SQL Server must generate audit records when attempts to access privileges, categorized information, and security objects occur.

Severity	Group ID	Group Title	Version	Rule ID	Date	STIG Version
medium	V-213939	SRG-APP-000091-DB-000325	SQL6-D0-004600	SV-213939r1167477_rule	2025-12-08	3

Description
Under some circumstances, it may be useful to monitor who/what is reading privilege/permission/role information. Therefore, monitoring must be possible. DBMSs typically make such information available through views or functions. This requirement addresses explicit requests for privilege/permission/role membership information. It does not refer to the implicit retrieval of privileges/permissions/role memberships that SQL Server continually performs to determine if any and every action on the database is permitted. To aid in diagnosis, it is necessary to keep track of failed attempts in addition to the successful ones. Satisfies: SRG-APP-000091-DB-000325, SRG-APP-000091-DB-000066, SRG-APP-000492-DB-000332, SRG-APP-000492-DB-000333, SRG-APP-000494-DB-000344, SRG-APP-000494-DB-000345, SRG-APP-000498-DB-000346, SRG-APP-000498-DB-000347, SRG-APP-000502-DB-000348, SRG-APP-000502-DB-000349, SRG-APP-000507-DB-000356, SRG-APP-000507-DB-000357

Description

Under some circumstances, it may be useful to monitor who/what is reading privilege/permission/role information. Therefore, monitoring must be possible. DBMSs typically make such information available through views or functions. This requirement addresses explicit requests for privilege/permission/role membership information. It does not refer to the implicit retrieval of privileges/permissions/role memberships that SQL Server continually performs to determine if any and every action on the database is permitted. To aid in diagnosis, it is necessary to keep track of failed attempts in addition to the successful ones. Satisfies: SRG-APP-000091-DB-000325, SRG-APP-000091-DB-000066, SRG-APP-000492-DB-000332, SRG-APP-000492-DB-000333, SRG-APP-000494-DB-000344, SRG-APP-000494-DB-000345, SRG-APP-000498-DB-000346, SRG-APP-000498-DB-000347, SRG-APP-000502-DB-000348, SRG-APP-000502-DB-000349, SRG-APP-000507-DB-000356, SRG-APP-000507-DB-000357

ℹ️ Check
Review the system documentation to determine if SQL Server is required to audit when the following events occur: - Attempts to retrieve privilege/permission/role membership information. - Security objects are accessed, modified, or deleted. - Data classifications (e.g., classification levels/security levels) are accessed, modified, or deleted. - Any other specified objects are accessed, modified, or deleted as required by the site. If SQL Server is not required to audit any of the above, this is not a finding. If the documentation does not exist, this is a finding. Determine if an audit is configured and started by executing the following query. If no records are returned, this is a finding. SELECT name AS 'Audit Name', status_desc AS 'Audit Status', audit_file_path AS 'Current Audit File' FROM sys.dm_server_audit_status If auditing the retrieval of the above information or objects is required, execute the following to verify the SCHEMA_OBJECT_ACCESS_GROUP is included in the server audit specification: SELECT a.name AS 'AuditName', s.name AS 'SpecName', d.audit_action_name AS 'ActionName', d.audited_result AS 'Result' FROM sys.server_audit_specifications s JOIN sys.server_audits a ON s.audit_guid = a.audit_guid JOIN sys.server_audit_specification_details d ON s.server_specification_id = d.server_specification_id WHERE a.is_state_enabled = 1 AND d.audit_action_name = 'SCHEMA_OBJECT_ACCESS_GROUP' If the SCHEMA_OBJECT_ACCESS_GROUP is not returned in an active audit, this is a finding.

ℹ️ Check

Review the system documentation to determine if SQL Server is required to audit when the following events occur: - Attempts to retrieve privilege/permission/role membership information. - Security objects are accessed, modified, or deleted. - Data classifications (e.g., classification levels/security levels) are accessed, modified, or deleted. - Any other specified objects are accessed, modified, or deleted as required by the site. If SQL Server is not required to audit any of the above, this is not a finding. If the documentation does not exist, this is a finding. Determine if an audit is configured and started by executing the following query. If no records are returned, this is a finding. SELECT name AS 'Audit Name', status_desc AS 'Audit Status', audit_file_path AS 'Current Audit File' FROM sys.dm_server_audit_status If auditing the retrieval of the above information or objects is required, execute the following to verify the SCHEMA_OBJECT_ACCESS_GROUP is included in the server audit specification: SELECT a.name AS 'AuditName', s.name AS 'SpecName', d.audit_action_name AS 'ActionName', d.audited_result AS 'Result' FROM sys.server_audit_specifications s JOIN sys.server_audits a ON s.audit_guid = a.audit_guid JOIN sys.server_audit_specification_details d ON s.server_specification_id = d.server_specification_id WHERE a.is_state_enabled = 1 AND d.audit_action_name = 'SCHEMA_OBJECT_ACCESS_GROUP' If the SCHEMA_OBJECT_ACCESS_GROUP is not returned in an active audit, this is a finding.

✔️ Fix
Deploy an audit to audit the retrieval of privilege/permission/role membership information. See the supplemental file "SQL 2016 Audit.sql".