The macOS system must be configured with system log files owned by root and group-owned by wheel or admin.

Overview

Finding ID	Version	Rule ID	IA Controls	Severity
V-209629	AOSX-14-004001	SV-209629r610285_rule		Medium

Description
System logs should only be readable by root or admin users. System logs frequently contain sensitive information that could be used by an attacker. Setting the correct owner mitigates this risk.

STIG	Date
Apple OS X 10.14 (Mojave) Security Technical Implementation Guide	2021-06-21

Details

Check Text ( C-9880r466291_chk )
Log files are controlled by "newsyslog" and "aslmanager". These commands check for log files that exist on the system and print out the log with corresponding ownership. Run them from inside "/var/log": /usr/bin/sudo stat -f '%Su:%Sg:%N' $(/usr/bin/grep -v '^#' /etc/newsyslog.conf \| awk '{ print $1 }') 2> /dev/null /usr/bin/sudo stat -f '%Su:%Sg:%N' $(/usr/bin/grep -e '^>' /etc/asl.conf /etc/asl/* \| awk '{ print $2 }') 2> /dev/null If there are any system log files that are not owned by "root" and group-owned by "wheel" or admin, this is a finding. Service logs may be owned by the service user account or group.

Check Text ( C-9880r466291_chk )

Log files are controlled by "newsyslog" and "aslmanager".

These commands check for log files that exist on the system and print out the log with corresponding ownership. Run them from inside "/var/log":

/usr/bin/sudo stat -f '%Su:%Sg:%N' $(/usr/bin/grep -v '^#' /etc/newsyslog.conf | awk '{ print $1 }') 2> /dev/null
/usr/bin/sudo stat -f '%Su:%Sg:%N' $(/usr/bin/grep -e '^>' /etc/asl.conf /etc/asl/* | awk '{ print $2 }') 2> /dev/null

If there are any system log files that are not owned by "root" and group-owned by "wheel" or admin, this is a finding.

Service logs may be owned by the service user account or group.

Fix Text (F-9880r466292_fix)
For any log file that returns an incorrect owner or group value, run the following command: /usr/bin/sudo chown root:wheel [log file] [log file] is the full path to the log file in question. If the file is managed by "newsyslog", find the configuration line in the directory "/etc/newsyslog.d/" or the file "/etc/newsyslog.conf" and ensure that the owner:group column is set to "root:wheel" or the appropriate service user account and group. If the file is managed by "aslmanager", find the configuration line in the directory "/etc/asl/" or the file "/etc/asl.conf" and ensure that "uid" and "gid" options are either not present or are set to a service user account and group respectively.

Fix Text (F-9880r466292_fix)

For any log file that returns an incorrect owner or group value, run the following command:

/usr/bin/sudo chown root:wheel [log file]

[log file] is the full path to the log file in question. If the file is managed by "newsyslog", find the configuration line in the directory "/etc/newsyslog.d/" or the file "/etc/newsyslog.conf" and ensure that the owner:group column is set to "root:wheel" or the appropriate service user account and group.

If the file is managed by "aslmanager", find the configuration line in the directory "/etc/asl/" or the file "/etc/asl.conf" and ensure that "uid" and "gid" options are either not present or are set to a service user account and group respectively.