RE: Suppress messages from /var/log/audit.log via audit.rules

Worsham, Michael
2011-11-01T15:45:51Z

SRR still shows this as a failure, using stig.rules contents for audit.rules:

GEN002720: UNIX STIG: 3.16 - The audit system is not configured to audit failed attempts to access files and programs.
AUDITING is NOT correctly CONFIGURED on va33-time.
Ensure that -a exit,always -S open -F success=0 is in /etc/audit/audit.rules on va33-time.
PDI Number: GEN002720
Finding Category: CAT II
Reference: UNIX STIG: 3.16
Description: The audit system is not configured to audit failed attempts to access files and programs.
Status: Open

Is there any documentation that says that the stig.rules file is compliant for GEN002720? The project security folks will only be looking at the SRR output, which says it's not.

We are using the rules as found here: https://fedorahosted.org/audit/browser/trunk/contrib/stig.rules

-- Michael

-----Original Message-----
From: Steve Grubb [mailto:sgrubb@redhat.com]
Sent: Tuesday, October 04, 2011 9:18 AM
To: Worsham, Michael
Cc: linux-audit@redhat.com
Subject: Re: Suppress messages from /var/log/audit.log via audit.rules

On Monday, October 03, 2011 10:36:31 PM Worsham, Michael wrote:
> About the rule that's 'killing' us (which I totally agree it is), this is
> what the stig.rules project says about it (GEN002720):
>
> 78 ## (GEN002720-GEN002840: CAT II) (Previously G100-G106) The SA will
> 79 ## configure the auditing system to audit the following events for
> all 80 ## users and root:
> 81 ##
> 82 ## - Logon (unsuccessful and successful) and logout (successful)
> 83 ##
> 84 ## Handled by pam, sshd, login, and gdm
>
> But here is what the latest version of the Unix checklist says the
> vulnerability is, and how to check if its mitigated:
>
> Unix Checklist v5r1-30 20110729
> 3.2.1.119
> PDI: GEN002720 - Audit Failed File and Program Access Attempts
> PDI Description: The audit system is not configured to audit failed
> attempts to access files and programs. Reference: UNIX STIG: 3.16
> - Linux

I'll have to double check the numbering. Things may have shifted since I wrote the
stig.rules file.

> For LAUS:
> # grep "@open-ops" /etc/audit/filter.conf
>
> For auditd:
> # grep "-a exit,always -S open -F success=0" /etc/audit.rules

This would appear that you are using an old stig.rules file. You might want to update
it.

> The two don't seem to jibe as to what the vulnerability is. I'm not sure
> how login, sshd, etc, can give information about failed attempts to access
> files.

The rules file is listing several requirements which has the rules in-between the
requirements. The first part is to satisfy the logon/off requirements. Farther down is
the unsuccessful access requirement.

> As to altering the rule, while I'm sure the results would be much more
> useful and relevant (you can tell DISA's thinking is out-of-date by the
> mitigation steps above), my only concern is that it would no longer be
> STIG compliant, or something that would always come up as a finding, that
> we would have to explain each time.

I occassionally chat with the DISA FSO people. The intent is the stig.rules file in the
audit package is compliant. I think they have altered the auditing requirements to
match what is shipped. But you just need to update to a newer version of the file.

-Steve

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