cis-gcp-cos-4-1-2-2

name	cis-gcp-cos-4.1.2.2
description	Ensure journald is configured to write logfiles to persistent disk
category	cis-gcp-cos
version	1.2.0
author	cyberstrike-official
tags	["cis","gcp","container-optimized-os","logging","journald","log-files"]
cis_id	4.1.2.2
cis_benchmark	CIS Google Container-Optimized OS Benchmark v1.2.0
tech_stack	["gcp","linux"]
cwe_ids	[]
chains_with	[]
prerequisites	[]
severity_boost	{}

4.1.2.2 Ensure journald is configured to write logfiles to persistent disk (Automated)

Description

Data from journald may be stored in volatile memory or persisted locally on the server. Logs in memory will be lost upon a system reboot. By persisting logs to local disk on the server they are protected from loss.

Rationale

Writing log data to disk will provide the ability to forensically reconstruct events which may have impacted the operations or security of a system even after a system crash or reboot.

Audit Procedure

Review /etc/systemd/journald.conf and verify that logs are persisted to disk:

# grep -e Storage /etc/systemd/journald.conf
# Storage=persistent

Expected Result

The output should show Storage=persistent.

Remediation

Edit the /etc/systemd/journald.conf file and add the following line:

Storage=persistent

/etc is stateless on Container-Optimized OS. Therefore, /etc cannot be used to make these changes persistent across reboots. The steps mentioned above needs to be performed after every boot.

Default Value

The main configuration file /etc/systemd/journald.conf is read before any of the custom *.conf files. If there are custom configs present, they override the main configuration parameters.

References

1. https://github.com/konstruktoid/hardening/blob/master/systemd.adoc#etcsystemdjournaldconf

CIS Controls

Controls Version	Control	IG 1	IG 2	IG 3
v8	8.2 Collect Audit Logs - Collect audit logs. Ensure that logging, per the enterprise's audit log management process, has been enabled across enterprise assets.	x	x	x
v8	8.5 Collect Detailed Audit Logs - Configure detailed audit logging for enterprise assets containing sensitive data. Include event source, date, username, timestamp, source addresses, destination addresses, and other useful elements that could assist in a forensic investigation.		x