Mirantis Container Cloud (MCC) becomes part of Mirantis OpenStack for Kubernetes (MOSK)!
Starting with MOSK 25.2, the MOSK documentation set covers all product layers, including MOSK management (formerly MCC). This means everything you need is in one place. The separate MCC documentation site will be retired, so please update your bookmarks for continued easy access to the latest content.
Center for Internet Security (CIS) benchmarks for host OS¶
The Center of Internet Security (CIS) benchmarks for Ubuntu provide prescriptive operating system (OS) hardening guidance aligned with common regulatory frameworks and help reduce host-level risk. CIS-aligned hardening reduces the cluster attack surface and establishes a uniform baseline across nodes, minimizing configuration drift and operational risk.
Running a Ubuntu host OS that is CIS-compliant out of the box delivers a secure, audit-ready baseline on day one: nodes are hardened by default, reducing attack surface and configuration drift across management and workload clusters. Because the baseline is pre-codified, it makes upgrades, reprovisioning, and compliance measurement in the field predictable and low-effort.
CIS-Ubuntu compliance in MOSK¶
MOSK relies on Ubuntu as the host OS for all bare-metal servers comprising management and MOSK clusters. The benchmark results below reflect the default, out-of-the-box state of the provisioned host. Scores in field clusters may differ based on cluster-specific customizations, for example, enabled services, network settings, or documented exceptions.
The summary of the latest validation results for Ubuntu CIS benchmark is as follows:
Benchmark |
Tenable CIS Ubuntu Linux 22.04 LTS Server L1 v2.0.0, revision 1.10 |
---|---|
Pass Rate |
87% |
MOSK release |
25.2 |
Operating system |
Ubuntu 22.04 |
Scanner Tool |
Nessus version 10.9.0, build R20004 |
Note
For clusters that are based on Ubuntu 24.04, the validation is ongoing and the results will be published in one of the following releases.
Exceptions¶
The controls below did not pass this benchmark and are documented exceptions - either not applicable to the MOSK architecture or pending for further analysis. In field deployments, these items can be mitigated on a per-cluster basis, taking into account the specifics of the environment.
Caution
Compliance results can vary across different environments depending on configuration tests, such as server disk partitioning.
Control |
Description |
Comment |
---|---|---|
1.1.1.8 |
Ensure usb-storage kernel module is not available |
Cluster-specific. The module can be safely disabled in the field. Further investigation is pending to get it removed out of the box. |
1.1.2.1.1 |
Ensure |
Cluster-specific. Disk partitioning is configured at the time of cluster deployment. |
1.1.2.2.4 |
Ensure |
Potentially disruptive to the normal functioning of the product. Further investigation is pending. |
1.2.2.1 |
Ensure updates, patches, and additional security software are installed |
Environment-specific. Cloud operators schedule cluster upgrades in line with the MOSK release cadence along with local policy and regulatory needs. The update cadence of product component versions balances currency and stability. |
1.3.1.2 |
Ensure AppArmor is enabled in the bootloader configuration |
By default, AppArmor is enabled on the host OS level. The bootloader configuration is not yet enforced by the product, but can be customized in the field. |
1.4.1 |
Ensure bootloader password is set |
Bootloader password management is not yet supported by the product, but can be manually performed in the field. |
2.1.18 |
Ensure web server services are not in use |
Exception. Local NGINX is deployed as a part of MOSK and as a proxy to download container images and other artifacts. |
3.3.1 |
Ensure IP forwarding is disabled |
Exception. IP forwarding is required by Kubernetes to operate. |
3.3.2 |
Ensure packet redirect sending is disabled |
Potentially disruptive to the product. Further investigation is pending. |
3.3.5 |
Ensure |
Potentially disruptive to the product. Further investigation is pending. |
3.3.6 |
Ensure secure |
Potentially disruptive to the product. Further investigation is pending. |
3.3.7 |
Ensure reverse path filtering is enabled |
Potentially disruptive to the product. Further investigation is pending. |
3.3.9 |
Ensure suspicious packets are logged |
Not applicable. The control explicitly requires Uncomplicated Firewall (UFW), which is not compatible with Docker and Kubernetes. In MOSK, suspicious packets are logged through other means. |
4.1.3 |
Ensure |
Not applicable. Uncomplicated Firewall (UFW) has compatibility issues with Docker and Kubernetes. |
4.1.4 |
Ensure |
The control explicitly requires Uncomplicated Firewall (UFW), which is not compatible with Docker and Kubernetes. Any alternative solution is potentially disruptive to the product. Further investigation is pending. |
4.1.6 |
Ensure |
The control explicitly requires Uncomplicated Firewall (UFW), which is not compatible with Docker and Kubernetes. Further investigation is pending. |
4.1.7 |
Ensure |
The control explicitly requires Uncomplicated Firewall (UFW), which is not compatible with Docker and Kubernetes. Further investigation is pending. |
5.4.1.5 |
Ensure inactive password lock is configured |
Further investigation is pending. |
5.4.2.4 |
Ensure root password is set |
Environment-specific. Managing root passwords is not yet part of MOSK architecture and needs to be enforced manually. |
5.4.3.2 |
Ensure default user shell timeout is configured |
Potentially disruptive to the product. Further investigation is pending. |
5.4.3.3 |
Ensure default user umask is configured |
Further investigation is pending. |
6.1.1 |
Ensure AIDE is installed |
Impacts the storage IO performance. Further investigation for an alternative is pending. |
6.1.2 |
Ensure filesystem integrity is regularly checked |
Depends on the control 6.1.1 (above). Further investigation is pending. |
6.2.1.2.2 |
Ensure |
Not applicable. MOSK logging is handled by StackLight. |
6.2.1.2.3 |
Ensure |
Not applicable. MOSK logging is handled by StackLight. |
6.2.2.1 |
Ensure access to all logfiles has been configured |
Further investigation is pending. |
7.1.11 |
Ensure world writable files and directories are secured |
MOSK components require specific file access rules inside containers. Further investigation is pending. |
7.1.12 |
Ensure no files or directories without an owner and a group exist |
MOSK components require specific file access rules inside containers. Further investigation is pending. |
Note
The control IDs may differ depending on the scanning tool.
If you require a detailed report of analyzed and fixed compliance checks, contact Mirantis support.