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CM-7(5) CM · Configuration Management

Authorized Software — Allow-by-exception

LOW ✓ MODERATE ✓ HIGH
1 Overlay 9 Related Controls
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Requirements NIST SOURCE

Discussion (NIST Supplemental Guidance)

Authorized software programs can be limited to specific versions or from a specific source. To facilitate a comprehensive authorized software process and increase the strength of protection for attacks that bypass application level authorized software, software programs may be decomposed into and monitored at different levels of detail. These levels include applications, application programming interfaces, application modules, scripts, system processes, system services, kernel functions, registries, drivers, and dynamic link libraries. The concept of permitting the execution of authorized software may also be applied to user actions, system ports and protocols, IP addresses/ranges, websites, and MAC addresses. Organizations consider verifying the integrity of authorized software programs using digital signatures, cryptographic checksums, or hash functions. Verification of authorized software can occur either prior to execution or at system startup. The identification of authorized URLs for websites is addressed in CA-3(5) and SC-7.

Implementation Guidance

Engineering Interpretation

Original engineering commentary written for this explorer — not NIST source text and not authoritative guidance.

No engineering interpretation has been authored for CM-7(5) yet. This section is architected to receive it — see the Requirements and Assessment sections above for the authoritative NIST source content in the meantime.

Assessment

NIST SP 800-53A REV 5.2.0

Assessment Objectives

  1. software programs authorized to execute on the system are defined;
  2. frequency at which to review and update the list of authorized software programs is defined;
  3. <CM-07(05)_ODP[01] software programs> are identified;
  4. a deny-all, permit-by-exception policy to allow the execution of authorized software programs on the system is employed;
  5. the list of authorized software programs is reviewed and updated <CM-07(05)_ODP[02] frequency>.

Examine

[SELECT FROM: Configuration management policy; procedures addressing least functionality in the system; configuration management plan; system design documentation; system configuration settings and associated documentation; list of software programs authorized to execute on the system; system component inventory; common secure configuration checklists; review and update records associated with list of authorized software programs; change control records; system audit records; system security plan; other relevant documents or records].

Interview

[SELECT FROM: Organizational personnel with responsibilities for identifying software authorized to execute on the system; organizational personnel with information security responsibilities; system/network administrators].

Test

[SELECT FROM: Organizational process for identifying, reviewing, and updating programs authorized to execute on the system; organizational process for implementing authorized software policy; mechanisms supporting and/or implementing authorized software policy].

Overlays

Showing the OT/ICS overlay for the parent control CM-7 — see the CM-7(5) entries within each baseline below.

OT/ICS Overlay SP 800-82r3

NIST SP 800-82r3 Appendix F, Table 22. Blank baseline means the control/control enhancement is not selected in that initial OT baseline.

LOW

  • Base control: Included (matches standard baseline)

MODERATE

  • Base control: Included (matches standard baseline)
  • Included: (1) (2) (5)

HIGH

  • Base control: Included (matches standard baseline)
  • Included: (1) (2) (5)

STIGs & CCIs

No STIG checks or CCI mappings are currently loaded for CM-7(5). This section is architected to display, per product: STIG ID, Finding ID, Severity, Title, Description, Check, Fix, CCI, and NIST control mapping — but nothing is populated here until a real DISA STIG/CCI dataset is ingested.

Learn more about STIG/CCI integration →

Evidence

Potential Evidence — Derived

Categorized from the SP 800-53A "Examine"/"Test" artifact list above by keyword — not an authoritative NIST evidence list.

Policy

  • system security plan

Configuration

  • Configuration management policy
  • configuration management plan
  • system design documentation
  • system configuration settings and associated documentation
  • system component inventory
  • common secure configuration checklists

Testing

  • Organizational process for identifying, reviewing, and updating programs authorized to execute on the system
  • organizational process for implementing authorized software policy
  • mechanisms supporting and/or implementing authorized software policy

Other Records

  • procedures addressing least functionality in the system
  • list of software programs authorized to execute on the system
  • review and update records associated with list of authorized software programs
  • change control records
  • system audit records
  • other relevant documents or records