Administrator has no central authentication profile
At a glance
Base severity
Area
Platform
Evidence level
Benchmark reference
Reads the export, not the device
ConfigProof reads a configuration export. This control is evaluated against the objects in that file, and it reports what the file says. It does not connect to the device and sees no traffic, so a finding here describes the configuration, not what the firewall is doing right now.
Why it matters
An administrator authenticated only by a local password cannot be covered by the organization's multi-factor policy, cannot be disabled centrally when the person leaves, and does not appear in the identity provider's access review.
How to fix it
Web interface
The steps below are written for the web interface. A finding raised on your own export carries the same steps with your object names filled in.
- Bind the account to an authentication profile backed by the identity provider.
- Keep one local break-glass account, documented and stored offline.
Command line
PAN-OS CLI
set mgt-config users <object-name> authentication-profile <authentication-profile>An example. Values in angle brackets are yours to supply; a finding on your own export fills in the names it read. Nothing here commits. Review the candidate configuration, then commit it yourself.
Read it back
show mgt-config users <object-name>Values to fill in2
- <object-name>
- The object's name, as it appears on your firewall
- <authentication-profile>
- The authentication profile to attach
How to confirm the fix
- Test the authentication profile with a non-privileged account first.
- Keep a console path open while making the change.
Limits
- A deliberate break-glass account is legitimately local, and an account that authenticates by public key only is not reported.
Compliance references
No benchmark recommendation is mapped to this control in this version.
More in Administrators and Access
- PAN-SEC-026Management access allows HTTP or Telnet
- PAN-SEC-028More superuser administrators than a small team needs
- PAN-SEC-029Well known administrator account is active with full privilege
- PAN-SEC-096Management interface accepts HTTPS or SSH from any address
- PAN-SEC-097Management interface allows HTTP or Telnet
- PAN-SEC-118Minimum password complexity is not enabled
- PAN-SEC-119Minimum password length is below 12
- PAN-SEC-120Passwords need no uppercase letter
See it on your own firewall
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