cyberstrikeus CIS Ubuntu Linux 18.04 LTS Benchmark v2.2.0 - Control 4.2.13
Profile Applicability
- Level 1 - Server
- Level 1 - Workstation
Description
SSH provides several logging levels with varying amounts of verbosity. DEBUG is specifically not recommended other than strictly for debugging SSH communications since it provides so much data that it is difficult to identify important security information.
Rationale
SSH LogLevel should be set to VERBOSE or INFO level. This ensures login and logout activity, as well as key fingerprints, are logged. The INFO level outputs only minimal information, while VERBOSE provides additional SSH key information.
Audit Procedure
Command Line
Run the following command and verify the output:
sshd -T | grep -i loglevel
Expected Result
loglevel VERBOSE
OR
loglevel INFO
Remediation
Command Line
Edit the /etc/ssh/sshd_config file to set the parameter as follows:
LogLevel VERBOSE
Default Value
LogLevel INFO
References
- NIST SP 800-53 Rev. 5: AU-3, AU-12
CIS Controls
v8 - 8.5 Collect Detailed Audit Logs - Configure detailed audit logging for enterprise assets containing sensitive data.
v7 - 6.2 Activate Audit Logging - Ensure that local logging has been enabled on all systems and networking devices.
Profile Applicability
- Level 1 - Server
- Level 1 - Workstation
Assessment Status
Automated