5.2.3.7 Ensure unsuccessful file access attempts are collected

Information

Monitor for unsuccessful attempts to access files. The following parameters are associated with system calls that control files:

- creation - creat
- opening - open openat
- truncation - truncate ftruncate

An audit log record will only be written if all of the following criteria is met for the user when trying to access a file:

- a non-privileged user (auid>=UID_MIN)
- is not a Daemon event (auid=4294967295/unset/-1)
- if the system call returned EACCES (permission denied) or EPERM (some other permanent error associated with the specific system call)

Failed attempts to open, create or truncate files could be an indication that an individual or process is trying to gain unauthorized access to the system.

Solution

Create audit rules

Edit or create a file in the /etc/audit/rules.d/ directory, ending inrules extension, with the relevant rules to monitor unsuccessful file access attempts.

64 Bit systems

Example:

# {
UID_MIN=$(awk '/^s*UID_MIN/{print $2}' /etc/login.defs)
[ -n "${UID_MIN}" ] && printf "
-a always,exit -F arch=b64 -S creat,open,openat,truncate,ftruncate -F exit=-EACCES -F auid>=${UID_MIN} -F auid!=unset -k access
-a always,exit -F arch=b64 -S creat,open,openat,truncate,ftruncate -F exit=-EPERM -F auid>=${UID_MIN} -F auid!=unset -k access
-a always,exit -F arch=b32 -S creat,open,openat,truncate,ftruncate -F exit=-EACCES -F auid>=${UID_MIN} -F auid!=unset -k access
-a always,exit -F arch=b32 -S creat,open,openat,truncate,ftruncate -F exit=-EPERM -F auid>=${UID_MIN} -F auid!=unset -k access
" >> /etc/audit/rules.d/50-access.rules || printf "ERROR: Variable 'UID_MIN' is unset.
"
}

Load audit rules

Merge and load the rules into active configuration:

# augenrules --load

Check if reboot is required.

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

32 Bit systems

Follow the same procedures as for 64 bit systems and ignore any entries with b64

See Also

https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/13007