Disable Dovecot Service
Ensures the Dovecot IMAP/POP3 server (dovecot.service) is disabled and not running unless the host is an intentional mail server.
Checked against the resolved running state (e.g. sshd -T, sysctl, systemctl show), catches drop-ins and Includes a file read would miss. Caveat: runtime ≠ persistence; a value correct now may not survive a reboot.
Pavois asserts the effective configuration, the live, resolved state, not a file. File-based scanners (OVAL/SCAP, Lynis) miss Includes, drop-ins and runtime defaults; this check sees what is actually applied.
A mapping is a cross-reference to where each standard places this requirement, anchored and cross-validated, not a claim of equivalence. A passing check is evidence toward these references, how to read it.
Why this rule matters
Dovecot exposes an IMAP/POP3 mail-retrieval server on the network, which is a remote avenue of attack. Unless the host is an intended mail server, it should be disabled to shrink the attack surface.
What Pavois checks
Pavois queries the resolved unit state with systemctl is-enabled / is-active for dovecot.service. The effective state catches a server enabled via a drop-in or socket activation that scanning /etc/dovecot/ config files would miss.
describe service('dovecot.service') do
it { should_not be_enabled }
it { should_not be_running }
endHow to verify it is applied
Run systemctl is-enabled dovecot.service (expected disabled or not-found) and systemctl is-active dovecot.service (expected inactive).
Inspect & investigate
Check systemctl show dovecot.service (fields UnitFileState, ActiveState) and journalctl -u dovecot.service; mail-access events also appear in /var/log/mail.log.
Remediation
Pavois's harden plan applies a service resource for dovecot with actions disable and stop, so the IMAP/POP3 server stays off across reboots and is stopped immediately. Apply it with pavois harden apply.
Pavois applies this with its own harden engine, the plan below, not a shell script:
| action | disable, stop |
|---|---|
| name | dovecot |
| resource | service |
pavois harden plan localwhere the target is local, a user@host SSH alias, or a container , Docs
Impact & precautions
On a host that is not a mail server, disabling dovecot.service has no functional impact. Precaution: if users retrieve mail from this machine over IMAP/POP3, do not disable it, their mail clients would lose access; document the exception instead.
Standards mapping
| Standard | Reference | Type | Version | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CIS | 2.1.8 | direct | per OS, see the benchmark table | high |
Each reference is a cross-reference anchored in the upstream benchmark and cross-validated against the SCAP Security Guide and ansible-lockdown, not a claim of equivalence. Direct = a prescriptive, line-level requirement; supporting = an abstract control family (NIST) the check provides evidence toward. How to read a mapping.