Profile Applicability:
 • Level 1

Description:
 The iptables package provides the necessary tools to configure and manage IPv4 packet filtering and firewall rules on Linux systems. Ensuring that iptables packages are installed is essential for effective firewall management and network security.

Rationale:
 Having the iptables packages installed allows administrators to define, modify, and enforce firewall rules, protecting the system from unauthorized access and network attacks.

Impact:
 Pros:

  • Enables configuration and management of firewall rules.

  • Supports compliance with security policies.

Cons:

  • Installation alone does not configure firewall rules; proper rule management is necessary.

Default Value:
 iptables packages may not be installed by default on some minimal or containerized Linux installations.

Pre-requisites:

  • Root or sudo privileges to install software packages.

Remediation:

Test Plan:

Using Linux command line:

  1. Check if iptables packages are installed:

On RPM-based systems:

rpm -q iptables iptables-services

  1. Verify package installation status.

Implementation Plan:

Using Linux command line:

1. Install iptables packages if missing:

On RPM-based systems:

yum install iptables iptables-services -y

2. Confirm successful installation:

iptables --version

Backout Plan:

Using Linux command line:

1. Remove iptables packages if necessary:

On RPM-based systems:

yum remove iptables iptables-services -y

2. Confirm removal.

References: