Verify Permissions on the system journal

Docs > Datadog Security > OOTB Rules > Verify Permissions on the system journal

Description

Verify all files in the /run/log/journal and /var/log/journal directories have permissions set to “640” or less permissive by using the following command:


$ sudo find /run/log/journal /var/log/journal  -type f -exec stat -c "%n %a" {} \;

If any output returned has a permission set greater than “640”, this is a finding.

Rationale

Any operating system providing too much information in error messages risks compromising the data and security of the structure, and content of error messages needs to be carefully considered by the organization.

Remediation

Shell script

The following script can be run on the host to remediate the issue.

#!/bin/bash

# Remediation is applicable only in certain platforms
if [ ! -f /.dockerenv ] && [ ! -f /run/.containerenv ]; then

find -H /run/log/journal/  -perm /u+xs,g+xws,o+xwrt  -type f -regex '^.*$' -exec chmod u-xs,g-xws,o-xwrt {} \;

find -H /var/log/journal/  -perm /u+xs,g+xws,o+xwrt  -type f -regex '^.*$' -exec chmod u-xs,g-xws,o-xwrt {} \;

else
    >&2 echo 'Remediation is not applicable, nothing was done'
fi

Ansible playbook

The following playbook can be run with Ansible to remediate the issue.

- name: Find /run/log/journal/ file(s) recursively
  command: find -H /run/log/journal/  -perm /u+xs,g+xws,o+xwrt  -type f -regex "^.*$"
  register: files_found
  changed_when: false
  failed_when: false
  check_mode: false
  when: ansible_virtualization_type not in ["docker", "lxc", "openvz", "podman", "container"]
  tags:
  - DISA-STIG-UBTU-22-232027
  - configure_strategy
  - file_permissions_system_journal
  - low_complexity
  - low_disruption
  - medium_severity
  - no_reboot_needed

- name: Set permissions for /run/log/journal/ file(s)
  file:
    path: '{{ item }}'
    mode: u-xs,g-xws,o-xwrt
    state: file
  with_items:
  - '{{ files_found.stdout_lines }}'
  when: ansible_virtualization_type not in ["docker", "lxc", "openvz", "podman", "container"]
  tags:
  - DISA-STIG-UBTU-22-232027
  - configure_strategy
  - file_permissions_system_journal
  - low_complexity
  - low_disruption
  - medium_severity
  - no_reboot_needed

- name: Find /var/log/journal/ file(s) recursively
  command: find -H /var/log/journal/  -perm /u+xs,g+xws,o+xwrt  -type f -regex "^.*$"
  register: files_found
  changed_when: false
  failed_when: false
  check_mode: false
  when: ansible_virtualization_type not in ["docker", "lxc", "openvz", "podman", "container"]
  tags:
  - DISA-STIG-UBTU-22-232027
  - configure_strategy
  - file_permissions_system_journal
  - low_complexity
  - low_disruption
  - medium_severity
  - no_reboot_needed

- name: Set permissions for /var/log/journal/ file(s)
  file:
    path: '{{ item }}'
    mode: u-xs,g-xws,o-xwrt
    state: file
  with_items:
  - '{{ files_found.stdout_lines }}'
  when: ansible_virtualization_type not in ["docker", "lxc", "openvz", "podman", "container"]
  tags:
  - DISA-STIG-UBTU-22-232027
  - configure_strategy
  - file_permissions_system_journal
  - low_complexity
  - low_disruption
  - medium_severity
  - no_reboot_needed