5.2.2.2 Ensure audit logs are not automatically deleted

Information

The max_log_file_action setting determines how to handle the audit log file reaching the max file size. A value of keep_logs will rotate the logs but never delete old logs.

In high security contexts, the benefits of maintaining a long audit history exceed the cost of storing the audit history.

Solution

Set the following parameter in /etc/audit/auditd.conf:

max_log_file_action = keep_logs

See Also

https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/15023

Item Details

Category: AUDIT AND ACCOUNTABILITY

References: 800-53|AU-4, CSCv7|6.4

Plugin: Unix

Control ID: 9693f4f7da02802d029d35fcd8745577f46f0a90b8735cd0ba4138fc9fbd2c2a