| name | CIS Ubuntu 14.04 LTS - 5.2.3 Ensure SSH LogLevel is set to INFO |
| description | Verify SSH LogLevel is configured to INFO for adequate logging of login activity |
| category | cis-os-hardening |
| version | 2.1.0 |
| author | cyberstrike-official |
| tags | ["cis","ubuntu","ubuntu-14.04","level-1","scored","ssh"] |
| cis_id | 5.2.3 |
| cis_benchmark | CIS Ubuntu Linux 14.04 LTS Benchmark v2.1.0 |
| tech_stack | ["ubuntu","linux"] |
| cwe_ids | [] |
| chains_with | [] |
| prerequisites | [] |
| severity_boost | low |
5.2.3 Ensure SSH LogLevel is set to INFO (Scored)
Profile Applicability
- Level 1 - Server
- Level 1 - Workstation
Description
The INFO parameter specifies that login and logout activity will be logged.
Rationale
SSH provides several logging levels with varying amounts of verbosity. DEBUG is specifically not recommended other than strictly for debugging SSH communications since it provides so much data that it is difficult to identify important security information. INFO level is the basic level that only records login activity of SSH users. In many situations, such as Incident Response, it is important to determine when a particular user was active on a system. The logout record can eliminate those users who disconnected, which helps narrow the field.
Audit Procedure
Run the following command and verify that output matches:
grep "^LogLevel" /etc/ssh/sshd_config
Expected Result
LogLevel INFO
Remediation
Edit the /etc/ssh/sshd_config file to set the parameter as follows:
LogLevel INFO
Default Value
LogLevel INFO
References
- CIS Controls: 16 - Account Monitoring and Control
Profile
- Level 1 - Server
- Level 1 - Workstation
