SQL4-00-035600 - SQL Server must produce Trace or Audit records when security objects are accessed - Event ID 91

Information

Changes to the security configuration must be tracked.

This requirement applies to situations where security data is retrieved or modified via data manipulation operations, as opposed to via SQL Server's built-in security functionality (GRANT, REVOKE, DENY, ALTER [SERVER] ROLE ... ADD/DROP MEMBER ..., etc.).

In SQL Server, types of access include, but are not necessarily limited to:
SELECT
INSERT
UPDATE
DELETE
EXECUTE

Since the system views are read-only, and the underlying tables are kept hidden by SQL Server, the Insert, Update and Delete cases are relevant only where the database includes user-defined tables to support additional security functionality.

Use of SQL Server Audit is recommended. All features of SQL Server Audit are available in the Enterprise and Developer editions of SQL Server 2014. It is not available at the database level in other editions. For this or legacy reasons, the instance may be using SQL Server Trace for auditing, which remains an acceptable solution for the time being. Note, however, that Microsoft intends to remove most aspects of Trace at some point after SQL Server 2016. Note also that Trace does not support auditing of SELECT statements, whereas Audit does.

Solution

Where SQL Server Trace is in use, create triggers to raise a custom event on each table that requires tracking of Insert-Update-Delete operations. The examples provided in the supplemental file CustomTraceEvents.sql can serve as the basis for these.

Add a block of code to the supplemental file Trace.sql for each custom event class (integers in the range 82-91; the same event class may be used for all such triggers) used in these triggers. Execute Trace.sql.

If SQL Server Audit is in use, design and deploy an Audit that captures all auditable events and data items. The script provided in the supplemental file Audit.sql can be used as the basis for this. Supplement the standard audit data as necessary, using Extended Events and/or triggers.

Alternatively, to add the necessary data capture to an existing server audit specification, run the script:
USE [master];
GO
ALTER SERVER AUDIT SPECIFICATION <server_audit_specification_name> WITH (STATE = OFF);
GO
ALTER SERVER AUDIT SPECIFICATION <server_audit_specification_name> ADD (SCHEMA_OBJECT_ACCESS_GROUP);
GO
ALTER SERVER AUDIT SPECIFICATION <server_audit_specification_name> WITH (STATE = ON);
GO

Item Details

Audit Name: DISA STIG SQL Server 2014 Instance DB Audit v2r4

Category: AUDIT AND ACCOUNTABILITY

Plugin: MS_SQLDB

Control ID: 6ea800ab225785bf408ad00c3d40b92888bd298d2d200d1f5d3673ad8c5d352f

Detections

Analytics

SQL4-00-035600 - SQL Server must produce Trace or Audit records when security objects are accessed - Event ID 91

Information

Solution

See Also

Item Details