NixOS must implement NIST FIPS-validated cryptography for the following: to provision digital signatures, to generate cryptographic hashes, and to protect unclassified information requiring confidentiality and cryptographic protection in accordance with applicable federal laws, Executive Orders, directives, policies, regulations, and standards.
Severity | Group ID | Group Title | Version | Rule ID | Date | STIG Version |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| high | V-268168 | SRG-OS-000478-GPOS-00223 | ANIX-00-001840 | SV-268168r1039392_rule | 2024-10-25 | 1 |
| Description |
|---|
| Use of weak or untested encryption algorithms undermines the purposes of using encryption to protect data. The operating system must implement cryptographic modules adhering to the higher standards approved by the federal government since this provides assurance they have been tested and validated. Satisfies: SRG-OS-000478-GPOS-00223, SRG-OS-000396-GPOS-00176 |
| ℹ️ Check |
|---|
| Verify NixOS is configured to operate in FIPS mode with the following command: $ grep fips /proc/cmdline BOOT_IMAGE=(hd0,msdos1)/nix/store/glc0midc78caq9sc7pzciymx4c3in7kn-linux-6.1.64/bzImage init=/nix/store/grl4baymr9q60mbcz3sidm4agckn3bx5-nixos-system-nixos-23.1.1.20231129.057f9ae/init audit=1 audit_backlog_limit=8192 fips=1 loglevel=4 If the "fips" entry does not equal "1" or is missing, this is a finding. |
| ✔️ Fix |
|---|
| Configure NixOS to run in FIPS mode. Add "fips=1" to the kernel parameters by adding to the boot.kernelParams option in /etc/nixos/configuration.nix: boot.kernelParams = [ "fips=1" ]; Rebuild the NixOS configuration with the following command: $ sudo nixos-rebuild switch A reboot is required for the changes to take effect. |