---
title: "HOST-SVC-012 inetd Super-Server Installed or Enabled"
canonical: https://openvapt.com/checks/HOST-SVC-012.html
html: https://openvapt.com/checks/HOST-SVC-012.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-SVC-012 inetd Super-Server Installed or Enabled

Checks whether xinetd or another inetd super-server is installed or enabled.

- Domain: Server
- Severity: Low
- Control category: Secure Configuration
- Fix effort: low
- CVSS v3.1 vector: `CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N`
- CIS Controls v8: 4.8
- NIST CSF 2.0: PR.PS-01, PR.IR-01
- CWE: CWE-1188
- NIST SP 800-53 Rev. 5: CM-7, CM-7(1)
- Benchmark topic: xinetd and inetd are not installed (CIS Controls v8 4.8) (topic only, no benchmark text)

## Why It Matters

inetd-style super-servers exist to launch small network services (echo, chargen, telnet, tftp) on demand from a shared configuration. On a systemd machine every service they would start has a native unit; the super-server adds a second, rarely reviewed, place where network services are switched on.

## How It Detects

Reads installed packages from /var/lib/dpkg/status (only entries marked 'install ok installed'; /var/lib/dpkg/info/*.list is a fallback used only when the status file cannot be read) and the allow-listed rpm -qa, and looks for xinetd, openbsd-inetd, inetutils-inetd. Reads the *.wants links under /etc/systemd/system (and asks the allow-listed systemctl is-enabled) for xinetd.service, inetd.service, openbsd-inetd.service, inetutils-inetd.service. Either an installed package or an enabled unit fails. Incomplete when no package database and no systemd unit directory could be read.

## How to Fix

apt purge xinetd openbsd-inetd  or  dnf remove xinetd , and  systemctl disable --now xinetd . Review /etc/inetd.conf and /etc/xinetd.d first so nothing needed disappears. Before removing a package, check that no application on this machine or the network still uses the service, and keep console access when the service is remote-access related.

## How to Verify

```
dpkg -l xinetd openbsd-inetd inetutils-inetd 2>/dev/null | grep '^ii' ; systemctl is-enabled xinetd.service inetd.service openbsd-inetd.service inetutils-inetd.service 2>/dev/null
```

## Learn the Theory

- [P1 Linux Server Hardening](https://openvapt.com/academy/p1.md)
- [P22 Authentication Policy and Package Hygiene](https://openvapt.com/academy/p22.md)

## References

- [NIST SP 800-123, Guide to General Server Security](https://csrc.nist.gov/pubs/sp/800/123/final)

## Source Code

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

Run it: `openvapt scan --only HOST-SVC-012`. Read it offline: `openvapt explain HOST-SVC-012`.

---

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