# Cis Ubuntu2004 V300 6 3 3 9

> Ensure discretionary access control permission modification events are collected

- Skill: `cyberstrikeus/cis-ubuntu2004-v300-6-3-3-9` (Agent Skill)
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- Category: Coding & Dev Tools
- Author: cyberstrikeus (https://skillmd.com/u/cyberstrikeus)
- Updated: 2026-09-17
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/cyberstrikeus/cis-ubuntu2004-v300-6-3-3-9

---


# 6.3.3.9 Ensure discretionary access control permission modification events are collected (Automated)

## Profile

- Level 2 - Server
- Level 2 - Workstation

## Description

Monitor changes to file permissions, attributes, ownership and group. The parameters in this section track changes for system calls that affect file permissions and attributes. The following commands and system calls effect the permissions, ownership and various attributes of files.

- `chmod`
- `fchmod`
- `fchmodat`
- `chown`
- `fchown`
- `fchownat`
- `lchown`
- `setxattr`
- `lsetxattr`
- `fsetxattr`
- `removexattr`
- `lremovexattr`
- `fremovexattr`

In all cases, an audit record will only be written for non-system user ids and will ignore Daemon events. All audit records will be tagged with the identifier "perm_mod."

## Rationale

Monitoring for changes in file attributes could alert a system administrator to activity that could indicate intruder activity or policy violation.

## Audit Procedure

### Command Line

Note: Output showing all audited syscalls, e.g. (-a always,exit -F arch=b64 -S chmod,fchmod,fchmodat,chmod,fchmod,fchmodat,setxattr,lsetxattr,fsetxattr,removexattr,lremovexattr,fremovexattr -F auid>=1000 -F auid!=unset -F key=perm_mod) is also acceptable. These have been separated by function on the displayed output for clarity.

On disk configuration - Run the following command to check the on disk rules:

```bash
# {
UID_MIN=$(awk '/^\s*UID_MIN/{print $2}' /etc/login.defs)
[ -n "${UID_MIN}" ] && awk "/^ *-a *always,exit/ \
&&/ -F *arch=b(32|64)/ \
&&(/ -F *auid!=unset/||/ -F *auid!=-1/||/ -F *auid!=4294967295/) \
&&/ -S/ \
&&/ -F *auid>=${UID_MIN}/ \
&&(/chmod/||/fchmod/||/fchmodat/ \
  ||/chown/||/fchown/||/fchownat/||/lchown/ \
  ||/setxattr/||/lsetxattr/||/fsetxattr/ \
  ||/removexattr/||/lremovexattr/||/fremovexattr/) \
&&(/ key= *[!-~]* *$/||/ -k *[!-~]* *$/)" /etc/audit/rules.d/*.rules \
|| printf "ERROR: Variable 'UID_MIN' is unset.\n"
}
```

Verify the output matches:

```
-a always,exit -F arch=b64 -S chmod,fchmod,fchmodat -F auid>=1000 -F auid!=unset -F key=perm_mod
-a always,exit -F arch=b64 -S chown,fchown,lchown,fchownat -F auid>=1000 -F auid!=unset -F key=perm_mod
-a always,exit -F arch=b32 -S chmod,fchmod,fchmodat -F auid>=1000 -F auid!=unset -F key=perm_mod
-a always,exit -F arch=b32 -S lchown,fchown,chown,fchownat -F auid>=1000 -F auid!=unset -F key=perm_mod
-a always,exit -F arch=b64 -S setxattr,lsetxattr,fsetxattr,removexattr,lremovexattr,fremovexattr -F auid>=1000 -F auid!=unset -F key=perm_mod
-a always,exit -F arch=b32 -S setxattr,lsetxattr,fsetxattr,removexattr,lremovexattr,fremovexattr -F auid>=1000 -F auid!=unset -F key=perm_mod
```

Running configuration - Run the following command to check loaded rules:

```bash
# {
UID_MIN=$(awk '/^\s*UID_MIN/{print $2}' /etc/login.defs)
[ -n "${UID_MIN}" ] && auditctl -l | awk "/^ *-a *always,exit/ \
&&/ -F *arch=b(32|64)/ \
&&(/ -F *auid!=unset/||/ -F *auid!=-1/||/ -F *auid!=4294967295/) \
&&/ -S/ \
&&/ -F *auid>=${UID_MIN}/ \
&&(/chmod/||/fchmod/||/fchmodat/ \
  ||/chown/||/fchown/||/fchownat/||/lchown/ \
  ||/setxattr/||/lsetxattr/||/fsetxattr/ \
  ||/removexattr/||/lremovexattr/||/fremovexattr/) \
&&(/ key= *[!-~]* *$/||/ -k *[!-~]* *$/)" \
|| printf "ERROR: Variable 'UID_MIN' is unset.\n"
}
```

Verify the output matches:

```
-a always,exit -F arch=b64 -S chmod,fchmod,fchmodat -F auid>=1000 -F auid!=-1 -F key=perm_mod
-a always,exit -F arch=b64 -S chown,fchown,lchown,fchownat -F auid>=1000 -F auid!=-1 -F key=perm_mod
-a always,exit -F arch=b32 -S chmod,fchmod,fchmodat -F auid>=1000 -F auid!=-1 -F key=perm_mod
-a always,exit -F arch=b32 -S lchown,fchown,chown,fchownat -F auid>=1000 -F auid!=-1 -F key=perm_mod
-a always,exit -F arch=b64 -S setxattr,lsetxattr,fsetxattr,removexattr,lremovexattr,fremovexattr -F auid>=1000 -F auid!=-1 -F key=perm_mod
-a always,exit -F arch=b32 -S setxattr,lsetxattr,fsetxattr,removexattr,lremovexattr,fremovexattr -F auid>=1000 -F auid!=-1 -F key=perm_mod
```

## Expected Result

Both on disk and running configuration should show permission modification audit rules.

## Remediation

### Command Line

Create audit rules - Edit or create a file in the `/etc/audit/rules.d/` directory, ending in `.rules` extension, with the relevant rules to monitor discretionary access control permission modification events.

Example:

```bash
# {
UID_MIN=$(awk '/^\s*UID_MIN/{print $2}' /etc/login.defs)
[ -n "${UID_MIN}" ] && printf "
-a always,exit -F arch=b64 -S chmod,fchmod,fchmodat -F auid>=${UID_MIN} -F auid!=unset -F key=perm_mod
-a always,exit -F arch=b64 -S chown,fchown,lchown,fchownat -F auid>=${UID_MIN} -F auid!=unset -F key=perm_mod
-a always,exit -F arch=b32 -S chmod,fchmod,fchmodat -F auid>=${UID_MIN} -F auid!=unset -F key=perm_mod
-a always,exit -F arch=b32 -S lchown,fchown,chown,fchownat -F auid>=${UID_MIN} -F auid!=unset -F key=perm_mod
-a always,exit -F arch=b64 -S setxattr,lsetxattr,fsetxattr,removexattr,lremovexattr,fremovexattr -F auid>=${UID_MIN} -F auid!=unset -F key=perm_mod
-a always,exit -F arch=b32 -S setxattr,lsetxattr,fsetxattr,removexattr,lremovexattr,fremovexattr -F auid>=${UID_MIN} -F auid!=unset -F key=perm_mod
" >> /etc/audit/rules.d/50-perm_mod.rules || printf "ERROR: Variable 'UID_MIN' is unset.\n"
}
```

Load audit rules - Merge and load the rules into active configuration:

```bash
# augenrules --load
```

Check if reboot is required:

```bash
# if [[ $(auditctl -s | grep "enabled") =~ "2" ]]; then printf "Reboot required to load rules\n"; fi
```

## References

1. NIST SP 800-53 Rev. 5: AU-3, CM-6

## CIS Controls

| Controls Version | Control                                                  | IG 1 | IG 2 | IG 3 |
| ---------------- | -------------------------------------------------------- | ---- | ---- | ---- |
| v8               | 8.5 Collect Detailed Audit Logs                          |      | X    | X    |
| v7               | 5.5 Implement Automated Configuration Monitoring Systems |      | X    | X    |

MITRE ATT&CK Mappings: T1562, T1562.006 / TA0005 / M1022