The Apache web server must have system logging enabled.

Overview

Finding ID	Version	Rule ID	IA Controls	Severity
V-214231	AS24-U1-000065	SV-214231r881410_rule		Medium

Description
The server error logs are invaluable because they can also be used to identify potential problems and enable proactive remediation. Log data can reveal anomalous behavior such as “not found” or “unauthorized” errors that may be an evidence of attack attempts. Failure to enable error logging can significantly reduce the ability of Web Administrators to detect or remediate problems. The CustomLog directive specifies the log file, syslog facility, or piped logging utility.

Description

The server error logs are invaluable because they can also be used to identify potential problems and enable proactive remediation. Log data can reveal anomalous behavior such as “not found” or “unauthorized” errors that may be an evidence of attack attempts. Failure to enable error logging can significantly reduce the ability of Web Administrators to detect or remediate problems. The CustomLog directive specifies the log file, syslog facility, or piped logging utility.

STIG	Date
Apache Server 2.4 UNIX Server Security Technical Implementation Guide	2024-02-21

Details

Check Text ( C-15445r881409_chk )
Determine the location of the "HTTPD_ROOT" directory and the "httpd.conf" file: # apachectl -V \| egrep -i 'httpd_root\|server_config_file' -D HTTPD_ROOT="/etc/httpd" -D SERVER_CONFIG_FILE="conf/httpd.conf" Note: The apachectl front end is the preferred method for locating the Apache httpd file. For some Linux distributions, "apache2ctl -V" or "httpd -V" can also be used. Search for the directive "CustomLog" in the "httpd.conf" file: # cat //httpd.conf \| grep -i "CustomLog" If the "CustomLog" directive is missing, this is a finding: An example CustomLog directive would be as follows: CustomLog "logs/access_log" common or CustomLog “log/access_log” combined (May also be "Logs/access_log")

Check Text ( C-15445r881409_chk )

Determine the location of the "HTTPD_ROOT" directory and the "httpd.conf" file:

# apachectl -V | egrep -i 'httpd_root|server_config_file'
-D HTTPD_ROOT="/etc/httpd"
-D SERVER_CONFIG_FILE="conf/httpd.conf"

Note: The apachectl front end is the preferred method for locating the Apache httpd file. For some Linux distributions, "apache2ctl -V" or "httpd -V" can also be used.

Search for the directive "CustomLog" in the "httpd.conf" file:

# cat //httpd.conf | grep -i "CustomLog"

If the "CustomLog" directive is missing, this is a finding:

An example CustomLog directive would be as follows:
CustomLog "logs/access_log" common or CustomLog “log/access_log” combined
(May also be "Logs/access_log")

Fix Text (F-15443r276954_fix)
Edit the "httpd.conf" file and enter the name, path and level for the CustomLog.