---
title: "HOST-BOOT-008 Core Dumps Not Restricted"
canonical: https://openvapt.com/checks/HOST-BOOT-008.html
html: https://openvapt.com/checks/HOST-BOOT-008.html
site: OpenVAPT, https://openvapt.com/
license: OpenVAPT Source-Available Licence 1.3, https://openvapt.com/legal/licence-text.html
modified: 2026-10-14
version: 0.1.0-alpha.6
---

# HOST-BOOT-008 Core Dumps Not Restricted

Checks that process core dumps are turned off through PAM limits, and through systemd-coredump where the kernel hands dumps to it.

- Domain: Server
- Severity: Low
- Control category: Information Exposure
- Fix effort: low
- CVSS v3.1 vector: `CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N`
- CIS Controls v8: 4.1
- NIST CSF 2.0: PR.PS-01
- CWE: CWE-528
- NIST SP 800-53 Rev. 5: SI-11, CM-6, AC-6
- Benchmark topic: Restrict core dumps (CIS Controls v8 4.1) (topic only, no benchmark text)

## Why It Matters

A core dump is a copy of a program's memory, including passwords, keys and session tokens it held. On a server nobody debugs, dumps are only a leak waiting in /var/lib/systemd/coredump or the working directory. HOST-KRN-004 covers setuid programs; this check covers every process.

## How It Detects

Reads /etc/security/limits.conf and /etc/security/limits.d/*.conf for a  * hard core 0  line, and /proc/sys/kernel/core_pattern. When the pattern pipes dumps to systemd-coredump, /etc/systemd/coredump.conf and /etc/systemd/coredump.conf.d/*.conf must set  Storage=none  (ProcessSizeMax=0 also counts). Either the limits line or the systemd setting passes. Missing files are observed as missing; a file that exists but cannot be read makes the check incomplete.

## How to Fix

Add  * hard core 0  to /etc/security/limits.conf (or a file in limits.d), set  Storage=none  and  ProcessSizeMax=0  in the [Coredump] section of /etc/systemd/coredump.conf, and keep  fs.suid_dumpable = 0.

## How to Verify

```
grep -E '^\*\s+hard\s+core\s+0' /etc/security/limits.conf /etc/security/limits.d/*; grep -E '^(Storage|ProcessSizeMax)' /etc/systemd/coredump.conf; cat /proc/sys/kernel/core_pattern
```

## Learn the Theory

- [P17 Kernel, Filesystem and Boot Hardening](https://openvapt.com/academy/p17.md)

## References

- [limits.conf(5), Linux-PAM](https://man7.org/linux/man-pages/man5/limits.conf.5.html)
- [coredump.conf(5), systemd](https://www.freedesktop.org/software/systemd/man/latest/coredump.conf.html)
- [Linux kernel documentation, /proc/sys/kernel](https://docs.kernel.org/admin-guide/sysctl/kernel.html)

## Source Code

https://github.com/OpenVAPT/openvapt/blob/574f7f3333c44b75a3c649e2d93a76d507f75adf/internal/checks/host/boot.go

Run it: `openvapt scan --only HOST-BOOT-008`. Read it offline: `openvapt explain HOST-BOOT-008`.

---

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