mediumkernelverified ✓
Enable init_on_free in GRUB kernel parameters
grub-init-on-free · RHEL ≥ 8 · 1 impl
Description
The init_on_free=1 kernel parameter must be set so the kernel zeroes memory pages when they are freed. This clears freed memory to detect and prevent use-after-free attacks.
Rationale
Zeroing memory at free time removes stale sensitive data from freed pages and causes use-after-free vulnerabilities to read zeroed memory instead of attacker-controlled data, making kernel memory-corruption bugs harder to exploit.
Check → Remediate
Checkgrub_parameter
- key:
- init_on_free
- expected:
- 1
Remediategrub_parameter_set
- key:
- init_on_free
- value:
- 1
Framework references
STIG
V-230279 / RHEL-08-010423V-257794 / RHEL-09-212045V-281303 / RHEL-10-701010
NIST 800-53
CM-6SC-4
Live verification
rhel10:checkrhel9:check
#grub#kernel#memory#security#boot