Ensure sudo log file exists

Details

sudo can use a custom log file

Note: visudo edits the sudoers file in a safe fashion, analogous to vipw(8). visudo locks the sudoers file against multiple simultaneous edits, provides basic sanity checks, and checks for parse errors. If the sudoers file is currently being edited you will receive a message to try again later. The -f option allows you to tell visudo which file to edit.

Rationale:

A sudo log file simplifies auditing of sudo commands

Impact:

Editing the sudo configuration incorrectly can cause sudo to stop functioning

Solution

edit the file /etc/sudoers or a file in /etc/sudoers.d/ with visudo or visudo -f and add the following line:

Defaults logfile=’

Example

Defaults logfile=’/var/log/sudo.log’

Supportive Information

The following resource is also helpful.

This security hardening control applies to the following category of controls within NIST 800-53: Audit and Accountability.This control applies to the following type of system Unix.

References

Source

Updated on July 16, 2022
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