Vulnerability Discussion

Unauthorized disclosure of audit records can reveal system and configuration data to attackers, thus compromising its confidentiality.

Audit information includes all information (e.g., audit records, audit settings, audit reports) needed to successfully audit operating system activity.

Satisfies: SRG-OS-000057-GPOS-00027, SRG-OS-000058-GPOS-00028, SRG-OS-000059-GPOS-00029

Check

Verify the audit log files are owned by "root" account.

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

Using the path of the directory containing the audit logs, determine if the audit log files are owned by the "root" user with the following command:

$ sudo stat -c "%n %U" /var/log/audit/*
/var/log/audit/audit.log root

If the audit log files are owned by a user other than "root", this is a finding.

Fix

Configure the audit log directory and its underlying files to be owned by "root" user.

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

Using the path of the directory containing the audit logs, configure the audit log files to be owned by "root" user by using the following command:

$ sudo chown root /var/log/audit/*