28.3. Disabling Anonymous Binds

Accessing domain resources and running client tools always require Kerberos authentication. However, the backend LDAP directory used by the IdM server allows anonymous binds by default. This potentially opens up all of the domain configuration to unauthorized users, including information about users, machines, groups, services, netgroups, and DNS configuration.
It is possible to disable anonymous binds on the 389 Directory Server instance by using LDAP tools to reset the nsslapd-allow-anonymous-access attribute.
  1. Change the nsslapd-allow-anonymous-access attribute to rootdse. 
    ldapmodify -x -D "cn=Directory Manager" -w secret -h server.example.com -p 389

Enter LDAP Password:
dn: cn=config
changetype: modify
replace: nsslapd-allow-anonymous-access
nsslapd-allow-anonymous-access: rootdse

    Important

    Anonymous access can be completely allowed (on) or completely blocked (off). However, completely blocking anonymous access also blocks external clients from checking the server configuration. LDAP and web clients are not necessarily domain clients, so they connect anonymously to read the root DSE file to get connection information.
    The rootdse allows access to the root DSE and server configuration without any access to the directory data.
  2. Restart the 389 Directory Server instance to load the new setting. 
    service dirsrv restart