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V-237623

CAT II (Medium)

The SUSE operating system must not be performing Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) packet forwarding by default unless the system is a router.

Rule ID

SV-237623r991589_rule

STIG

SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 12 Security Technical Implementation Guide

Version

V3R5

CCIs

CCI-000366

Discussion

Routing protocol daemons are typically used on routers to exchange network topology information with other routers. If this software is used when not required, system network information may be unnecessarily transmitted across the network.

Check Content

Verify the SUSE operating system is not performing IPv6 packet forwarding by default, unless the system is a router.

Check to see if IPv6 forwarding is disabled by default using the following command:

> sudo sysctl net.ipv6.conf.default.forwarding
net.ipv6.conf.default.forwarding = 0

If the network parameter "ipv6.conf.default.forwarding" is not equal to "0" or nothing is returned, this is a finding.

Fix Text

Configure the SUSE operating system to not performing IPv6 packet forwarding by default by running the following command as an administrator:

> sudo sysctl -w net.ipv6.conf.default.forwarding=0

If "0" is not the system's default value, add or update the following line in "/etc/sysctl.d/99-stig.conf":

> sudo sh -c 'echo "net.ipv6.conf.default.forwarding=0" >> /etc/sysctl.d/99-stig.conf'

> sudo sysctl --system