id: system_settings_rae_disable
title: Disable Remote Apple Events
discussion: |
  If the system does not require Remote Apple Events, support for Apple Remote Events is non-essential and _MUST_ be disabled.

  The information system _MUST_ be configured to provide only essential capabilities. Disabling Remote Apple Events helps prevent the unauthorized connection of devices, the unauthorized transfer of information, and unauthorized tunneling.
check: |
  /bin/launchctl print-disabled system | /usr/bin/grep -c '"com.apple.AEServer" => disabled'
result:
  integer: 1
fix: |
  [source,bash]
  ----
  /usr/sbin/systemsetup -setremoteappleevents off
  /bin/launchctl disable system/com.apple.AEServer
  ----
  NOTE: Systemsetup with -setremoteappleevents flag will fail unless you grant Full Disk Access to systemsetup or its parent process. Requires supervision.
references:
  cce:
    - CCE-94385-2
  cci:
    - CCI-000213
    - CCI-000382
  800-53r5:
    - AC-3
    - AC-17
  800-53r4:
    - AC-3
  srg:
    - SRG-OS-000080-GPOS-00048
    - SRG-OS-000096-GPOS-00050
  disa_stig:
    - APPL-15-002022
  800-171r3:
    - 03.01.02
    - 03.04.06
  cis:
    benchmark:
      - 2.3.3.6 (level 1)
    controls v8:
      - 4.1
      - 4.8
  cmmc:
    - AC.L1-3.1.1
  bio:
    - 8.27.01
macOS:
  - '15.0'
tags:
  - 800-53r5_low
  - 800-53r5_moderate
  - 800-53r5_high
  - 800-53r4_low
  - 800-53r4_moderate
  - 800-53r4_high
  - 800-171
  - cis_lvl1
  - cis_lvl2
  - cisv8
  - cnssi-1253_low
  - cnssi-1253_high
  - cmmc_lvl2
  - cmmc_lvl1
  - stig
  - cnssi-1253_moderate
  - nlmapgov_plus
severity: medium
mobileconfig: false
mobileconfig_info:
