Record Attempts to Alter the localtime File

An XCCDF Rule

Description

If the auditd daemon is configured to use the augenrules program to read audit rules during daemon startup (the default), add the following line to a file with suffix .rules in the directory /etc/audit/rules.d:

-w /etc/localtime -p wa -k audit_time_rules

If the auditd daemon is configured to use the auditctl utility to read audit rules during daemon startup, add the following line to /etc/audit/audit.rules file:

-w /etc/localtime -p wa -k audit_time_rules

The -k option allows for the specification of a key in string form that can be used for better reporting capability through ausearch and aureport and should always be used.

Rationale

Arbitrary changes to the system time can be used to obfuscate nefarious activities in log files, as well as to confuse network services that are highly dependent upon an accurate system time (such as sshd). All changes to the system time should be audited.

ID: xccdf_org.ssgproject.content_rule_audit_rules_time_watch_localtime
Severity: Medium
References: BP28(R73)

1 11 12 13 14 15 16 19 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

5.4.1.1

APO10.01 APO10.03 APO10.04 APO10.05 APO11.04 APO12.06 APO13.01 BAI03.05 BAI08.02 DSS01.03 DSS01.04 DSS02.02 DSS02.04 DSS02.07 DSS03.01 DSS03.05 DSS05.02 DSS05.03 DSS05.04 DSS05.05 DSS05.07 MEA01.01 MEA01.02 MEA01.03 MEA01.04 MEA01.05 MEA02.01

3.1.7

CCI-000169 CCI-001487

164.308(a)(1)(ii)(D) 164.308(a)(3)(ii)(A) 164.308(a)(5)(ii)(C) 164.312(a)(2)(i) 164.312(b) 164.312(d) 164.312(e)

4.2.3.10 4.3.2.6.7 4.3.3.3.9 4.3.3.5.8 4.3.3.6.6 4.3.4.4.7 4.3.4.5.6 4.3.4.5.7 4.3.4.5.8 4.4.2.1 4.4.2.2 4.4.2.4

SR 1.13 SR 2.10 SR 2.11 SR 2.12 SR 2.6 SR 2.8 SR 2.9 SR 3.1 SR 3.5 SR 3.8 SR 4.1 SR 4.3 SR 5.1 SR 5.2 SR 5.3 SR 6.1 SR 6.2 SR 7.1 SR 7.6

A.11.2.6 A.12.4.1 A.12.4.2 A.12.4.3 A.12.4.4 A.12.7.1 A.13.1.1 A.13.2.1 A.14.1.3 A.14.2.7 A.15.2.1 A.15.2.2 A.16.1.4 A.16.1.5 A.16.1.7 A.6.2.1 A.6.2.2

AC-6(9) AU-12(c) AU-2(d) CM-6(a)

DE.AE-3 DE.AE-5 DE.CM-1 DE.CM-3 DE.CM-7 ID.SC-4 PR.AC-3 PR.PT-1 PR.PT-4 RS.AN-1 RS.AN-4

Req-10.4.2.b

10.6.3 10.6.3
Updated: about 1 year ago

- name: Gather the package facts
  package_facts:
    manager: auto
  tags:
  - CJIS-5.4.1.1
  - NIST-800-171-3.1.7  - NIST-800-53-AC-6(9)
  - NIST-800-53-AU-12(c)
  - NIST-800-53-AU-2(d)
  - NIST-800-53-CM-6(a)
  - PCI-DSS-Req-10.4.2.b
  - PCI-DSSv4-10.6.3
  - PCI-DSSv4-10.6.3
  - audit_rules_time_watch_localtime
  - low_complexity
  - low_disruption
  - medium_severity
  - no_reboot_needed
  - restrict_strategy

- name: Check if watch rule for /etc/localtime already exists in /etc/audit/rules.d/
  find:
    paths: /etc/audit/rules.d
    contains: ^\s*-w\s+/etc/localtime\s+-p\s+wa(\s|$)+
    patterns: '*.rules'
  register: find_existing_watch_rules_d
  when:
  - '"audit" in ansible_facts.packages'
  - ansible_virtualization_type not in ["docker", "lxc", "openvz", "podman", "container"]
  tags:
  - CJIS-5.4.1.1
  - NIST-800-171-3.1.7
  - NIST-800-53-AC-6(9)
  - NIST-800-53-AU-12(c)
  - NIST-800-53-AU-2(d)
  - NIST-800-53-CM-6(a)
  - PCI-DSS-Req-10.4.2.b
  - PCI-DSSv4-10.6.3
  - PCI-DSSv4-10.6.3
  - audit_rules_time_watch_localtime
  - low_complexity
  - low_disruption
  - medium_severity
  - no_reboot_needed
  - restrict_strategy

- name: Search /etc/audit/rules.d for other rules with specified key audit_time_rules
  find:
    paths: /etc/audit/rules.d
    contains: ^.*(?:-F key=|-k\s+)audit_time_rules$
    patterns: '*.rules'
  register: find_watch_key
  when:
  - '"audit" in ansible_facts.packages'
  - ansible_virtualization_type not in ["docker", "lxc", "openvz", "podman", "container"]
  - find_existing_watch_rules_d.matched is defined and find_existing_watch_rules_d.matched
    == 0
  tags:
  - CJIS-5.4.1.1
  - NIST-800-171-3.1.7
  - NIST-800-53-AC-6(9)
  - NIST-800-53-AU-12(c)
  - NIST-800-53-AU-2(d)
  - NIST-800-53-CM-6(a)
  - PCI-DSS-Req-10.4.2.b
  - PCI-DSSv4-10.6.3
  - PCI-DSSv4-10.6.3
  - audit_rules_time_watch_localtime
  - low_complexity
  - low_disruption
  - medium_severity
  - no_reboot_needed
  - restrict_strategy

- name: Use /etc/audit/rules.d/audit_time_rules.rules as the recipient for the rule
  set_fact:
    all_files:
    - /etc/audit/rules.d/audit_time_rules.rules
  when:
  - '"audit" in ansible_facts.packages'
  - ansible_virtualization_type not in ["docker", "lxc", "openvz", "podman", "container"]
  - find_watch_key.matched is defined and find_watch_key.matched == 0 and find_existing_watch_rules_d.matched
    is defined and find_existing_watch_rules_d.matched == 0
  tags:
  - CJIS-5.4.1.1
  - NIST-800-171-3.1.7
  - NIST-800-53-AC-6(9)
  - NIST-800-53-AU-12(c)
  - NIST-800-53-AU-2(d)
  - NIST-800-53-CM-6(a)
  - PCI-DSS-Req-10.4.2.b
  - PCI-DSSv4-10.6.3
  - PCI-DSSv4-10.6.3
  - audit_rules_time_watch_localtime
  - low_complexity
  - low_disruption
  - medium_severity
  - no_reboot_needed
  - restrict_strategy

- name: Use matched file as the recipient for the rule
  set_fact:
    all_files:
    - '{{ find_watch_key.files | map(attribute=''path'') | list | first }}'
  when:
  - '"audit" in ansible_facts.packages'
  - ansible_virtualization_type not in ["docker", "lxc", "openvz", "podman", "container"]
  - find_watch_key.matched is defined and find_watch_key.matched > 0 and find_existing_watch_rules_d.matched
    is defined and find_existing_watch_rules_d.matched == 0
  tags:
  - CJIS-5.4.1.1
  - NIST-800-171-3.1.7
  - NIST-800-53-AC-6(9)
  - NIST-800-53-AU-12(c)
  - NIST-800-53-AU-2(d)
  - NIST-800-53-CM-6(a)
  - PCI-DSS-Req-10.4.2.b
  - PCI-DSSv4-10.6.3
  - PCI-DSSv4-10.6.3
  - audit_rules_time_watch_localtime
  - low_complexity
  - low_disruption
  - medium_severity
  - no_reboot_needed
  - restrict_strategy

- name: Add watch rule for /etc/localtime in /etc/audit/rules.d/
  lineinfile:
    path: '{{ all_files[0] }}'
    line: -w /etc/localtime -p wa -k audit_time_rules
    create: true
    mode: '0640'
  when:
  - '"audit" in ansible_facts.packages'
  - ansible_virtualization_type not in ["docker", "lxc", "openvz", "podman", "container"]
  - find_existing_watch_rules_d.matched is defined and find_existing_watch_rules_d.matched
    == 0
  tags:
  - CJIS-5.4.1.1
  - NIST-800-171-3.1.7
  - NIST-800-53-AC-6(9)
  - NIST-800-53-AU-12(c)
  - NIST-800-53-AU-2(d)
  - NIST-800-53-CM-6(a)
  - PCI-DSS-Req-10.4.2.b
  - PCI-DSSv4-10.6.3
  - PCI-DSSv4-10.6.3
  - audit_rules_time_watch_localtime
  - low_complexity
  - low_disruption
  - medium_severity
  - no_reboot_needed
  - restrict_strategy

- name: Check if watch rule for /etc/localtime already exists in /etc/audit/audit.rules
  find:
    paths: /etc/audit/
    contains: ^\s*-w\s+/etc/localtime\s+-p\s+wa(\s|$)+
    patterns: audit.rules
  register: find_existing_watch_audit_rules
  when:
  - '"audit" in ansible_facts.packages'
  - ansible_virtualization_type not in ["docker", "lxc", "openvz", "podman", "container"]
  tags:
  - CJIS-5.4.1.1
  - NIST-800-171-3.1.7
  - NIST-800-53-AC-6(9)
  - NIST-800-53-AU-12(c)
  - NIST-800-53-AU-2(d)
  - NIST-800-53-CM-6(a)
  - PCI-DSS-Req-10.4.2.b
  - PCI-DSSv4-10.6.3
  - PCI-DSSv4-10.6.3
  - audit_rules_time_watch_localtime
  - low_complexity
  - low_disruption
  - medium_severity
  - no_reboot_needed
  - restrict_strategy

- name: Add watch rule for /etc/localtime in /etc/audit/audit.rules
  lineinfile:
    line: -w /etc/localtime -p wa -k audit_time_rules
    state: present
    dest: /etc/audit/audit.rules
    create: true
    mode: '0640'
  when:
  - '"audit" in ansible_facts.packages'
  - ansible_virtualization_type not in ["docker", "lxc", "openvz", "podman", "container"]
  - find_existing_watch_audit_rules.matched is defined and find_existing_watch_audit_rules.matched
    == 0
  tags:
  - CJIS-5.4.1.1
  - NIST-800-171-3.1.7
  - NIST-800-53-AC-6(9)
  - NIST-800-53-AU-12(c)
  - NIST-800-53-AU-2(d)
  - NIST-800-53-CM-6(a)
  - PCI-DSS-Req-10.4.2.b
  - PCI-DSSv4-10.6.3
  - PCI-DSSv4-10.6.3
  - audit_rules_time_watch_localtime
  - low_complexity
  - low_disruption
  - medium_severity
  - no_reboot_needed
  - restrict_strategy

Record Attempts to Alter the localtime File

Description

Rationale

Remediation - Ansible