macOS 26 - Tahoe

The macOS system must allow smart card authentication

STIG ID: APPL-26-003030 | SRG: SRG-OS-000068-GPOS-00036 | Severity: Medium | CCI: CCI-000187 | Vulnerability ID: V-277151

Description

Smart card authentication must be allowed.

Using smart card credentials facilitates standardization and reduces the risk of unauthorized access.

When enabled, the smart card can be used for login, authorization, and screen saver unlocking.

Satisfies: SRG-OS-000068-GPOS-00036, SRG-OS-000105-GPOS-00052, SRG-OS-000106-GPOS-00053, SRG-OS-000107-GPOS-00054, SRG-OS-000108-GPOS-00055, SRG-OS-000112-GPOS-00057, SRG-OS-000376-GPOS-00161

Check

C-81306r1148903_chk

Verify the macOS system is configured to allow smart card authentication with the following command:

/usr/bin/osascript -l JavaScript << EOS
$.NSUserDefaults.alloc.initWithSuiteName('com.apple.security.smartcard')\
.objectForKey('allowSmartCard').js
EOS

If the result is not "true", this is a finding.

Fix

F-81211r1148904_fix

Configure the macOS system to enforce multifactor authentication by installing the "com.apple.security.smartcard" configuration profile.

Note: To ensure continued access to the operating system, consult the supplemental guidance provided with the STIG before applying the configuration profile.