RHEL 9 audit log directory must be owned by root to prevent unauthorized read access.

Overview

Finding ID	Version	Rule ID	IA Controls	Severity
V-258166	RHEL-09-653085	SV-258166r926485_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	2023-12-01

Details

Check Text ( C-61907r926483_chk )
Verify the audit logs directory is owned by "root". First 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 directory is owned by "root" using the following command: $ sudo ls -ld /var/log/audit drwx------ 2 root root 23 Jun 11 11:56 /var/log/audit If the audit log directory is not owned by "root", this is a finding.

Check Text ( C-61907r926483_chk )

Verify the audit logs directory is owned by "root".

First 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 directory is owned by "root" using the following command:

$ sudo ls -ld /var/log/audit

drwx------ 2 root root 23 Jun 11 11:56 /var/log/audit

If the audit log directory is not owned by "root", this is a finding.

Fix Text (F-61831r926484_fix)
Configure the audit log to be protected from unauthorized read access by setting the correct owner as "root" with the following command: $ sudo chown root /var/log/audit