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 /tmp is a separate partition

Cluster-specific. Disk partitioning is configured at the time of cluster deployment.

1.1.2.2.4

Ensure noexec option set on /dev/shm partition

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 icmp redirects are not accepted

Potentially disruptive to the product. Further investigation is pending.

3.3.6

Ensure secure icmp redirects are not accepted

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 ufw service is enabled

Not applicable. Uncomplicated Firewall (UFW) has compatibility issues with Docker and Kubernetes.

4.1.4

Ensure ufw loopback traffic is configured

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 ufw firewall rules exist for all open ports

The control explicitly requires Uncomplicated Firewall (UFW), which is not compatible with Docker and Kubernetes. Further investigation is pending.

4.1.7

Ensure ufw default deny firewall policy

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 systemd-journal-remote authentication is configured

Not applicable. MOSK logging is handled by StackLight.

6.2.1.2.3

Ensure systemd-journal-upload is enabled and active

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.