{
  "id": "CB-UBU-SVC-026",
  "standard": "ubuntu",
  "version": "0.1.1",
  "url": "https://baselines.cirsec.org/b/ubuntu/v0.1.1/CB-UBU-SVC-026",
  "json": "https://baselines.cirsec.org/b/ubuntu/v0.1.1/CB-UBU-SVC-026.json",
  "yaml": "https://baselines.cirsec.org/b/ubuntu/v0.1.1/CB-UBU-SVC-026.yml",
  "profiles_effective": [
    "server-hardened"
  ],
  "license": "Text CC BY 4.0, code Apache-2.0",
  "attribution": "CIRSEC Baselines, https://baselines.cirsec.org",
  "control": {
    "id": "CB-UBU-SVC-026",
    "title": "Disable the kdump kernel crash dump service",
    "finding": {
      "title": "Kernel crash dumps are collected on the system",
      "description": "A crash dump is a copy of memory that can hold keys, passwords and sensitive data."
    },
    "status": "active",
    "profiles": [
      "server-hardened"
    ],
    "risk": {
      "severity": "low"
    },
    "assessment": "automated",
    "tags": [
      "services",
      "kdump",
      "kernel",
      "data-exposure"
    ],
    "description": "`kdump-tools` loads a capture kernel at boot (`kdump-tools.service`). When the main kernel\ncrashes, the capture kernel saves its memory to `/var/crash`.\n\nThe control passes when `kdump-tools.service` is masked or not installed at all.\n",
    "rationale": "The dump holds everything that was in memory: secrets of running services, session keys,\ndocuments. It stays on disk after the reboot and can be copied by anyone who gets access to\n`/var/crash` or to backups. Kernel crash analysis is rarely needed in production.\n",
    "impact": "Kernel crashes leave no dump to analyse. The memory reserved by the `crashkernel=` boot\nparameter stays reserved until the parameter is removed (`apt purge kdump-tools`, then\n`update-grub` and a reboot).\n",
    "notes": "`kdump-tools` is not installed by default. Systems where kernel developers or support need\ndumps should exclude this control in their tailoring file and protect `/var/crash` instead.\n",
    "audit": {
      "manual": "Run `systemctl is-enabled kdump-tools.service`. It must print `masked`, or fail because the unit\ndoes not exist.\n",
      "checks": [
        {
          "id": "kdump-tools",
          "engine": "systemd-unit",
          "description": "kdump capture kernel loader.",
          "spec": {
            "unit": "kdump-tools.service",
            "state": "masked"
          }
        }
      ]
    },
    "remediation": {
      "manual": "Run `systemctl mask --now kdump-tools.service`. To also free the reserved memory, run\n`apt purge kdump-tools`, then `update-grub`, and reboot.\n",
      "effects": {
        "restart": "none",
        "disruption": "none",
        "lockout_risk": false
      },
      "rollback": "Run `systemctl unmask kdump-tools.service` then `systemctl enable --now kdump-tools.service`.\n",
      "scripts": [
        {
          "id": "kdump-tools",
          "from_check": "kdump-tools"
        }
      ]
    },
    "references": [
      {
        "title": "kdump-tools(5), Ubuntu manual pages",
        "url": "https://manpages.ubuntu.com/manpages/noble/man5/kdump-tools.5.html",
        "publisher": "Canonical",
        "kind": "vendor-doc",
        "accessed": "2026-10-19"
      },
      {
        "title": "kdump-config(8), Ubuntu manual pages",
        "url": "https://manpages.ubuntu.com/manpages/noble/man8/kdump-config.8.html",
        "publisher": "Canonical",
        "kind": "vendor-doc",
        "accessed": "2026-10-19"
      },
      {
        "title": "ANSSI-BP-028 v2.0 - Recommandations de configuration d'un système GNU/Linux (R62)",
        "url": "https://messervices.cyber.gouv.fr/documents-guides/fr_np_linux_configuration-v2.0.pdf",
        "publisher": "ANSSI",
        "kind": "guide",
        "accessed": "2026-10-19"
      }
    ],
    "mappings": [
      {
        "framework": "anssi-linux",
        "framework_version": "2.0",
        "id": "R62",
        "relation": "partial",
        "note": "R62 asks to disable every unneeded service; this control covers kdump."
      },
      {
        "framework": "nist-800-53r5",
        "framework_version": "5.1.1",
        "id": "CM-7",
        "relation": "partial"
      }
    ],
    "threats": [
      {
        "framework": "mitre-attack",
        "id": "T1003"
      },
      {
        "framework": "cwe",
        "id": "CWE-528"
      }
    ],
    "authors": [
      {
        "name": "Alice",
        "github": "Sn0wAlice"
      }
    ],
    "verified": [
      {
        "date": "2026-10-19",
        "by": "Sn0wAlice",
        "versions": [
          "20.04"
        ],
        "environment": "Proxmox VM, Ubuntu 20.04 cloud image, kernel 5.4.0-216-generic",
        "notes": "Stock image passes (units absent); with kdump-tools installed the check fails, server-hardened remediation masks the units, audit passes, unchanged on a second run and after reboot."
      },
      {
        "date": "2026-10-19",
        "by": "Sn0wAlice",
        "versions": [
          "22.04"
        ],
        "environment": "Proxmox VM, Ubuntu 22.04 cloud image, kernel 5.15.0-198-generic",
        "notes": "Stock image passes (units absent); with kdump-tools installed the check fails, server-hardened remediation masks the units, audit passes, unchanged on a second run and after reboot."
      },
      {
        "date": "2026-10-19",
        "by": "Sn0wAlice",
        "versions": [
          "24.04"
        ],
        "environment": "Proxmox VM, Ubuntu 24.04 cloud image, kernel 6.8.0-147-generic",
        "notes": "Stock image passes (units absent); with kdump-tools installed the check fails, server-hardened remediation masks the units, audit passes, unchanged on a second run and after reboot."
      },
      {
        "date": "2026-10-19",
        "by": "Sn0wAlice",
        "versions": [
          "26.04"
        ],
        "environment": "Proxmox VM, Ubuntu 26.04 cloud image, kernel 7.0.0-38-generic",
        "notes": "Stock image passes (units absent); with kdump-tools installed the check fails, server-hardened remediation masks the units, audit passes, unchanged on a second run and after reboot."
      }
    ],
    "introduced_in": "0.1.0",
    "created": "2026-10-19",
    "updated": "2026-10-19"
  }
}