Amazon Linux 2023 audit logs file must have mode "0600" or less permissive to prevent unauthorized access to the audit log.

Severity	Group ID	Group Title	Version	Rule ID	Date	STIG Version
medium	V-274110	SRG-OS-000057-GPOS-00027	AZLX-23-002235	SV-274110r1120318_rule	2025-07-15	1

Description
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, SRG-OS-000206-GPOS-00084

Description

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, SRG-OS-000206-GPOS-00084

ℹ️ Check
Verify Amazon Linux 2023 audit logs have a mode of "0600". 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 files as a mode of "0640" with the following command: $ sudo find /var/log/audit/ -type f -exec stat -c '%a %n' {} \; 600 /var/log/audit/audit.log If the audit logs have a mode more permissive than "0600", this is a finding.

ℹ️ Check

Verify Amazon Linux 2023 audit logs have a mode of "0600". 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 files as a mode of "0640" with the following command: $ sudo find /var/log/audit/ -type f -exec stat -c '%a %n' {} \; 600 /var/log/audit/audit.log If the audit logs have a mode more permissive than "0600", this is a finding.

✔️ Fix
Configure Amazon Linux 2023 so that the audit logs have a mode of "0600". Replace "[audit_log_file]" to the correct audit log path, by default this location is "/var/log/audit/audit.log". $ sudo chmod 0600 /var/log/audit/[audit_log_file] Check the group that owns the system audit logs: $ sudo grep -iw log_group /etc/audit/auditd.conf If the log_group is not defined or it is set to root, configure the permissions as follows: $ sudo chmod 0640 $log_file $ sudo chmod 0440 $log_file.* Otherwise, configure the permissions as follows: $ sudo chmod 0600 $log_file $ sudo chmod 0400 $log_file.*

✔️ Fix

Configure Amazon Linux 2023 so that the audit logs have a mode of "0600". Replace "[audit_log_file]" to the correct audit log path, by default this location is "/var/log/audit/audit.log". $ sudo chmod 0600 /var/log/audit/[audit_log_file] Check the group that owns the system audit logs: $ sudo grep -iw log_group /etc/audit/auditd.conf If the log_group is not defined or it is set to root, configure the permissions as follows: $ sudo chmod 0640 $log_file $ sudo chmod 0440 $log_file.* Otherwise, configure the permissions as follows: $ sudo chmod 0600 $log_file $ sudo chmod 0400 $log_file.*