The RHEL 8 /var/log/messages file must have mode 0640 or less permissive.

Overview

Finding ID	Version	Rule ID	IA Controls	Severity
V-230245	RHEL-08-010210	SV-230245r599732_rule		Medium

Description

Only authorized personnel should be aware of errors and the details of the errors. Error messages are an indicator of an organization's operational state or can identify the RHEL 8 system or platform. Additionally, Personally Identifiable Information (PII) and operational information must not be revealed through error messages to unauthorized personnel or their designated representatives. The structure and content of error messages must be carefully considered by the organization and development team. The extent to which the information system is able to identify and handle error conditions is guided by organizational policy and operational requirements.

STIG	Date
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 Security Technical Implementation Guide	2020-11-25

Details

Check Text ( C-32914r567481_chk )
Verify that the "/var/log/messages" file has mode "0640" or less permissive with the following command: $ sudo stat -c "%a %n" /var/log/messages 640 /var/log/messages If a value of "0640" or less permissive is not returned, this is a finding.

Fix Text (F-32889r567482_fix)
Change the permissions of the file "/var/log/messages" to "0640" by running the following command: $ sudo chmod 0640 /var/log/messages