxnair.
# sudoers file.
#
# This file MUST be edited with the 'visudo' command as root.
#
# See the sudoers man page for the details on how to write a sudoers file.
#
# Host alias specification
# User alias specification
# Cmnd alias specification
# User privilege specification

root ALL=(ALL) ALL
sxnair,jblade,vnaidu ufxcpidev=/bin/chown * /usr/WebSphere/AppServer/installedApps/*
#
#
# Override the built in default settings
Defaults syslog=auth
Defaults logfile=/var/log/sudo.log
For more details, please see the XYZ Company Insurance Work Report that I compiled, or visit this
URL: http://www.courtesan.com/sudo/.
4.7 Tighten user/group attributes

4.7.1 Change /etc/security/user
These are some of the changes to the /etc/security/user file that will promote a more heightened
configuration of default user attributes at your company.
default:
umask = 077 – defines umask values – 22 is readable only for that UID
pwdwarntime = 7 – days of password expiration warnings
loginretries = 5 – failed login attempts before account is locked
histexpire = 52 – defines how long a password cannot be re-used
histsize = 20 – defines how many previous passwords the system remembers
minage = 2 – minimum number of weeks a password is valid
maxage = 8 – maximum number of weeks a password is valid
maxexpired = 4 – maximum time in weeks a password can be changed after it expires
minalpha = 2 – minimum number of alphabetic characters in a password
minother = 1 – number of non-alphabetic characters in a password
minlen = 8 – minimum character length of a password
mindiff = 3 – number of different characters that must be used in a password
maxrepeats = 2 – number of times a character can appear in a password
4.7.2 Change /etc/security/login.cfg
Set login attributes to be more restrictive in /etc/security/login.cfg
default:
sak_enabled = false
logintimes =
logindisable = 5
logininterval = 0
loginreenable = 30
logindelay = 10
herald = "Unauthorized use prohibited.\r\nlogin: "
usw:
shells = /bin/sh,/bin/bsh,/bin/csh,/bin/ksh,/bin/tsh,/usr/bin/sh,/usr/bi
n/bsh,/usr/bin/csh,/usr/bin/ksh,/usr/bin/tsh
maxlogins = 16
logintimeout = 15 – sets the time to 15 seconds from when a login is presented and you type
in your password.
4.8 What to monitor and audit in AIX

4.8.1 Monitor error logs and alogs on servers
errpt –a|more
alog -o -f '/var/adm/ras/bootlog' (boot log)
who /var/adm/sulog
who /var/adm/wtmp
4.8.2 Configure and use a syslog server
The central loghost is lab_test.
#
# M. Desrosiers of m3ip, Inc. added these lines on 06/12/02
#
# log all warnings
#
*.warning /var/log/syslog/warning rotate time 1d # rotate daily
*.warning @loghost
#
# log mail debug messages
#
mail.debug /var/log/syslog/mail rotate time 1d # rotate daily
mail.none /var/log/syslog/mail
# log security messages
#
auth.debug /var/log/syslog/security rotate time 1d # rotate daily
auth.notice @loghost
#
# system problems and events
#
*.alert;*.crit *
*.emerge;*.alert;*.crit;*.err @loghost
#
# all other messages not including mail
#
4.8.3 Use bos.perf tools
vmstat
iostat
netpmon
monitor
wlmstat
5. Conclusion
5.1 Summary
Today’s computing environments are mostly distributed infrastructures. Your company must develop intrusion detection strategies
for the servers. I do not believe that there are any sensors on the nternal network. Many of the common intrusion detection methods depend
on the existence of various logs that AIX can produce and on the availability of auditing tools that analyze those logs. This will help you
with installing the appropriate software tools and configure these tools and the operating system to collect and manage the necessary
information. Keep your computer deployment plan current. Your company must update the computer deployment plan when relevant
changes occur. Sources of change may include new technologies, new security threats, updates to your network architecture, the addition of
new classes of users or new organizational units, etc. The environment will only work if the process is centralized. I also believe that there
is not enough on-site experience and internal infrastructure to administor this project. The issues of 24/7 availability and the underlying
issues of security in layers have to be addressed.
Appendix A
sysinfo:
#!/bin/ksh
#
# This script is one of the system management tools used
# to determine a particular AIX system configuration
#
# list all of the users registered on the system
#
/usr/sbin/lsuser -c -a id home ALL | sed '/^#.*/d' | tr ':' '\011'
#
# display the mounted filesystems
#
echo "*********************"
echo
echo LIST OF MOUNTED FILESYSTEMS
echo
echo "*********************"
/usr/bin/df –k
#
# List the filesystems in 1024 block size for easier conversion
#
echo "*********************"
echo
echo
echo "*********************"
echo
echo VOLUME GROUP INFORMATION
echo
echo "*********************"
#
# list out the volume group information
# such as phy vol, logical vol info

#
/usr/sbin/lsvg '-p' rootvg
/usr/sbin/lsvg '-l' rootvg
/usr/sbin/lspv hdisk0
/usr/sbin/lspv '-p' hdisk0
/usr/sbin/lspv '-l' hdisk0
/usr/sbin/lspv hdisk1
/usr/sbin/lspv '-p' hdisk1
/usr/sbin/lspv '-l' hdisk1
#
# list out all of the defined user groups
#
echo "****************"
echo
echo
echo "****************"
echo
echo DEFINED USER GROUPS
echo
echo "****************"
echo
/usr/sbin/lsgroup '-c' ALL
#
# list out the TCP net info
#
echo "****************"
echo
echo
echo "****************"
echo
echo TCP/IP NETWORK INFORMATION
echo
echo "****************"
/usr/bin/netstat '-nr'
/usr/bin/namerslv '-s' '-I'
/usr/bin/hostent '-S'
/usr/bin/inetserv '-s' '-S' '-X'
#
# display what software is installed on the system
#
echo "****************"
echo
echo
echo "****************"
echo
echo SOFTWARE INVENTORY
echo
echo "****************"
echo
/usr/bin/uname '-x'
/usr/bin/lslpp '-l'
/usr/sbin/lsdev '-C' | sort '-d' '-f'
/usr/bin/lssrc '-g' 'nfs'
/usr/bin/pwdck '-n' 'ALL'
/usr/bin/usrck '-n' 'ALL'
/usr/sbin/grpck '-n' 'ALL'
#
# display the failedlogin log
#
echo "****************"
echo
echo FAILED LOGINS ON THIS SYSTEM
echo
echo "****************"
/usr/bin/who '-s' '/etc/security/failedlogin'
#
# display the userid in each defined group
#
echo "****************"
echo
echo USER INFORMATION
echo
echo "****************"
/usr/sbin/lsgroup '-fa' 'id' 'users' 'ALL'
# and some other user info
/usr/sbin/lsuser '-fa' 'id' 'groups' 'home' 'auditclasses' 'login' \

'su' 'rlogin' 'telnet' 'ttys' 'ALL'
tcpchk:
#
# this file check for tcp related files to see if it is
# installed on the machine
#
echo "The following network products are installed on this system:"
echo " "
lslpp -l |grep bosnet
echo " "
installtest=`lslpp -l | /bin/grep 'bos.net.tcp'`
if [ "x$installtest" = "x" ]; then
echo "TCP/IP not installed"
else
echo "The following TCP/IP services are configured on this machine"
echo " "
lssrc -g tcpip
echo " "
echo "******** WARNING **********"
echo ".rhosts and .netrc are a security risk"
echo ".rhosts files and .netrc files are in: "
echo " "
find / -name '.rhosts' -print
echo " "
echo ".netrc files are in:"
echo " "
find / -name '.netrc' -print
echo " "
if [ -x /usr/sbin/inetd -a -f /etc/hosts.equiv ]; then
echo " the following hosts are allowed to rsh, rcp, rlogin"
echo
cat /etc/hosts.equiv | grep -v "#"

echo " "
fi
if [ -x /usr/sbin/inetd -a -f /etc/hosts.lpd ]; then
echo " the following hosts are allowed to sbumit remote print jobs"
echo " ONLY"
cat /etc/hosts.lpd | grep -v "#"
echo " "
fi
if [ -x /usr/sbin/inetd -a -f /etc/resolv.conf ]; then
echo "this machine is on a nameserver network"
echo " "
cat /etc/resolv.conf | grep -v "#"
fi
fi
exit 0
nfschk:
#!/bin/sh
#
# this script review the NFS configuration for a machine
#
echo "NFS Configuration"
echo "-----------------"
echo " "
installtest=`lslpp -l |/bin/grep nfs`
if [ "x$installtest" = "x" ]; then
echo "NFS not installed on this system"
echo " "
else
echo "NFS is installed on this system"
echo " "
nfstest=`lssrc -g nfs|/bin/grep active`
if [ "x$nfstest" = "x" ]; then
echo "NFS is not active at this time"
echo " "
else
echo "NFS is active"
echo " "
if [ -x /usr/etc/nfsd -a -f /etc/exports ]; then
echo "This machine is an NFS server"
echo "The following directories may be exported:"
echo " "
cat /etc/exports
echo " "
echo "The following directories are currently exported:"
echo " "
cat /etc/xtab
echo " "
echo "The following hosts have exported directories mounted"
echo "at this time"
echo " "
/usr/bin/showmount
echo " "
else
echo "this machine is an NFS client"
echo " "
echo "The following directories are mounted from remote systems"
echo " "
echo "Node mounted mounted over vfs date options"
mount | grep -v "^ "
echo " "
fi
echo "The following NFS services are configured on this machine:"
echo " "
lssrc -g nfs
echo " "
fi
echo " "
echo "NIS Configuration"
echo "-----------------"
isypset=`domainname | /bin/grep "^[a-zA-Z]"`
if [ "x$isypset" = "x" ]; then
echo "NIS is not configured at this time"
echo " "
else
echo "NIS is configured on this system"
echo " "
fi
fi
exit 0
nethwchk:
The following network interfaces are available on this system:
en0 Available 10-68 Standard Ethernet Network Interface

en1 Defined 10-70 Standard Ethernet Network Interface
en2 Defined 10-80 Standard Ethernet Network Interface
et0 Defined 10-68 IEEE 802.3 Ethernet Network Interface
lo0 Available Loopback Network Interface
The following communication interfaces are brought up at boot
Loopback interfaces are not used for communication
en0
The current interface is:
en0: flags=4e080863<UP,BROADCAST,NOTRAILERS,RUNNING,SIMPLEX,MULTICAST,GROUPRT,64BIT,PSEG>
inet 192.168.1.13 netmask 0xffffffe0 broadcast 192.168.1.31
kashmir@root /usr/local/bin > more nethwchk

#!/bin/sh
#
# check the network interface hardware
#
echo "The following network interfaces are available on this system:"
echo " "
lsdev -C -c if
echo " "
echo "The following communication interfaces are brought up at boot"
echo " "
echo "Loopback interfaces are not used for communication "
echo " "
odmget -q"value='up'" CuAt | grep name|cut -c10-12
echo " "
iftest=`odmget -q"value='up'" CuAt|grep name|cut -c10-12`
echo "The current interface is: "
echo " "
for i in $iftest
do
if [ -n $i ]; then
ifconfig $i
echo " "
fi
done
exit 0
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aixhardening.html © April 2005 Michael Desrosiers All Rights Reserved

AIX Operating System Hardening Procedures & Security Guide

1.1.1 Security Planning and Framework

How much security is needed?

What are the weakest points in your environment?

Network performance (no, netstat, netpmon, etc.)

Identify the severity of the breach.

1.1.2 Policy Considerations

2.1.1 Services Identification

What categories of information will be stored on the computer?

2.1.2 AIX Installation Procedures

2.1.3 Authentication and Authorization

2.1.4 Backup and Recovery

3. Tools and Checklists

Tool Purpose Extent of usage Comments

3.2.1.1 AIX Environment Procedures

____ Record server serial numbers

____ Physical location of the servers

____ Determine active logical volume groups on the servers: lsvg -o

____ List physical volumes in each volume group: lsvg –p “vgname”

____ List physical volumes information for each hard disk

____ lspv hdiskx

____ lspv –p hdiskx

____ lspv –l hdiskx

____ List server software inventory: lslpp -L

____ List server software history: lslpp –h

____ List all hardware attached to the server: lsdev –C | sort –d

____ List all system resources on the server: lssrc –a

____ List inetd services: lssrc –t ‘service name’ –p ‘process id’

____ List all host entries on the servers: hostent -S

____ Show status of all configured interfaces on the server: netstat –i

____ Show network addresses and routing tables: netstat –nr

____ Show interface settings: ifconfig

____ Check user and group system variables

____ Check users: usrck –t ALL

____ Check groups: grpck –t ALL

____ Run tcbck to verify if it is enabled: tcbck

____ Examine the AIX failed logins: who –s /etc/security/failedlogin

____ Examine the AIX user log: who /var/adm/wtmp

____ List all user attributes: lsuser ALL | sort –d

____ List all group attributes: lsgroup ALL

____ Confirm the tcp subsystem installed: lslpp –l | grep bos.net

____ Determine if it is running: lssrc –g tcpip

____ Checks for rsh functionality on host: cat /etc/hosts.equiv

____ Checks for remote printing capability: cat /etc/hosts.lpd | grep v #

____ Verify NFS is installed: lslpp -L | bin/grep nfs

____ Check NFS/NIS status: lssrc -g nfs | bin/grep active

____ Show hosts that export NFS directories: showmount

____ Show what directories are exported: showmount –e

____ Show network interfaces that are connected: lsdev –Cc if

____ Show all interface status: ifconfig ALL

3.2.1.2 Root level access

____ Audit the sulog: cat /var/adm/sulog

____ Verify /etc/profile does not include current directory

____ Lock down cron access

____ To allow root only: rm –i /var/adm/cron/cron.deny and rm –I /var/adm/cron/cron.allow

____ To allow a user access: touch /var/adm/cron/cron.allow then echo “UID”>/var/adm/cron/cron.allow

____ To deny a user access: touch /var/adm/cron/cron.deny then echo “UID”>/var/adm/cron/cron.deny

3.2.1.3 Authorization/authentication administration

____ Browse the /etc/shadow, etc/password and /etc/group file weekly

____ Review all SETUID programs: find / -perm -1000 –print

____ Review all SETGID programs: find / -perm -2000 –print