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The macOS system must be configured with audit log files set to mode 440 or less permissive.


Overview

Finding ID Version Rule ID IA Controls Severity
V-209557 AOSX-14-001016 SV-209557r610285_rule Medium
Description
The audit service must be configured to create log files with the correct permissions to prevent normal users from reading audit logs. Audit logs contain sensitive data about the system and about users. If log files are set to be readable and writable only by root or administrative users with sudo, the risk is mitigated.
STIG Date
Apple OS X 10.14 (Mojave) Security Technical Implementation Guide 2021-11-19

Details

Check Text ( C-9808r282153_chk )
To check the permissions of the audit log files, run the following command:

/usr/bin/sudo ls -le $(/usr/bin/sudo /usr/bin/grep '^dir' /etc/security/audit_control | awk -F: '{print $2}') | /usr/bin/grep -v current

The results should show the permissions (first column) to be "440" or less permissive.

If they do not, this is a finding.
Fix Text (F-9808r282154_fix)
For any log file that returns an incorrect permission value, run the following command:

/usr/bin/sudo chmod 440 [audit log file]

[audit log file] is the full path to the log file in question.