6.2.1.1.4 Ensure journald ForwardToSyslog is disabled

Information

Data from journald should be kept in the confines of the service and not forwarded to other services.

- IF - journald is the method for capturing logs, all logs of the system should be handled by journald and not forwarded to other logging mechanisms.

Note: This recommendation only applies if journald is the chosen method for client side logging Do not apply this recommendation if rsyslog is used.

Solution

- IF - rsyslog is the preferred method for capturing logs, this section and Recommendation should be skipped and the "Configure rsyslog" section followed.

- IF - journald is the preferred method for capturing logs:

Set the following parameter in the [Journal] section in /etc/systemd/journald.conf or a file in /etc/systemd/journald.conf.d/ ending inconf :

ForwardToSyslog=no

Example:

#!/usr/bin/env bash

{
[ ! -d /etc/systemd/journald.conf.d/ ] && mkdir /etc/systemd/journald.conf.d/
if grep -Psq -- '^\h*\[Journal\]' /etc/systemd/journald.conf.d/60-journald.conf; then
printf '%s\n' "ForwardToSyslog=no" >> /etc/systemd/journald.conf.d/60-journald.conf
else
printf '%s\n' "[Journal]" "ForwardToSyslog=no" >> /etc/systemd/journald.conf.d/60-journald.conf
fi
}

Note: Drop-in configuration files have higher precedence and override the main configuration file. Files in the *.conf.d/ configuration subdirectories are sorted by their filename in lexicographic order, regardless of in which of the subdirectories they reside. When multiple files specify the same option, for options which accept just a single value, the entry in the file sorted last takes precedence, and for options which accept a list of values,entries are collected as they occur in the sorted files.

Run to following command to update the parameters in the service:

# systemctl reload-or-restart systemd-journald

See Also

https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/23597