Check: ESXI-67-000045
VMware vSphere 6.7 ESXi STIG:
ESXI-67-000045
(in versions v1 r3 through v1 r1)
Title
The ESXi host must enable a persistent log location for all locally stored logs. (Cat II impact)
Discussion
ESXi can be configured to store log files on an in-memory file system. This occurs when the host's "/scratch" directory is linked to "/tmp/scratch". When this is done, only a single day's worth of logs is stored at any time. In addition, log files will be reinitialized upon each reboot. This presents a security risk as user activity logged on the host is only stored temporarily and will not persist across reboots. This can also complicate auditing and make it harder to monitor events and diagnose issues. ESXi host logging should always be configured to a persistent datastore. Note: Scratch space is configured automatically during installation or first boot of an ESXi host and does not usually need to be manually configured. ESXi Installable creates a 4 GB Fat16 partition on the target device during installation if there is sufficient space and if the device is considered "local". If ESXi is installed on an SD card or USB device, a persistent log location may not be configured upon install as normal.
Check Content
From the vSphere Client, select the ESXi host and go to Configure >> System >> Advanced System Settings. Select the "Syslog.global.logDir" value and verify it is set to a persistent location. or From a PowerCLI command prompt while connected to the ESXi host, run the following commands: $esxcli = Get-EsxCli -v2 $esxcli.system.syslog.config.get.Invoke() | Select LocalLogOutput,LocalLogOutputIsPersistent If the "LocalLogOutputIsPersistent" value is not true, this is a finding.
Fix Text
From the vSphere Client, select the ESXi host and go to Configure >> System >> Advanced System Settings. Click "Edit" and select the "Syslog.global.logDir" value and set it to a known persistent location. or From a PowerCLI command prompt while connected to the ESXi host, run the following commands: Get-VMHost | Get-AdvancedSetting -Name Syslog.global.logDir | Set-AdvancedSetting -Value "New Log Location"
Additional Identifiers
Rule ID: SV-239300r854596_rule
Vulnerability ID: V-239300
Group Title: SRG-OS-000341-VMM-001220
Expert Comments
CCIs
Number | Definition |
---|---|
CCI-001849 |
The organization allocates audit record storage capacity in accordance with organization-defined audit record storage requirements. |
Controls
Number | Title |
---|---|
AU-4 |
Audit Storage Capacity |