The DBMS must use system clocks to generate time stamps for use in audit records and application data.

Overview

Finding ID	Version	Rule ID	IA Controls	Severity
V-206537	SRG-APP-000116-DB-000057	SV-206537r960927_rule		Medium

Description
Internal system clocks are typically a feature of server hardware and are maintained and used by the operating system. They are typically synchronized with an authoritative time server at regular intervals. Without an internal system clock used as the reference for the time stored on each event to provide a trusted common reference for the time, forensic analysis would be impeded. Determining the correct time a particular event occurred on a system is critical when conducting forensic analysis and investigating system events. Time stamps generated by the internal system clock and used by the DBMS shall include both date and time. The time may be expressed in Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), a modern continuation of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), or local time with an offset from UTC. If time sources other than the system time are used for audit records, the timeline of events can get skewed. This makes forensic analysis of the logs much less reliable.

Description

Internal system clocks are typically a feature of server hardware and are maintained and used by the operating system. They are typically synchronized with an authoritative time server at regular intervals. Without an internal system clock used as the reference for the time stored on each event to provide a trusted common reference for the time, forensic analysis would be impeded. Determining the correct time a particular event occurred on a system is critical when conducting forensic analysis and investigating system events. Time stamps generated by the internal system clock and used by the DBMS shall include both date and time. The time may be expressed in Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), a modern continuation of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), or local time with an offset from UTC. If time sources other than the system time are used for audit records, the timeline of events can get skewed. This makes forensic analysis of the logs much less reliable.

STIG	Date
Database Security Requirements Guide	2024-06-20

Details

Check Text ( C-6797r291279_chk )
Using product documentation, verify that the DBMS uses current time stamp values obtained from or synchronized with the internal system clock used by the operating system. If it is not able to, this is a finding. If it is able to but is configured so that it does not do so, this is a finding.

Fix Text (F-6797r291280_fix)
Deploy a DBMS that can use time stamp values obtained from or synchronized with the internal system clock used by the operating system. Configure the DBMS to use time stamp values obtained from or synchronized with the internal system clock used by the operating system.