RHEL 9 audit log directory must be owned by root to prevent unauthorized read access.
Severity | Group ID | Group Title | Version | Rule ID | Date | STIG Version |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| medium | V-258166 | SRG-OS-000057-GPOS-00027 | RHEL-09-653085 | SV-258166r1045303_rule | 2026-02-05 | 2 |
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
ℹ️ Check
Verify the audit logs directory is owned by "root".
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 location of the audit log file, determine if the audit log directory is owned by "root" using the following command:
$ sudo stat -c '%U %n' /var/log/audit
root /var/log/audit
If the audit log directory is not owned by "root", this is a finding.
✔️ 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