OpenParable
Skip to content
← Back to skills

Cis Apache24 5.17

DevOps & Security
cis-apache24-5.17

Cis Apache24 5.17 is an Agent Skill for devops & security published in the CyberStrikeus/CyberStrike repository on GitHub: a SKILL.md instruction file an AI agent can load to do this task.

Ensure HTTP Header Referrer-Policy is set appropriately

View on GitHub ↗
QUICK START

How to use this skill

Bring this guide into your coding agent with a prompt tailored to the tool you use.

  1. Open your project in Codex.
  2. Copy and paste the prompt below.
  3. Review files and risks before approving any action.
Prompt to paste
Inspect the Agent Skill at https://github.com/CyberStrikeus/CyberStrike/blob/HEAD/.cyberstrike/skill/CIS_benchmarks/Server_Software/Apache_HTTP_Server/CIS_Apache_HTTP_Server_2.4_Benchmark_v2.3.0/cis-apache24-5.17/SKILL.md and all supporting files. Report provenance, permissions, scripts, dependencies, and security risks. Propose an exact installation into .agents/skills/cis-apache24-5-17, but wait for my approval before writing files or running scripts.

Copying this prompt does not install or run the skill. Review third-party files before use.

Ensure HTTP Header Referrer-Policy is set appropriately (Manual)

Profile Applicability

Level 2

Description

The server now allows for controlling the amount of "referrer" information being sent with requests. Limiting information to only what is needed is security best practice.

Rationale

HTTP/S traffic is vulnerabe to attack - limiting what is sent in a request to only what is needed will limit the threat vector.

Impact

You must only limit the header information to what is needed to support the request. Limiting it to much may disrupt the ability to get a proper/expected response.

Audit Procedure

Perform the following steps to determine if the recommended state is implemented:

  • Ensure a Header directive for Referrer-Policy is present in the Apache configuration and has the condition Header Set 'Referrer-Policy' shown below:
    # grep -I Referrer-Policy $APACHE_PREFIX/conf/httpd.conf
    
    Header set Referrer-Policy "<Directive>"
    

If header Referrer-Policy configuration is present and has as a compliant value, then the server is compliant.

Remediation

Perform the following to implement the recommended state:

Add or modify the Header directive for the Referrer-Policy header in the Apache configuration to have the appropriate condition as shown below.

Header set Referrer-Policy "<Directive>"

Default Value

Referrer-Policy Policy is not set by Default

References

  1. https://httpd.apache.org/docs/2.4/mod/mod_headers.html#header
  2. https://owasp.org/www-project-cheat-sheets/cheatsheets/Content_Security_Policy_Cheat_Sheet
  3. https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/HTTP/Headers/Content-Security-Policy
  4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clickjacking

CIS Controls

v8:

  • 9.4 Restrict Unnecessary or Unauthorized Browser and Email Client Extensions

    • Restrict, either through uninstalling or disabling, any unauthorized or unnecessary browser or email client plugins, extensions, and add-on applications.
  • 13.10 Perform Application Layer Filtering

    • Perform application layer filtering. Example implementations include a filtering proxy, application layer firewall, or gateway.

v7:

  • 9.4 Apply Host-based Firewalls or Port Filtering

    • Apply host-based firewalls or port filtering tools on end systems, with a default-deny rule that drops all traffic except those services and ports that are explicitly allowed.
  • 18.2 Ensure Explicit Error Checking is Performed for All In-house Developed Software

    • For in-house developed software, ensure that explicit error checking is performed and documented for all input, including for size, data type, and acceptable ranges or formats.