The ESXi host must enable audit logging.

Overview

Finding ID	Version	Rule ID	IA Controls	Severity
V-258787	ESXI-80-000232	SV-258787r1003573_rule		Medium

Description
ESXi offers both local and remote audit recordkeeping to meet the requirements of the NIAP Virtualization Protection Profile and Server Virtualization Extended Package. Local records are stored on any accessible local or VMFS path. Remote records are sent to the global syslog servers configured elsewhere. To operate in the NIAP validated state, ESXi must enable and properly configure this audit system. This system is disabled by default. Note: Audit records can be viewed locally via the "/bin/viewAudit" utility over SSH or at the ESXi shell.

Description

ESXi offers both local and remote audit recordkeeping to meet the requirements of the NIAP Virtualization Protection Profile and Server Virtualization Extended Package. Local records are stored on any accessible local or VMFS path. Remote records are sent to the global syslog servers configured elsewhere. To operate in the NIAP validated state, ESXi must enable and properly configure this audit system. This system is disabled by default. Note: Audit records can be viewed locally via the "/bin/viewAudit" utility over SSH or at the ESXi shell.

STIG	Date
VMware vSphere 8.0 ESXi Security Technical Implementation Guide	2024-07-11

Details

Check Text ( C-62527r933420_chk )
From the vSphere Client, go to Hosts and Clusters. Select the ESXi Host >> Configure >> System >> Advanced System Settings. Select the "Syslog.global.auditRecord.storageEnable" value and verify it is set to "true". or From a PowerCLI command prompt while connected to the ESXi host, run the following command: Get-VMHost \| Get-AdvancedSetting -Name Syslog.global.auditRecord.storageEnable If the "Syslog.global.auditRecord.storageEnable" setting is not set to "true", this is a finding.

Check Text ( C-62527r933420_chk )

From the vSphere Client, go to Hosts and Clusters.

Select the ESXi Host >> Configure >> System >> Advanced System Settings.

Select the "Syslog.global.auditRecord.storageEnable" value and verify it is set to "true".

or

From a PowerCLI command prompt while connected to the ESXi host, run the following command:

Get-VMHost | Get-AdvancedSetting -Name Syslog.global.auditRecord.storageEnable

If the "Syslog.global.auditRecord.storageEnable" setting is not set to "true", this is a finding.

Fix Text (F-62436r1003539_fix)
Note: ESXI-80-000113 and ESXI-80-000243 must be configured and validated prior to enabling audit logging. From the vSphere Client, go to Hosts and Clusters. Select the ESXi Host >> Configure >> System >> Advanced System Settings. Click "Edit". Select the "Syslog.global.auditRecord.storageEnable" value and configure it to "true". or From a PowerCLI command prompt while connected to the ESXi host, run the following command: Get-VMHost \| Get-AdvancedSetting -Name Syslog.global.auditRecord.storageEnable \| Set-AdvancedSetting -Value "true"

Fix Text (F-62436r1003539_fix)

Note: ESXI-80-000113 and ESXI-80-000243 must be configured and validated prior to enabling audit logging.

From the vSphere Client, go to Hosts and Clusters.

Select the ESXi Host >> Configure >> System >> Advanced System Settings.

Click "Edit". Select the "Syslog.global.auditRecord.storageEnable" value and configure it to "true".

or

From a PowerCLI command prompt while connected to the ESXi host, run the following command:

Get-VMHost | Get-AdvancedSetting -Name Syslog.global.auditRecord.storageEnable | Set-AdvancedSetting -Value "true"