PostgreSQL must utilize centralized management of the content captured in audit records generated by all components of PostgreSQL.

Overview

Finding ID	Version	Rule ID	IA Controls	Severity
V-72909	PGS9-00-003800	SV-87561r2_rule		Medium

Description
Without the ability to centrally manage the content captured in the audit records, identification, troubleshooting, and correlation of suspicious behavior would be difficult and could lead to a delayed or incomplete analysis of an ongoing attack. The content captured in audit records must be managed from a central location (necessitating automation). Centralized management of audit records and logs provides for efficiency in maintenance and management of records, as well as the backup and archiving of those records. PostgreSQL may write audit records to database tables, to files in the file system, to other kinds of local repository, or directly to a centralized log management system. Whatever the method used, it must be compatible with off-loading the records to the centralized system.

Description

Without the ability to centrally manage the content captured in the audit records, identification, troubleshooting, and correlation of suspicious behavior would be difficult and could lead to a delayed or incomplete analysis of an ongoing attack. The content captured in audit records must be managed from a central location (necessitating automation). Centralized management of audit records and logs provides for efficiency in maintenance and management of records, as well as the backup and archiving of those records. PostgreSQL may write audit records to database tables, to files in the file system, to other kinds of local repository, or directly to a centralized log management system. Whatever the method used, it must be compatible with off-loading the records to the centralized system.

STIG	Date
PostgreSQL 9.x Security Technical Implementation Guide	2020-03-23

Details

Check Text ( C-73043r1_chk )
On UNIX systems, PostgreSQL can be configured to use stderr, csvlog and syslog. To send logs to a centralized location, syslog should be used. As the database owner (shown here as "postgres"), ensure PostgreSQL uses syslog by running the following SQL: $ sudo su - postgres $ psql -c "SHOW log_destination" As the database owner (shown here as "postgres"), check which log facility PostgreSQL is configured by running the following SQL: $ sudo su - postgres $ psql -c "SHOW syslog_facility" Check with the organization to see how syslog facilities are defined in their organization. If PostgreSQL audit records are not written directly to or systematically transferred to a centralized log management system, this is a finding.

Check Text ( C-73043r1_chk )

On UNIX systems, PostgreSQL can be configured to use stderr, csvlog and syslog. To send logs to a centralized location, syslog should be used.

As the database owner (shown here as "postgres"), ensure PostgreSQL uses syslog by running the following SQL:

$ sudo su - postgres
$ psql -c "SHOW log_destination"

As the database owner (shown here as "postgres"), check which log facility PostgreSQL is configured by running the following SQL:

$ sudo su - postgres
$ psql -c "SHOW syslog_facility"

Check with the organization to see how syslog facilities are defined in their organization.

If PostgreSQL audit records are not written directly to or systematically transferred to a centralized log management system, this is a finding.

Fix Text (F-79351r2_fix)
Note: The following instructions use the PGDATA and PGVER environment variables. See supplementary content APPENDIX-F for instructions on configuring PGDATA and APPENDIX-H for PGVER. To ensure that logging is enabled, review supplementary content APPENDIX-C for instructions on enabling logging. With logging enabled, as the database owner (shown here as "postgres"), configure the follow parameters in postgresql.conf: Note: Consult the organization on how syslog facilities are defined in the syslog daemon configuration. $ sudo su - postgres $ vi ${PGDATA?}/postgresql.conf log_destination = 'syslog' syslog_facility = 'LOCAL0' syslog_ident = 'postgres' Now, as the system administrator, reload the server with the new configuration: # SYSTEMD SERVER ONLY $ sudo systemctl reload postgresql-${PGVER?} # INITD SERVER ONLY $ sudo service postgresql-${PGVER?} reload

Fix Text (F-79351r2_fix)

Note: The following instructions use the PGDATA and PGVER environment variables. See supplementary content APPENDIX-F for instructions on configuring PGDATA and APPENDIX-H for PGVER.

To ensure that logging is enabled, review supplementary content APPENDIX-C for instructions on enabling logging.

With logging enabled, as the database owner (shown here as "postgres"), configure the follow parameters in postgresql.conf:

Note: Consult the organization on how syslog facilities are defined in the syslog daemon configuration.

$ sudo su - postgres
$ vi ${PGDATA?}/postgresql.conf
log_destination = 'syslog'
syslog_facility = 'LOCAL0'
syslog_ident = 'postgres'

Now, as the system administrator, reload the server with the new configuration:

# SYSTEMD SERVER ONLY
$ sudo systemctl reload postgresql-${PGVER?}

# INITD SERVER ONLY
$ sudo service postgresql-${PGVER?} reload