cm-3-7-review-system-changes

name	CM-3(7)_review-system-changes
description	Review changes to the system [organization-defined] or when [organization-defined] to determine whether unauthorized changes have occurred.
category	configuration
version	5.2.0
author	cyberstrike-official
tags	["nist","sp800-53","rev5","cm-3-7","cm","enhancement"]
tech_stack	["aws","azure","gcp","linux","windows"]
cwe_ids	["CWE-16"]
chains_with	["AU-6","AU-7","CM-3"]
prerequisites	["CM-3"]
severity_boost	{"AU-6":"Chain with AU-6 for comprehensive security coverage","AU-7":"Chain with AU-7 for comprehensive security coverage","CM-3":"Chain with CM-3 for comprehensive security coverage"}

CM-3(7) Review System Changes

Enhancement of: CM-3

High-Level Description

Family: Configuration Management (CM) Framework: NIST SP 800-53 Rev 5

Indications that warrant a review of changes to the system and the specific circumstances justifying such reviews may be obtained from activities carried out by organizations during the configuration change process or continuous monitoring process.

What to Check

• Verify CM-3(7) Review System Changes is documented in SSP
• Confirm control is operating effectively
• Review evidence of continuous monitoring for CM-3(7)
• Verify enhancement builds upon base control CM-3

How to Test

Step 1: Review Documentation

Examine the System Security Plan (SSP) and related artifacts for CM-3(7) implementation details. Verify the organization has documented how this control is satisfied.

Step 2: Validate Implementation

# For cloud environments, use cloud-audit-mcp tools
# For on-premises, review system configurations directly

# Example: Check if account management policies exist
grep -r "account.management\|access.control" /etc/security/ 2>/dev/null

Step 3: Test Operating Effectiveness

Verify the control is actively functioning, not just documented. Check logs, configurations, and operational evidence.

Tools

Tool	Purpose	Usage
cloud-audit-mcp	Check configuration baselines	cloud_audit_config
AWS CLI	Review Config rules	aws configservice describe-config-rules

Remediation Guide

Control Statement

Review changes to the system [organization-defined] or when [organization-defined] to determine whether unauthorized changes have occurred.

Implementation Guidance

Indications that warrant a review of changes to the system and the specific circumstances justifying such reviews may be obtained from activities carried out by organizations during the configuration change process or continuous monitoring process.

Risk Assessment