Score:0

Problem with enabling FIPS

ke flag

While in the process of hardening a new Ubuntu installation, I performed the basic steps of enabling FIPS as described here. After rebooting, I found that /proc/sys/crypto didn't exist. Oddly, sudo ua status shows that fips-updates is enabled.

After troubleshooting, I ended up checking GRUB and found there were the following entries

  • Ubuntu, with Linux 5.14.0-1054-oem
  • Ubuntu, with Linux 5.14.0-1054-oem (recovery mode)
  • Ubuntu, with Linux 5.14.0-1054-fips
  • Ubuntu, with Linux 5.14.0-1054-fips (recovery mode)

When I try the fips version, the screen ends up going blank except for a blinking cursor at the top left. After a while, I get the following error [ 66.724025] hdaudio hdaudioCOD2: Unable to bind the codec. and then it's hung. If I try the fips (recovery mode) version, I can enter a root shell and see that /proc/sys/crypto/fip_enabled exists, but it's set to 0.

Two questions.

  1. Should a separate fips version have been created? The text of the above link doesn't mention that.

  2. How can I fix the hdaudio problem?

If it helps, I originally chose the sudo ua enable fips option and had the problem of /proc/sys/crypto not existing. So I next did sudo ua enable fips-updates.

The computer is a Dell Inspiron 3015.

Tom Reinke avatar
ke flag
The fips version are 5.4.0-1007 not 5.14.0-1054
Score:0
ke flag

I ended up reinstalling Ubuntu. This time, being aware that a different kernel is created when executing 'sudo ua enable fips`, I knew to enter GRUB and choose the fips version. That worked.

So the problem may have been due to executing sudo ua enable fips-updates after first doing sudo un enable fips.

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