The macOS system must be configured with system log files set to mode 640 or less permissive.

Overview

Finding ID	Version	Rule ID	IA Controls	Severity
V-225217	AOSX-15-004002	SV-225217r610901_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 permissions mitigates this risk.

STIG	Date
Apple OS X 10.15 (Catalina) Security Technical Implementation Guide	2021-06-22

Details

Check Text ( C-26916r467819_chk )
These commands check for log files that exist on the system and print out the log with corresponding permissions. Run them from inside "/var/log": /usr/bin/sudo stat -f '%A:%N' $(/usr/bin/grep -v '^#' /etc/newsyslog.conf \| awk '{ print $1 }') 2> /dev/null /usr/bin/sudo stat -f '%A:%N' $(/usr/bin/grep -e '^>' /etc/asl.conf /etc/asl/* \| awk '{ print $2 }') 2> /dev/null The correct permissions on log files should be "640" or less permissive for system logs. Any file with more permissive settings is a finding.

Check Text ( C-26916r467819_chk )

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

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

The correct permissions on log files should be "640" or less permissive for system logs.

Any file with more permissive settings is a finding.

Fix Text (F-26904r485782_fix)
For any log file that returns an incorrect permission value, run the following command: /usr/bin/sudo chmod 640 [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 edit the mode column to be "640" or less permissive. If the file is managed by "aslmanager", find the configuration line in the directory "/etc/asl/" or the file "/etc/asl.conf" and add or edit the mode option to be "mode=0640" or less permissive.

Fix Text (F-26904r485782_fix)

For any log file that returns an incorrect permission value, run the following command:

/usr/bin/sudo chmod 640 [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 edit the mode column to be "640" or less permissive.

If the file is managed by "aslmanager", find the configuration line in the directory "/etc/asl/" or the file "/etc/asl.conf" and add or edit the mode option to be "mode=0640" or less permissive.