Profile Applicability:
 • Level 1

Description:
 Chrony is a versatile and efficient Network Time Protocol (NTP) client and server designed to synchronize the system clock with NTP servers. Proper configuration of Chrony ensures accurate and reliable time synchronization on the system.

Rationale:
 Accurate time synchronization via Chrony supports system logging, security event correlation, and compliance with regulatory standards.

Impact:
 Pros:

  • Provides fast and accurate time synchronization.

  • Works well in virtualized environments and with intermittent network connections.

Cons:

  • Misconfiguration may lead to time drift or synchronization failures.

Default Value:
 Chrony may be installed and enabled by default on some Linux distributions; otherwise, it must be manually configured.

Pre-requisites:

  • Root or sudo privileges to install, configure, and manage Chrony.

Remediation:

Test Plan:

Using Linux command line:

1. Check if Chrony is installed:

rpm -q chrony

2. Verify Chrony service is enabled and running:

systemctl is-enabled chronyd
systemctl status chronyd

3. Check synchronization status:

chronyc tracking

Implementation Plan:

Using Linux command line:

1. Install Chrony if not installed:

yum install chrony

2. Enable and start Chrony service:

systemctl enable chronyd
systemctl start chronyd

3. Configure NTP servers in /etc/chrony.conf as needed.

4. Verify synchronization:

chronyc tracking

Backout Plan:

Using Linux command line:

1. Stop and disable Chrony service if needed:

systemctl stop chronyd

systemctl disable chronyd

2. Remove or revert Chrony configuration files if necessary.

References: