fleet/docs/solutions/cis/macos-13/README.md
Adam Baali 6d708ef67e
Migrate CIS benchmarks to docs/solutions/cis/ with production-ready profiles, scripts, and policies (#43657)
## Summary

Migrates CIS benchmark files from `ee/cis/` to `docs/solutions/cis/` in
Fleet GitOps-compatible format, with configuration profiles, remediation
scripts, and policy queries for macOS 13/14/15, Windows 10/11, and
Windows 11 Intune.

**The original AI-generated content (commits 1–4) contained critical
errors that would cause silent deployment failures.** Commits 5–10 are a
systematic review that validates every CSP path, Apple payload key, and
script against official vendor documentation — fixing 30+ issues.

---

## What was wrong and why

### 1. Windows XML profiles used wrong SyncML format (would be rejected
by Fleet)

The AI generated full SyncML protocol envelopes
(`<SyncML><SyncBody><CmdID>…<Final/>`), but Fleet expects flat
`<Replace><Item>…</Item></Replace>` blocks — the same format used in
[`docs/solutions/windows/configuration-profiles/`](https://github.com/fleetdm/fleet/tree/main/docs/solutions/windows/configuration-profiles).
Every production Fleet profile (e.g., [`enforce device password and lock
requirements –
[Bundle].xml`](https://github.com/fleetdm/fleet/blob/main/docs/solutions/windows/configuration-profiles/enforce%20device%20password%20and%20lock%20requirements%20%E2%80%93%20%5BBundle%5D.xml))
uses this flat format. This is the same class of error [reported by
@AdamBaali in
#42748](https://github.com/fleetdm/fleet/issues/42748#issuecomment-4223794562)
when testing the `numa` AI-generated security baseline.

**Fix:** Rewrote all 13 XML files to match Fleet's expected format.

### 2. Six Audit CSP names were fabricated (`LogonLogoff_` prefix
doesn't exist)

The AI used `Audit/LogonLogoff_AuditLogon` etc., but the [Microsoft
Audit Policy CSP
documentation](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/client-management/mdm/policy-csp-audit)
specifies the prefix `AccountLogonLogoff_` — e.g.,
`Audit/AccountLogonLogoff_AuditLogon`. Using the wrong prefix returns
HTTP 500 from the MDM server.

**Fix:** Corrected all 6 across 3 platform variants (18 replacements).

### 3. Three Apple Intelligence profiles used fabricated payload keys

The AI invented keys that don't exist in [Apple's device-management
reference](https://github.com/apple/device-management/blob/release/mdm/profiles/com.apple.applicationaccess.yaml):

| Profile | AI-generated (fabricated) | Correct per Apple reference |
|---------|--------------------------|----------------------------|
| Extensions | `allowIntelligenceExtensions` |
`allowExternalIntelligenceIntegrations` |
| Mail | `com.apple.mail` / `allowMailIntelligence` |
`com.apple.applicationaccess` / `allowMailSmartReplies` +
`allowMailSummary` |
| Notes | `com.apple.mobilenotes` / `allowNotesIntelligence` |
`com.apple.applicationaccess` / `allowNotesTranscription` +
`allowNotesTranscriptionSummary` |

These profiles would deploy silently but enforce nothing — the keys
would be ignored by macOS. The corresponding policy SQL queries also
referenced the fabricated keys, so compliance checks would never pass
even with the profile applied.

**Fix:** Corrected keys, domains, and the corresponding policy SQL
queries so compliance checks match what the profiles actually enforce.

### 4. Firewall CSP used wrong URI prefix

AI used `./Device/Vendor/MSFT/Firewall/MdmStore/…` but [Microsoft's
Firewall CSP
documentation](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/client-management/mdm/firewall-csp)
and Fleet's own production profiles use
`./Vendor/MSFT/Firewall/MdmStore/…`.

**Fix:** Updated all firewall URIs across 3 platform variants.

### 5. Wrong SIDs in user rights deny policies

CIS 2.2.16 (Deny access from network) and 2.2.20 (Deny RDP logon)
require denying both **Guests** (`S-1-5-32-546`) and **Local account**
(`S-1-5-113`). The AI only included Guests. This is the same error
[identified by @AdamBaali in
#42748](https://github.com/fleetdm/fleet/issues/42748#issuecomment-4223794562)
where the `numa` baseline used `S-1-2-0` (wrong SID entirely).

**Fix:** Added `S-1-5-113` to both XML profiles and PS1 scripts.

### 6. macOS scripts had runtime-breaking bugs

Scripts copied from `ee/cis/` originals contained issues that would
cause failures when deployed via Fleet:

| Issue | Scripts affected | Impact |
|-------|-----------------|--------|
| Hardcoded `<username>` placeholder | CIS_6.1.1, CIS_6.3.6, CIS_2.11.1,
CIS_2.6.2 | Shell error — `<username>` parsed as redirect |
| Missing `chmod 0440` on sudoers drop-ins | CIS_5.4, CIS_5.5 | macOS
sudo silently ignores files without 0440 perms |
| `sudo IFS=$'\n'` doesn't set IFS in current shell | CIS_5.1.5,
CIS_5.1.6, CIS_5.1.7 | Word splitting breaks on paths with spaces |
| Unsafe temp files (`./tmp.txt` in CWD) | CIS_3.2, CIS_3.3, CIS_3.4 |
Race condition, fails in read-only CWD |
| Missing shebang | CIS_2.6.1.2 | May use wrong shell interpreter |
| `not_always_working` scripts with `<password>` | CIS_2.10.1,
CIS_2.10.2 | Could never work in automated deployment |

**Fix:** Rewrote scripts with dynamic user enumeration, `mktemp`, proper
IFS, `visudo` validation. Removed `not_always_working` scripts.

### 7. Policy YAML formatting bugs and spelling

- **Computer Browser policy** (win-10, win-11): `resolution: |` was on
the same line as description text, causing YAML to swallow the entire
resolution into the description — no remediation steps shown.
- **Set Time and Date policy** (macOS 13/14/15): Empty `description:`
parsed as `null`.
- 14 spelling errors across macOS and Windows YAML (`existance`,
`Extention` ×8, `recomendation`, `bellow`, `enableds`, `addess` ×2,
etc.)
- Filename inconsistencies: `on-device-dictiation-enabled` (typo),
`2.8.1.disable` (dots vs dashes)

---

## Verification methodology

Every CSP OMA-URI and Apple payload key was validated against official
vendor documentation:

| Category | Count | Source | Result |
|----------|-------|--------|--------|
| [Audit
CSP](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/client-management/mdm/policy-csp-audit)
| 27 | Microsoft docs | 6 corrected |
| [UserRights
CSP](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/client-management/mdm/policy-csp-userrights)
| 27 | Microsoft docs | All verified correct |
| [LocalPoliciesSecurityOptions
CSP](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/client-management/mdm/policy-csp-localpoliciessecurityoptions)
| 27 | Microsoft docs | 1 format corrected |
| [Firewall
CSP](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/client-management/mdm/firewall-csp)
| 14 | Microsoft docs | All correct (after path fix) |
| [Defender
CSP](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/client-management/mdm/policy-csp-defender)
| 9 | Microsoft docs | All verified correct |
| [Apple
applicationaccess](https://github.com/apple/device-management/blob/release/mdm/profiles/com.apple.applicationaccess.yaml)
| 13 profiles | Apple device-management repo | 3 corrected |
| Fleet GitOps YAML | 1,857 policies | [Fleet GitOps
docs](https://fleetdm.com/docs/configuration/yaml-files) | 2 format bugs
fixed |
| Fleet XML format | 13 files |
[`docs/solutions/windows/`](https://github.com/fleetdm/fleet/tree/main/docs/solutions/windows/configuration-profiles)
| Reformatted to match |
| Fleet blocked CSPs | — | `server/fleet/windows_mdm.go` | No conflicts
|
| [#43598](https://github.com/fleetdm/fleet/issues/43598) glob bug | 305
files | Filename scan | No `*`, `?`, `[`, `{` in any filename |

## Commits

1. `89d9418` — Copy CIS benchmarks to docs/solutions/cis/ in
GitOps-compatible format
2. `bbabb13` — Restructure with policies/, configuration-profiles/,
scripts/ subdirs
3. `00004f4` — Promote test artifacts, add Contents to READMEs
4. `786591f` — Add configuration profiles and scripts to all CIS
benchmark platforms
5. `0a47a53` — Fix macOS scripts (username placeholders, sudoers perms,
IFS, temp files, shebang, dictation typo, remove broken scripts)
6. `4efbd40` — Reformat all 13 Windows XML profiles to Fleet's flat
Replace/Item format, fix Firewall CSP paths, fix SIDs
7. `f0abb66` — Fix 6 Audit CSP names: `LogonLogoff_` →
`AccountLogonLogoff_`
8. `bfb0f95` — Fix `SmartCardRemovalBehavior` format type (`int` →
`chr`)
9. `4cbb33e` — Fix 3 Apple Intelligence profiles (fabricated keys → real
Apple keys), fix YAML formatting bugs
10. `d3a0031` — Fix spelling (14 corrections), naming conventions,
policy-profile key alignment

## Current state

| Platform | Policies | Config Profiles | Scripts |
|----------|----------|-----------------|---------|
| macOS 13 | 1 YAML (111 policies) | 46 .mobileconfig | 43 .sh |
| macOS 14 | 1 YAML (111 policies) | 47 .mobileconfig | 43 .sh |
| macOS 15 | 1 YAML (113 policies) | 43 .mobileconfig | 44 .sh |
| Windows 10 | 1 YAML (510 policies) | 4 SyncML XML | 5 .ps1 |
| Windows 11 | 1 YAML (555 policies) | 4 SyncML XML | 5 .ps1 |
| Windows 11 Intune | 3 YAML (457 policies) | 5 SyncML XML | 2 .ps1 |

The source files in `ee/cis/` are intentionally left untouched.

https://claude.ai/code/session_01DUqJK6iJ8MWMdz2d25ZTNW

---------

Co-authored-by: Claude <noreply@anthropic.com>
2026-04-16 16:16:22 +02:00

2.5 KiB

macOS 13.0 Ventura benchmark

Fleet's policies have been written against v3.1.0 of the benchmark. You can refer to the CIS website for full details about this version.

For requirements and usage details, see the CIS Benchmarks documentation.

Contents

Folder Description
policies/ GitOps-compatible policy YAML — import via fleetctl apply or reference with - path: in fleet.yml
configuration-profiles/ Apple .mobileconfig profiles — upload via Fleet UI or fleetctl apply to enforce the settings checked by the policies
scripts/ Shell scripts — upload via Fleet UI or fleetctl apply and link as run_script remediation in the corresponding policy

Limitations

The following CIS benchmarks cannot be checked with a policy in Fleet:

  1. 2.1.2 Audit App Store Password Settings
  2. 2.3.3.12 Ensure Computer Name Does Not Contain PII or Protected Organizational Information
  3. 2.6.6 Audit Lockdown Mode
  4. 2.11.2 Audit Touch ID and Wallet & Apple Pay Settings
  5. 2.13.1 Audit Passwords System Preference Setting
  6. 2.14.1 Audit Notification & Focus Settings
  7. 3.7 Audit Software Inventory
  8. 6.2.1 Ensure Protect Mail Activity in Mail Is Enabled

Checks that require decision

CIS has left the parameters of the following checks up to the benchmark implementer. CIS recommends that an organization make a conscious decision for these benchmarks, but does not make a specific recommendation.

Fleet has provided both an "enabled" and "disabled" version of these benchmarks. When both policies are added, at least one will fail. Once your organization has made a decision, you can delete one or the other policy. The policy will be appended with a -enabled or -disabled label, such as 2.1.1.1-enabled.

  • 2.1.1.1 Audit iCloud Keychain
  • 2.1.1.2 Audit iCloud Drive
  • 2.5.1 Audit Siri
  • 2.8.1 Audit Universal Control

Furthermore, CIS has decided to not require the following password complexity settings:

  • 5.2.3 Ensure Complex Password Must Contain Alphabetic Characters Is Configured
  • 5.2.4 Ensure Complex Password Must Contain Numeric Character Is Configured
  • 5.2.5 Ensure Complex Password Must Contain Special Character Is Configured
  • 5.2.6 Ensure Complex Password Must Contain Uppercase and Lowercase Characters Is Configured

However, Fleet has provided these as policies. If your organization declines to implement these, simply delete the corresponding policies.