Performing software hardening

Software Hardening

Software hardening refers to the process of securing an application by reducing its

vulnerabilities. This involves applying various techniques, such as modifying software code,
disabling unnecessary features, and configuring systems and applications to prevent exploits and
attacks.

Key terms to understand:

• Hardening: The practice of securing a system or application against potential threats.

• Vulnerability: A weakness or flaw in software that could be exploited by an attacker.
• Patch: A software update designed to fix security vulnerabilities or bugs.
• Update: A general software enhancement, which may include new features or
improvements.
• Upgrade: A major version change that may introduce significant changes to the software.

2. Conduct Software Configuration

Software configuration refers to setting up the software environment and options to ensure
secure and optimal operation. Steps for configuration:

• Disable unnecessary services: Limit the number of active services to only what is
needed.
• Adjust security settings: Configure security settings like access control, encryption, and
user authentication.
• Use secure configurations: Apply best practices for configuration to reduce the attack
surface.

3. Factors to Consider in Software Hardening

Several factors should be considered to ensure effective software hardening:

• System requirements: Ensuring hardware and operating systems meet the minimum
requirements for secure operation.
• Access control: Implementing least privilege principles and ensuring users only have
access to necessary resources.
• Security patches: Regularly applying patches and updates to address vulnerabilities.
• Security policies: Establishing and following clear security policies for handling
sensitive data and software operations.
• Encryption: Using encryption mechanisms to protect data both at rest and in transit.
• Auditing and monitoring: Continuously monitoring the system and auditing its
activities for any signs of compromise.
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4. Policies and Regulations in Software Hardening

Compliance with specific security standards and regulations is essential for ensuring software
security. Common policies and regulations:

• ISO/IEC 27001: Information security management standards.

• GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation): Regulation for protecting personal data.
• HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act): Standards for
securing healthcare data.
• NIST SP 800-53: A framework for federal information systems' security.
• PCI DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard): Requirements for
securing payment card information. Policies and regulations dictate the necessary actions
for software hardening, ensuring adherence to legal and industry standards.

5. Security Measures in Software Application

Key security measures in software hardening:

• Authentication: Ensuring strong user authentication mechanisms such as multi-factor

authentication (MFA).
• Authorization: Implementing robust access control models, such as role-based access
control (RBAC), to ensure users only access what they need.
• Data encryption: Encrypting sensitive data both in transit (e.g., SSL/TLS) and at rest
(e.g., AES encryption).
• Input validation: Ensuring that all input from users is sanitized to prevent injection
attacks like SQL injection.
• Regular updates: Keeping the software updated with the latest patches, fixes, and
security enhancements.
• Error handling: Configuring appropriate error handling to avoid exposing sensitive
information in error messages.

6. Elements of Security in Software Hardening

Software security is a multi-layered approach that involves several elements:

• Confidentiality: Ensuring that only authorized individuals have access to sensitive

information.
• Integrity: Ensuring that data is not tampered with or altered without authorization.
• Availability: Ensuring that software and systems remain available and resilient to attacks
(e.g., denial of service).
• Authentication and Authorization: Verifying user identity and ensuring users have the
proper permissions to perform actions.
• Audit and Logging: Keeping logs of system activity for future analysis in case of a
security incident.
7. Licenses Installation

Licensing ensures that software usage is legally authorized. It controls the installation and use of
software applications in compliance with vendor agreements.

• License key installation: Entering a license key or activating a software license.

• License types: There are different types of licenses (e.g., open source, proprietary,
subscription-based, perpetual).
• License management: Tracking the software’s licensing status to ensure compliance
with licensing terms.

8. Conduct Software Monitoring Process

Software monitoring involves actively overseeing the performance and security of software to
detect and respond to potential issues.

• Performance monitoring: Tracking the software’s resource usage, uptime, and general
performance.
• Security monitoring: Detecting security events such as unauthorized access attempts,
data breaches, or malware.
• Alerting and logging: Generating alerts and maintaining logs of critical events for
analysis.

9. Installation of Patches, Upgrades, and Updates in Software Hardening

Patches, upgrades, and updates are crucial for maintaining software security:

• Patches: Regularly applying patches fixes vulnerabilities that could be exploited.

• Upgrades: Installing new versions of software with enhanced security features.
• Updates: Installing smaller, more frequent updates to address minor bugs or security
fixes.
• Automated patch management: Tools that automatically detect and apply patches to
systems can ensure that vulnerabilities are addressed in a timely manner.

10. Purpose of Environment in Software Hardening

The environment in which software operates plays a significant role in the security and stability
of the application. Key factors to consider:

• Network environment: Ensuring that the network is properly configured with firewalls,
intrusion detection/prevention systems (IDS/IPS), and secure communication protocols
(e.g., HTTPS).
• Physical environment: Ensuring the server infrastructure is secure, with controlled
physical access to prevent tampering.
 • Virtual environment: Using virtualization or containerization to isolate software
applications for better security and resource allocation.

Simple project on software hardening

Objective:

The goal of this exercise is for students to apply basic hardening techniques to a web application.

Prerequisites:

• A local or virtual machine (VM) with a web server (e.g., Apache or Nginx) installed.
• Access to the internet for patching and updates.
• Basic knowledge of the command line (Linux/MacOS/Windows).

Step-by-Step Practical Exercise:

Step 1: Install and Setup a Simple Web Application

1. Set up a basic Apache web server:

o On Ubuntu, for example, you can use the following commands:

sudo apt update

sudo apt install apache2

2. Verify installation:
o Open a browser and type http://localhost. You should see the default Apache
page.

Step 2: Disable Unnecessary Services

1. List active services:

o Run the following command to see all active services:

sudo systemctl list-units --type=service

2. Disable unnecessary services:

o Identify any unnecessary services, such as FTP or remote login services, and
disable them. For example:

sudo systemctl stop vsftpd # Stop FTP service

sudo systemctl disable vsftpd # Disable FTP service from
starting at boot

3. Check that the service is stopped:

sudo systemctl status vsftpd

Step 3: Apply Security Updates and Patches

1. Update the system and software packages:

o To ensure that your system has the latest security patches, update your system
using:

sudo apt update

sudo apt upgrade

2. Install specific security patches:

o Some packages may have specific patches for security issues. For example,
update Apache to the latest version:

sudo apt install --only-upgrade apache2

3. Verify the update:

o After the update is completed, you can verify the version of Apache:

apache2 -v

Step 4: Configure Stronger Security Settings

1. Configure Apache for better security:

o Open the Apache configuration file:

sudo nano /etc/apache2/apache2.conf

o Disable directory listing by ensuring the following line exists:

Options -Indexes

o Disable unnecessary modules (e.g., server-status):

sudo a2dismod status

2. Enable firewall (UFW in Ubuntu):

o Install UFW if it’s not installed:

sudo apt install ufw

o Enable the firewall:

sudo ufw enable

o Allow HTTP and HTTPS traffic:

bash
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 sudo ufw allow 'Apache Full'

3. Configure SSL (HTTPS):

o Install certbot for Let’s Encrypt SSL certificates:

sudo apt install certbot python3-certbot-apache

o Obtain a free SSL certificate for your domain (e.g., example.com):

sudo certbot --apache

o This will enable HTTPS for your site, ensuring secure communication.

Step 5: Implement Access Control

1. Create a new user with limited privileges:

o Instead of using the root account, create a user with limited privileges:

sudo adduser appuser

sudo usermod -aG sudo appuser # Add user to sudo group if
administrative access is needed

2. Set permissions:
o For sensitive directories (e.g., configuration files), change the ownership and
permissions:

sudo chown root:root /etc/apache2/apache2.conf

sudo chmod 600 /etc/apache2/apache2.conf

3. Ensure proper file permissions:

o Ensure that only necessary users can write to files in web directories:

sudo chmod 755 /var/www/html

Step 6: Monitor and Log Software Activity

1. Enable logging in Apache:

o Apache logs are stored in /var/log/apache2/. Ensure that logging is enabled:

sudo nano /etc/apache2/apache2.conf

o Look for the following directive:

bash
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LogLevel warn

2. Check Apache logs:

 o To monitor access and errors, view the logs:

sudo tail -f /var/log/apache2/access.log

sudo tail -f /var/log/apache2/error.log

3. Use fail2ban to prevent brute-force attacks:

o Install fail2ban to block malicious IPs after repeated failed login attempts:

sudo apt install fail2ban

o Configure it to protect your server from brute-force attacks on SSH and other
services.

Step 7: License and Compliance

1. Check License of Installed Software:

o You can check the licensing of Apache or any other installed software by
reviewing the package details:

dpkg -s apache2

2. Ensure compliance with licensing:

o Verify that all third-party software complies with licensing terms and document
any open-source software used.