RHEL 9 audit logs must be group-owned by root or by a restricted logging group to prevent unauthorized read access.

Overview

Finding ID	Version	Rule ID	IA Controls	Severity
V-258165	RHEL-09-653080	SV-258165r958434_rule		Medium

Description
Unauthorized disclosure of audit records can reveal system and configuration data to attackers, thus compromising its confidentiality. Satisfies: SRG-OS-000057-GPOS-00027, SRG-OS-000058-GPOS-00028, SRG-OS-000059-GPOS-00029, SRG-OS-000206-GPOS-00084

STIG	Date
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 Security Technical Implementation Guide	2024-06-04

Details

Check Text ( C-61906r926480_chk )
Verify the audit logs are group-owned by "root" or a restricted logging group. First determine if a group other than "root" has been assigned to the audit logs with the following command: $ sudo grep log_group /etc/audit/auditd.conf Then determine where the audit logs are stored with the following command: $ sudo grep -iw log_file /etc/audit/auditd.conf log_file = /var/log/audit/audit.log Then using the location of the audit log file, determine if the audit log is group-owned by "root" using the following command: $ sudo stat -c "%G %n" /var/log/audit/audit.log root /var/log/audit/audit.log If the audit log is not group-owned by "root" or the configured alternative logging group, this is a finding.

Check Text ( C-61906r926480_chk )

Verify the audit logs are group-owned by "root" or a restricted logging group.

First determine if a group other than "root" has been assigned to the audit logs with the following command:

$ sudo grep log_group /etc/audit/auditd.conf

Then determine where the audit logs are stored with the following command:

$ sudo grep -iw log_file /etc/audit/auditd.conf

log_file = /var/log/audit/audit.log

Then using the location of the audit log file, determine if the audit log is group-owned by "root" using the following command:

$ sudo stat -c "%G %n" /var/log/audit/audit.log

root /var/log/audit/audit.log

If the audit log is not group-owned by "root" or the configured alternative logging group, this is a finding.

Fix Text (F-61830r926481_fix)
Change the group of the directory of "/var/log/audit" to be owned by a correct group. Identify the group that is configured to own audit log: $ sudo grep -P '^[ ]log_group[ ]+=.$' /etc/audit/auditd.conf Change the ownership to that group: $ sudo chgrp ${GROUP} /var/log/audit