[BUG] FIPS Mode Isn't REALLY Disabled When --no-fips Flag Is Set
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- Dominant language
- Shell
- Stars
- 10
- Forks
- 16
- PR merge metrics
- No merged PRs in 30d
Description
Describe the bug
While doing:
$ cat /proc/sys/crypto/fips_enabled
On an EC2 built from an AMI created using the --no-fips flag will correctly result in a 0 output, executing:
update-crypto-policies --show
Will still show:
FIPS
Note: This issue was uncovered after using the Cross-Distro Bootstrap instructions to produce an OL8 AMI. Packer's (current) inability to negotiate SSH connections on FIPS-enabled instances was on full display when attempting to provision the resulting EC2.
Severity
- Completely Broken (No work-around evident)
- Severely Broken (Work-around possible but difficult)
- Moderately Broken (Trivial work-around)
- Nuisance (Functions but untrapped errors can slip through)
To Reproduce
Steps to reproduce the behavior:
- Create an AMI using the
PostBuild.shscript's--no-fipsflag - Launch an EC2 from the resulting AMI
- Login to the EC2
- Execute FIPS-mode steps as described above to see the incorrect/inconsistent FIPS-state
Expected behavior
FIPS is fully and completely disabled within EC2s launched from AMIs built by passing the --no-fips flag to the PostBuild.sh script
Deviance Description
FIPS is only partially disabled (see opening bug description) within EC2s launched from AMIs built by passing the --no-fips flag to the PostBuild.sh script
Screenshots
Additional context
Fix Suggestions
Ensure that the PostBuild.sh script's --no-fips logic includes an execution of:
update-crypto-policies --set DEFAULT
Contributor guide
First steps
- Read the whole issue, then the project's contributing guide.
- Comment on the issue to say you are picking it up — it saves two people doing the same work.
- Fork the repository and make your change on a branch.
- Open a pull request that references the issue number.
Research direction
Read the PostBuild.sh handling for the --no-fips flag and review the reported state with /proc/sys/crypto/fips_enabled and update-crypto-policies --show. Ensure the resulting EC2 instance reports FIPS as disabled in both checks, including after launching an AMI built with --no-fips.
Written by the indexing model from the issue text.
Assessment
- Tech stack
- aws, shell
- Domain
- cloud, infrastructure, security
- Issue type
- Bug
- Difficulty
- 2/5
- Estimated time
- 1-3 hours
- Activity status
- Stale
- Clarity
- Clearly specified
- Newbie friendliness
- 55/100