A File Transfer Protocol (FTP) server package must not be installed unless needed.

From Canonical Ubuntu 16.04 Security Technical Implementation Guide

Associated with: CCI-000366

SV-90575r1_rule A File Transfer Protocol (FTP) server package must not be installed unless needed.

Vulnerability discussion

The FTP service provides an unencrypted remote access that does not provide for the confidentiality and integrity of user passwords or the remote session. If a privileged user were to log on using this service, the privileged user password could be compromised. SSH or other encrypted file transfer methods must be used in place of this service.

Check content

Verify a File Transfer Protocol (FTP) server has not been installed on the system. Check to see if a FTP server has been installed with the following commands: # dpkg -l | grep vsftpd ii vsftpd 3.0.3-3Ubuntu2 If "vsftpd" is installed and is not documented with the Information System Security Officer (ISSO) as an operational requirement, this is a finding.

Fix text

Document the "vsftpd" package with the Information System Security Officer (ISSO) as an operational requirement or remove it from the system with the following command: # sudo apt-get remove vsftpd

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