Detections
Analytics

EP11-00-002900 - The EDB Postgres Advanced Server must protect its audit features from unauthorized access.

Warning! Audit Deprecated

This audit has been deprecated and will be removed in a future update.

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Information

Protecting audit data also includes identifying and protecting the tools used to view and manipulate log data.

Depending upon the log format and application, system and application log tools may provide the only means to manipulate and manage application and system log data. It is, therefore, imperative that access to audit tools be controlled and protected from unauthorized access.

Applications providing tools to interface with audit data will leverage user permissions and roles identifying the user accessing the tools and the corresponding rights the user enjoys to make access decisions regarding the access to audit tools.

Audit tools include, but are not limited to, OS-provided audit tools, vendor-provided audit tools, and open source audit tools needed to successfully view and manipulate audit information system activity and records.

If an attacker were to gain access to audit tools, he could analyze audit logs for system weaknesses or weaknesses in the auditing itself. An attacker could also manipulate logs to hide evidence of malicious activity.

Solution

1) Change ownership of EDB Audit directory and its contents to the database service account if they are not owned by the database service account.

If the EDB Audit directory and its contents are not owned by the database service account, change ownership to the service account responsible for running the Advanced Server database service.

This may be done using Windows Explorer:
 Browse to the directory where the EDB audit directory folder is located.
 Select and right-click on the folder, select 'Properties', select the 'Securities' tab, and select the 'Advanced' button.
 Select the 'Change' link shown next to the owner of the folder to change the folder's owner.

Alternatively, the Windows TAKEOWN command or the ICACLS command (with the /SETOWNER option) may be used to change ownership of folders and files using the Windows command prompt.

2) Modify permissions on the EDB Audit directory and its contents to meet the requirement to protect against unauthorized access.

This may be done using Windows Explorer:
 Browse to the directory where the EDB audit directory folder is located.
 Select and right-click on the folder, select 'Properties', and select the 'Security' tab.
 Modify the security permissions to:
 NT AUTHORITY/NetworkService (or configured database service account) (Full Control)
 Administrators (Read)
 Users (none)

Alternatively, the Windows ICACLS command may be used to modify permissions on folders and files using the Windows command prompt.

If other permissions have been granted to other users or groups, ensure that the system documentation is updated to note the organizationally approved permission setting and corresponding justification of the permission settings for this requirement.

See Also

https://dl.dod.cyber.mil/wp-content/uploads/stigs/zip/U_EDB_PGS_Advanced_Server_v11_Windows_V1R1_STIG.zip

Item Details

Category: CONFIGURATION MANAGEMENT

References: 800-53|CM-6, CAT|II, CCI|CCI-001493, Rule-ID|SV-109433r1_rule, STIG-ID|EP11-00-002900, Vuln-ID|V-100329

Plugin: Windows

Control ID: 4c0687871e99a9e75e7e8d6d3ca7140d10637e042dd914fa4583e16a5c36c62a