The application must be configured to disable non-essential capabilities.

From Application Security and Development Security Technical Implementation Guide

Associated with: CCI-000381

SV-84141r1_rule The application must be configured to disable non-essential capabilities.

Vulnerability discussion

It is detrimental for applications to provide, or install by default, functionality exceeding requirements or mission objectives. These unnecessary capabilities or services are often overlooked and therefore may remain unsecured. They increase the risk to the platform by providing additional attack vectors.Applications are capable of providing a wide variety of functions and services. Some of the functions and services, provided by default, may not be necessary to support essential organizational operations (e.g., key missions, functions).Examples of non-essential capabilities include, but are not limited to, advertising software or browser plug-ins not related to requirements or providing a wide array of functionality not required for every mission, but cannot be disabled.

Check content

Review the application guidance, application requirements documentation, and interview the application administrator. Identify the application's operational requirements and what services the application is intended to provide users. Review the overall application features and functionality via the user interface. Review and identify installed application software modules via configuration settings. Using the relevant OS commands, identify services running on the system and have the application administrator identify the services related to the application. If the application is operating with extraneous capabilities that have not been defined as required in order to meet mission objectives, this is a finding.

Fix text

Disable application extraneous application functionality that is not required in order to fulfill the application's mission.

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