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VA Technical Reference Model v 24.7

MediaWiki

General Information

Technologies must be operated and maintained in accordance with Federal and Department security and privacy policies and guidelines. More information on the proper use of the TRM can be found on the TRM Proper Use Tab/Section.

Website:	Go to site
Description:	MediaWiki is an open source Wiki platform that supports collaborative development of web content using a simple markup language and editor that can be used from any web browser. MediaWiki is written in Hypertext Preprocessor (PHP) and was originally developed for use on Wikipedia to replace UseModWiki, a Perl based Wiki software platform.
Technology/Standard Usage Requirements:	Users must ensure their use of this technology/standard is consistent with VA policies and standards, including, but not limited to, VA Handbooks 6102 and 6500; VA Directives 6004, 6513, and 6517; and National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) standards, including Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS). Users must ensure sensitive data is properly protected in compliance with all VA regulations. Prior to use of this technology, users should check with their supervisor, Information Security Officer (ISO), Facility Chief Information Officer (CIO), or local Office of Information and Technology (OI&T) representative to ensure that all actions are consistent with current VA policies and procedures prior to implementation.
Section 508 Information:	This technology has been assessed by the Section 508 Office and found non-conformant. The Implementer of this technology has the responsibility to ensure the version deployed is 508-compliant. Section 508 compliance may be reviewed by the Section 508 Office and appropriate remedial action required if necessary. For additional information or assistance regarding Section 508, please contact the Section 508 Office at Section508@va.gov. Please see reference tab for more information concerning product versions.
Decision:	View Decisions

Decision Source:	TRM Mgmt Group
Decision Process:	One-VA TRM v23.4
Decision Date:	04/17/2023 at 16:02:58 UTC
Introduced By:	Enterprise Program Management Office (EPMO) TRM Team
Vendor Name:	Wikimedia Foundation

Vendor Release Information

The Vendor Release table provides the known releases for the TRM Technology, obtained from the vendor (or from the release source).

Version	Release Date	Vendor End of Life Date
1.24.x	12/17/2014
1.25.x	03/31/2015	06/28/2016
1.26.x	11/25/2015
1.27.x	06/28/2016	06/01/2019
1.28.x	11/28/2016
1.29.x	11/15/2017
1.30.x	09/19/2017	12/01/2018
1.31.x	09/26/2017	07/01/2021
1.32.x	06/06/2019
1.33.x	04/10/2019
1.34.x	10/15/2019
1.38.x	09/29/2022
1.39.x	11/30/2022

Current Decision Matrix (04/12/2023)

Users must ensure their use of this technology/standard is consistent with VA policies and standards, including, but not limited to, VA Handbooks 6102 and 6500; VA Directives 6004, 6513, and 6517; and National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) standards, including Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS). Users must ensure sensitive data is properly protected in compliance with all VA regulations. Prior to use of this technology, users should check with their supervisor, Information Security Officer (ISO), Facility Chief Information Officer (CIO), or local Office of Information and Technology (OI&T) representative to ensure that all actions are consistent with current VA policies and procedures prior to implementation.

The VA Decision Matrix displays the current and future VA IT position regarding different releases of a TRM entry. These decisions are based upon the best information available as of the most current date. The consumer of this information has the responsibility to consult the organizations responsible for the desktop, testing, and/or production environments to ensure that the target version of the technology will be supported. Any major.minor version that is not listed in the VA Decision Matrix is considered unapproved for use.

Legend:

White	Approved: The technology/standard has been approved for use.
Yellow	Approved w/Constraints: The technology/standard can be used within the specified constraints located below the decision matrix in the footnote[1] and on the General tab.
Gray	Unapproved: This technology or standard can be used only if a POA&M review is conducted and signed by the Authorizing Official Designated Representative (AODR) as designated by the Authorizing Official (AO) or designee and based upon a recommendation from the POA&M Compliance Enforcement, has been granted to the project team or organization that wishes to use the technology.
Orange	Divest: VA has decided to divest itself on the use of the technology/standard. As a result, all projects currently utilizing the technology/standard must plan to eliminate their use of the technology/standard. Additional information on when the entry is projected to become unapproved may be found on the Decision tab for the specific entry.
Black	Prohibited: The technology/standard is not (currently) permitted to be used under any circumstances.
Blue	Planning/Evaluation Constraint:The period of time this technology is currently being evaluated, reviewed, and tested in controlled environments. Use of this technology is strictly controlled and not available for use within the general population. If a customer would like to use this technology, please work with your local or Regional OI&T office and contact the appropriate evaluation office displayed in the notes below the decision matrix. The Local or Regional OI&T office should submit an inquiry to the TRM if they require further assistance or if the evaluating office is not listed in the notes below.

Release/Version Information:

VA decisions for specific versions may include a ‘.x’ wildcard, which denotes a decision that pertains to a range of multiple versions.

For example, a technology approved with a decision for 7.x would cover any version of 7.(Anything) - 7.(Anything). However, a 7.4.x decision would cover any version of 7.4.(Anything), but would not cover any version of 7.5.x or 7.6.x on the TRM.

VA decisions for specific versions may include ‘+’ symbols; which denotes that the decision for the version specified also includes versions greater than what is specified but is not to exceed or affect previous decimal places.

For example, a technology approved with a decision for 12.6.4+ would cover any version that is greater than 12.6.4, but would not exceed the .6 decimal ie: 12.6.401 is ok, 12.6.5 is ok, 12.6.9 is ok, however 12.7.0 or 13.0 is not.

<Past

CY2023

CY2024

CY2025

Future>

Release

1.24.x

Unapproved

1.25.x

Unapproved

1.26.x

Unapproved

1.27.x

Unapproved

1.28.x

Unapproved

1.29.x

Unapproved

1.30.x

Unapproved

1.31.x

Unapproved

1.32.x

Unapproved

1.33.x

Unapproved

1.34.x

Divest
[16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21]

Divest
[16, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24]

Divest
[16, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25]

Divest
[16, 19, 20, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26]

Unapproved

1.38.x

Divest
[16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21]

Divest
[16, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24]

Divest
[16, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25]

Divest
[16, 19, 20, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26]

Unapproved

1.39.x

Unapproved

Approved w/Constraints
[16, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24]

Approved w/Constraints
[16, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25]

Approved w/Constraints
[16, 19, 20, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26]

Decision Constraints


[1]	Note: CIO decision on March 6, 2012 granted permission for Intranet use only.

[2]	As of April 23, 2015, per the Deputy CIO of Architecture, Strategy and Design (ASD), all technologies in use by the VA require an assessment by the VA Section 508 office. Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act Amendments of 1998 is a federal law that sets the guidelines for technology accessibility. A VA Section 508 assessment of this technology has not been completed at the time of publication. Therefore, as of April 23, 2015 only users of this technology who have deployed the technology to the production environment, or have project design and implementation plans approved, may continue to operate this technology. In the case of a project that has implemented, or been approved for a specific site or number of users, and that project needs to expand operations to other sites or to an increased user base, it may do so as long as the project stays on the existing version of the technology that was approved or implemented as of April 22, 2015. Use of this technology in all other cases is prohibited.

[3]	Per the May 5th, 2015 memorandum from the VA Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) FIPS 140-2 Validate Full Disk Encryption (FOE) for Data at Rest in Database Management Systems (DBMS) and in accordance with Federal requirements and VA policy, database management must use Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) 140-2 compliant encryption to protect the confidentiality and integrity of VA information at rest at the application level. If FIPS 140-2 encryption at the application level is not technically possible, FIPS 140-2 compliant full disk encryption (FOE) must be implemented on the hard drive where the DBMS resides. Appropriate access enforcement and physical security control must also be implemented. All instances of deployment using this technology should be reviewed to ensure compliance with VA Handbook 6500 and National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) standards. It is the responsibility of the system owner to work with the local CIO (or designee) and Information Security Officer (ISO) to ensure that a compliant DBMS technology is selected and that if needed, mitigating controls are in place and documented in a System Security Plan (SSP).

[4]	Due to National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) identified security vulnerabilities, extra vigilance should be applied to ensure the versions remain properly patched to mitigate known and future vulnerabilities. The local ISO can provide assistance in reviewing the NIST vulnerabilities.

[5]	Technology must remain patched and operated in accordance with Federal and Department security policies and guidelines in order to mitigate known and future security vulnerabilities.

[6]	Veterans Affairs (VA) users must ensure VA sensitive data is properly protected in compliance with all VA regulations. All instances of deployment using this technology should be reviewed by the local ISO (Information Security Officer) to ensure compliance with VA Handbook 6500.

[7]	CIO decision on March 6, 2012 granted permission for Intranet use only. This product can also be configured with a MySQL Database which currently has TRM constraints for intranet use only due to its many known security issues. If MySQL is selected for use with this product, these factors should be considered especially when an instance of this product will be considered a Moderate or High Risk system. See the MySQL Database TRM entry for more details.

[8]	Users should check with their supervisor, Information Security Office (ISO) or local OIT representative for permission to download and use this software. Downloaded software must always be scanned for viruses prior to installation to prevent adware or malware. Freeware may only be downloaded directly from the primary site that the creator of the software has advertised for public download and user or development community engagement. Users should note, any attempt by the installation process to install any additional, unrelated software is not approved and the user should take the proper steps to decline those installations.

[9]	Veterans Affairs (VA) users must ensure VA sensitive data is properly protected in compliance with all VA regulations. All instances of deployment using this technology should be reviewed by the local ISO (Information Security Officer) to ensure compliance with VA Handbook 6500.

[10]	This product can be configured with a MySQL Database which currently has TRM constraints for intranet use only due to its many known security issues. If MySQL is selected for use with this product, these factors must be considered especially when an instance of this product will be considered a Moderate or High Risk system. See the MySQL Database TRM entry for more details. The following constraints must be adhered to in accordance with an Initial Product Review (IPR) conducted on this technology: MediaWiki should not be used to collect, store and process VA sensitive information. System owners should reach out to Architecture, Strategy, and Design (ASD) under the Office of Information & Technology (OI&T) and ask for guidance for deploying an enterprise-wide collaborative web content development platform. System owners must ensure they deploy or upgrade to the latest version of the software. The system should be deployed on a dedicated server within a protected enclave where strict access controls are in place to allow access only to authorized team members. In addition, system owners should follow the security guidance issued by MediaWiki. System owners need to stay informed of the MediaWiki development activities to ensure software updates and patches to the software are tested and installed in a timely manner. Additionally, system owners need to constantly monitor the various resources within the MediaWiki community to get the most up-to-date information on known vulnerabilities as well as solutions to mitigate or remediate the vulnerabilities.

[11]	Per the May 5th, 2015 memorandum from the VA Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) FIPS 140-2 Validate Full Disk Encryption (FOE) for Data at Rest in Database Management Systems (DBMS) and in accordance with Federal requirements and VA policy, database management must use Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) 140-2 compliant encryption to protect the confidentiality and integrity of VA information at rest at the application level. If FIPS 140-2 encryption at the application level is not technically possible, FIPS 140-2 compliant full disk encryption (FOE) must be implemented on the hard drive where the DBMS resides. Appropriate access enforcement and physical security control must also be implemented. All instances of deployment using this technology should be reviewed to ensure compliance with VA Handbook 6500 and National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) standards. It is the responsibility of the system owner to work with the local CIO (or designee) and Information Security Officer (ISO) to ensure that a compliant DBMS technology is selected and that if needed, mitigating controls are in place and documented in a System Security Plan (SSP).

[12]	This product can be configured with a MySQL Database which currently has TRM constraints for intranet use only due to its many known security issues. If MySQL is selected for use with this product, these factors must be considered especially when an instance of this product will be considered a Moderate or High Risk system. See the MySQL Database TRM entry for more details. The following constraints must be adhered to in accordance with an Initial Product Review (IPR) conducted on this technology: MediaWiki should not be used to collect, store and process VA sensitive information. System owners should reach out to Architecture, Strategy, and Design (ASD) under the Office of Information & Technology (OI&T) and ask for guidance for deploying an enterprise-wide collaborative web content development platform. System owners must ensure they deploy or upgrade to the latest version of the software. The system should be deployed on a dedicated server within a protected enclave where strict access controls are in place to allow access only to authorized team members. In addition, system owners should follow the security guidance issued by MediaWiki. System owners need to stay informed of the MediaWiki development activities to ensure software updates and patches to the software are tested and installed in a timely manner. Additionally, system owners need to constantly monitor the various resources within the MediaWiki community to get the most up-to-date information on known vulnerabilities as well as solutions to mitigate or remediate the vulnerabilities.

[13]	Per the Initial Product Review, users must abide by the following constraints: MediaWiki should not be used to collect, store and process VA sensitive information. System owners should reach out to Architecture, Strategy, and Design (ASD) under the Office of Information & Technology (OI&T) and ask for guidance for deploying an enterprise-wide collaborative web content development platform. System owners must ensure they deploy or upgrade to the latest version of the software. The system should be deployed on a dedicated server within a protected enclave where strict access controls are in place to allow access only to authorized team members. In addition, system owners should follow the security guidance issued by MediaWiki. System owners need to stay informed of the MediaWiki development activities to ensure software updates and patches to the software are tested and installed in a timely manner. Additionally, system owners need to constantly monitor the various resources within the MediaWiki community to get the most up-to-date information on known vulnerabilities as well as solutions to mitigate or remediate the vulnerabilities.

[14]	Veterans Affairs (VA) users must ensure VA sensitive data is properly protected in compliance with all VA regulations. All instances of deployment using this technology should be reviewed by the local ISO (Information Security Officer) to ensure compliance with VA Handbook 6500.

[15]	Per the May 5th, 2015 memorandum from the VA Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) FIPS 140-2 Validate Full Disk Encryption (FOE) for Data at Rest in Database Management Systems (DBMS) and in accordance with Federal requirements and VA policy, database management must use Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) 140-2 compliant encryption to protect the confidentiality and integrity of VA information at rest at the application level. If FIPS 140-2 encryption at the application level is not technically possible, FIPS 140-2 compliant full disk encryption (FOE) must be implemented on the hard drive where the DBMS resides. Appropriate access enforcement and physical security control must also be implemented. All instances of deployment using this technology should be reviewed to ensure compliance with VA Handbook 6500 and National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) standards. It is the responsibility of the system owner to work with the local CIO (or designee) and Information Security Officer (ISO) to ensure that a compliant DBMS technology is selected and that if needed, mitigating controls are in place and documented in a System Security Plan (SSP).

[16]	This product can be configured with a PostgreSQL Database, which currently has TRM constraints limiting its use to Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) only due to its many known security issues on other platforms. If PostgreSQL is selected for use with this product, these factors must be considered especially when an instance of this product will be considered a Moderate or High-Risk system. See PostgreSQL Database TRM entry for more details.

[17]	Users must ensure that Apache Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) Server, Microsoft Internet Information Services (IIS) and PostgreSQL are implemented with VA-approved baselines. (Refer to the ‘Category’ tab under ‘Runtime Dependencies’) Per the Initial Product Review, users must abide by the following constraints: MediaWiki will require a 3rd party FIPS 140-2 certified solution for any data containing PHI/PII or VA sensitive information. System owners must ensure they deploy or upgrade to the latest version of the software. The system should be deployed on a dedicated server within a protected enclave where strict access controls are in place to allow access only to authorized team members. In addition, system owners should follow the security guidance issued by MediaWiki. System owners need to stay informed of the MediaWiki development activities to ensure software updates and patches to the software are tested and installed in a timely manner. Additionally, system owners need to constantly monitor the various resources within the MediaWiki community to get the most up-to-date information on known vulnerabilities as well as solutions to mitigate or remediate the vulnerabilities.

[18]	Veterans Affairs (VA) users must ensure VA sensitive data is properly protected in compliance with all VA regulations. All instances of deployment using this technology should be reviewed by the local ISSO (Information System Security Officer) to ensure compliance with VA Handbook 6500.

[19]	Users should check with their supervisor, Information System Security Officer (ISSO) or local OIT representative for permission to download and use this software. Downloaded software must always be scanned for viruses prior to installation to prevent adware or malware. Freeware may only be downloaded directly from the primary site that the creator of the software has advertised for public download and user or development community engagement. Users should note, any attempt by the installation process to install any additional, unrelated software is not approved and the user should take the proper steps to decline those installations.

[20]	Due to National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) identified security vulnerabilities, extra vigilance should be applied to ensure the versions remain properly patched to mitigate known and future vulnerabilities. The local ISSO (Information System Security Officer) can provide assistance in reviewing the NIST vulnerabilities.

[21]	Per the May 5th, 2015 memorandum from the VA Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) FIPS 140-2 Validate Full Disk Encryption (FOE) for Data at Rest in Database Management Systems (DBMS) and in accordance with Federal requirements and VA policy, database management must use Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) 140-2 compliant encryption to protect the confidentiality and integrity of VA information at rest at the application level. If FIPS 140-2 encryption at the application level is not technically possible, FIPS 140-2 compliant full disk encryption (FOE) must be implemented on the hard drive where the DBMS resides. Appropriate access enforcement and physical security control must also be implemented. All instances of deployment using this technology should be reviewed to ensure compliance with VA Handbook 6500 and National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) standards. It is the responsibility of the system owner to work with the local CIO (or designee) and Information System Security Officer (ISSO) to ensure that a compliant DBMS technology is selected and that if needed, mitigating controls are in place and documented in a System Security Plan (SSP).

[22]	Users must ensure that Apache Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) Server, My Structured Query Language (MySQL) Database and Microsoft Internet Information Services (IIS) are implemented with VA-approved baselines. (Refer to the ‘Category’ tab under ‘Runtime Dependencies’) This technology should not be used with Maria Database (MariaDB) Server, as it is unapproved at the time of writing. There are other database options available, see `Category Tab` under `Runtime Dependencies.` Per the Initial Product Review, users must abide by the following constraints: MediaWiki will require a 3rd party FIPS 140-2 certified solution for any data containing PHI/PII or VA sensitive information. System owners must ensure they deploy or upgrade to the latest version of the software. The system should be deployed on a dedicated server within a protected enclave where strict access controls are in place to allow access only to authorized team members. In addition, system owners should follow the security guidance issued by MediaWiki. System owners need to stay informed of the MediaWiki development activities to ensure software updates and patches to the software are tested and installed in a timely manner. Additionally, system owners need to constantly monitor the various resources within the MediaWiki community to get the most up-to-date information on known vulnerabilities as well as solutions to mitigate or remediate the vulnerabilities.

[23]	The Federal Information Processing standards (FIPS) 140-2 certification status of this technology was not able to be verified. This technology will require a 3rd party FIPS 140-2 or 140-3 certified solution for any data containing PHI/PII or VA sensitive information, where applicable. More information regarding the Cryptographic Module Validation Program (CMVP) can be found on the NIST website.

[24]	If this product uses a MySQL database, the product must be configured with a commercial edition of the MySQL Database, which currently has TRM constraints limiting its use for intranet and non-sensitive data only due to its many known security issues. If a commercial edition of MySQL is selected for use with this product, these factors must be considered especially when an instance of this product will be considered a Moderate or High-Risk system. See MySQL Database – Commercial Edition TRM entry for more details.

[25]	Veterans Affairs (VA) users must ensure VA sensitive data is properly protected in compliance with all VA regulations. All instances of deployment using this technology should be reviewed by the local ISSO (Information System Security Officer) to ensure compliance with both VA Handbook 6500 and VA Directive 6500.

[26]	Per the May 5th, 2015 memorandum from the VA Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) FIPS 140-2 FIPS 140-2 Validate Full Disk Encryption (FOE) for Data at Rest in Database Management Systems (DBMS) and in accordance with Federal requirements and VA policy, database management must use Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) 140-2 or its successor to protect the confidentiality and integrity of VA information at rest at the application level. If FIPS 140-2 encryption at the application level is not technically possible, FIPS 140-2 or 140-3 compliant full disk encryption (FOE) must be implemented on the storage device where the DBMS resides. Appropriate access enforcement and physical security control must also be implemented. All instances of deployment using this technology should be reviewed to ensure compliance with VA Handbook 6500 and National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) standards. It is the responsibility of the system owner to work with the local CIO (or designee) and Information System Security Officer (ISSO) to ensure that a compliant DBMS technology is selected and that if needed, mitigating controls are in place and documented in a System Security Plan (SSP). By September 22, 2026, all FIPS 140-2 certificate validations will be placed on the Historical List, please refer to FIPS Transition Effort for further guidance and timeline of changes.

Note:

At the time of writing, version 1.39.3 is the most current version.

The following reference(s) are associated with this entry:
Type	Name	Source	Description
Vendor Provided*	Download Page	Publicly Available	This page contains the download for the current version, as well as the release notes.
*NOTE: Vendor provided information is subject to the accuracy of the manufacturer.

Note: This list may not be complete. No component, listed or unlisted, may be used outside of the technology in which it is released. The usage decision for a component is found in the Decision and Decision Constraints.
Name	Description
No components have been identified for this entry.


Collaboration and Electronic Workplace Collaboration Software	Real-Time and Team Collaboration

- The information contained on this page is accurate as of the Decision Date (04/17/2023 at 16:02:58 UTC).

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VA Technical Reference Model v 24.7

General Information

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Current Decision Matrix (04/12/2023)

Decision Constraints

References

Technology Components

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VA Technical Reference Model v 24.7

General Information

Vendor Release Information

Current Decision Matrix (04/12/2023)

Decision Constraints

References

Technology Components

VA Categories View the VA Categorization Framework

Open Source

Operating Systems Supported by the Technology

Technologies/Standards Relationships

Runtime Dependencies:

Comparable Technologies:

Companion Technologies/Supported Standards:

General Analysis

Adoption Benefits

Adoption Risks

Architectural Benefits

Architectural Risks

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