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9.8 Ensure that 'Java version' is the latest, if used to run the Web App (Manual)

Profile Applicability

• Level 1

Description

Periodically, newer versions are released for Java software either due to security flaws or to include additional functionality. Using the latest Java version for web apps is recommended in order to take advantage of security fixes, if any, and/or new functionalities of the newer version.

Rationale

Newer versions may contain security enhancements and additional functionality. Using the latest software version is recommended in order to take advantage of enhancements and new capabilities. With each software installation, organizations need to determine if a given update meets their requirements. They must also verify the compatibility and support provided for any additional software against the update revision that is selected.

Impact

If your app is written using version-dependent features or libraries, they may not be available on the latest version. If you wish to upgrade, research the impact thoroughly. Upgrading may have unforeseen consequences that could result in downtime.

Audit

From Azure Portal

  1. Login to Azure Portal using https://portal.azure.com
  2. Go to App Services
  3. Click on each App
  4. Under Settings section, click on Configuration
  5. Click on the General settings pane and ensure that for a Stack of Java the Major Version and Minor Version reflect the latest stable and supported release, and that the Java web server version is set to the auto-update option.

NOTE: No action is required if Java version is set to Off, as Java is not used by your web app.

From Azure CLI

To check Java version for an existing app, run the following command,

az webapp config show --resource-group <RESOURCE_GROUP_NAME> --name <APP_NAME> --query javaVersion

The output should return the latest available version of Java (if java is being used for the web app in question).

Remediation

From Azure Portal

  1. Login to Azure Portal using https://portal.azure.com
  2. Go to App Services
  3. Click on each App
  4. Under Settings section, click on Configuration
  5. Click on the General settings pane and ensure that for a Stack of Java the Major Version and Minor Version reflect the latest stable and supported release, and that the Java web server version is set to the auto-update option.

NOTE: No action is required if Java version is set to Off, as Java is not used by your web app.

From Azure CLI

To see the list of supported runtimes:

az webapp list-runtimes | grep java

To set latest Java version for an existing app, run the following command:

az webapp config set --resource-group <RESOURCE_GROUP_NAME> --name <APP_NAME> --java-version <JAVA_VERSION> --java-container <JAVA_CONTAINER> --java-container-version <JAVA_CONTAINER_VERSION>

References

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/app-service/web-sites-configure#general-settings
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/security/benchmark/azure/security-controls-v3-posture-vulnerability-management#pv-3-establish-secure-configurations-for-compute-resources
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/security/benchmark/azure/security-controls-v3-posture-vulnerability-management#pv-3-establish-secure-configurations-for-compute-resources
https://www.oracle.com/java/technologies/downloads/#java11