Windows Server 2016 must be configured to audit Object Access

Windows Server 2016 must be configured to audit Object Access - Removable Storage successes.

Overview

Finding ID	Version	Rule ID	IA Controls	Severity
V-224898	WN16-AU-000290	SV-224898r569186_rule		Medium

Description
Maintaining an audit trail of system activity logs can help identify configuration errors, troubleshoot service disruptions, and analyze compromises that have occurred, as well as detect attacks. Audit logs are necessary to provide a trail of evidence in case the system or network is compromised. Collecting this data is essential for analyzing the security of information assets and detecting signs of suspicious and unexpected behavior. Removable Storage auditing under Object Access records events related to access attempts on file system objects on removable storage devices.

Description

Maintaining an audit trail of system activity logs can help identify configuration errors, troubleshoot service disruptions, and analyze compromises that have occurred, as well as detect attacks. Audit logs are necessary to provide a trail of evidence in case the system or network is compromised. Collecting this data is essential for analyzing the security of information assets and detecting signs of suspicious and unexpected behavior. Removable Storage auditing under Object Access records events related to access attempts on file system objects on removable storage devices.

STIG	Date
Microsoft Windows Server 2016 Security Technical Implementation Guide	2024-02-21

Details

Check Text ( C-26589r465596_chk )
Security Option "Audit: Force audit policy subcategory settings (Windows Vista or later) to override audit policy category settings" must be set to "Enabled" (WN16-SO-000050) for the detailed auditing subcategories to be effective. Use the AuditPol tool to review the current Audit Policy configuration: Open an elevated "Command Prompt" (run as administrator). Enter "AuditPol /get /category:*". Compare the AuditPol settings with the following. If the system does not audit the following, this is a finding. Object Access >> Removable Storage - Success Virtual machines or systems that use network attached storage may generate excessive audit events for secondary virtual drives or the network attached storage when this setting is enabled. This may be set to Not Configured in such cases and would not be a finding.

Check Text ( C-26589r465596_chk )

Security Option "Audit: Force audit policy subcategory settings (Windows Vista or later) to override audit policy category settings" must be set to "Enabled" (WN16-SO-000050) for the detailed auditing subcategories to be effective.

Use the AuditPol tool to review the current Audit Policy configuration:

Open an elevated "Command Prompt" (run as administrator).

Enter "AuditPol /get /category:*".

Compare the AuditPol settings with the following.

If the system does not audit the following, this is a finding.

Object Access >> Removable Storage - Success

Virtual machines or systems that use network attached storage may generate excessive audit events for secondary virtual drives or the network attached storage when this setting is enabled. This may be set to Not Configured in such cases and would not be a finding.

Fix Text (F-26577r465597_fix)
Configure the policy value for Computer Configuration >> Windows Settings >> Security Settings >> Advanced Audit Policy Configuration >> System Audit Policies >> Object Access >> "Audit Removable Storage" with "Success" selected.