cyberstrikeus 5.1.1.4 Ensure journald is configured to write logfiles to persistent disk (Automated)
Profile
- Level: 1 - Server
- Level: 1 - Workstation
- Assessment Status: Automated
Description
Data from journald may be stored in volatile memory or persisted locally on the server. Logs in memory will be lost upon a system reboot. By persisting logs to local disk on the server they are protected from loss due to a reboot.
Rationale
Writing log data to disk will provide the ability to forensically reconstruct events which may have impacted the operations or security of a system even after a system crash or reboot.
Audit Procedure
Command Line
Run the following command to verify that logs are persisted to disk:
grep -Psi '^\h*Storage\h*=\h*persistent\b' /etc/systemd/journald.conf /etc/systemd/journald.conf.d/*
Verify the output matches:
Storage=persistent
Expected Result
The output should include Storage=persistent.
Remediation
Command Line
Edit the /etc/systemd/journald.conf file or a file ending in .conf in /etc/systemd/journald.conf.d/ and add the following line:
Storage=persistent
Restart the service:
systemctl restart systemd-journald
Default Value
Storage=auto
References
- NIST SP 800-53 Rev. 5: AU-3, AU-12
CIS Controls
| Controls Version | Control |
|---|---|
| v8 | 8.2 Collect Audit Logs - Collect audit logs. Ensure that logging, per the enterprise's audit log management process, has been enabled across enterprise assets. |
| v7 | 6.2 Activate audit logging - Ensure that local logging has been enabled on all systems and networking devices. |
| v7 | 6.3 Enable Detailed Logging - Enable system logging to include detailed information such as an event source, date, user, timestamp, source addresses, destination addresses, and other useful elements. |