1.5.1 Ensure core dumps are restricted (Scored)

Level 1 - Server 
Level 1 - Workstation

A core dump is the memory of an executable program. It is generally used to determine why a program aborted. It can also be used to glean confidential information from a core file. The system provides the ability to set a soft limit for core dumps, but this can be overridden by the user.

Setting a hard limit on core dumps prevents users from overriding the soft variable. If core dumps are required, consider setting limits for user groups (see limits.conf(5)). In addition, setting the fs.suid_dumpable variable to 0 will prevent setuid programs from dumping core.

Run the following commands and verify output matches:

# grep "hard core" /etc/security/limits.conf /etc/security/limits.d/* 
* hard core 0 
# sysctl fs.suid_dumpable 
fs.suid_dumpable = 0

Add the following line to the /etc/security/limits.conf file or a /etc/security/limits.d/* file:

* hard core 0

Set the following parameter in the /etc/sysctl.conf file:

fs.suid_dumpable = 0

Run the following command to set the active kernel parameter:

# sysctl -w fs.suid_dumpable=0