---
id: audit_files_owner_configure
title: Configure Audit Log Files to be Owned by Root
discussion: |
  Audit log files _MUST_ be owned by root.

  The audit service _MUST_ be configured to create log files with the correct ownership to prevent normal users from reading audit logs.

  Audit logs contain sensitive data about the system and users. If log files are set to only be readable and writable by system administrators, the risk is mitigated.
references:
  nist:
    cce:
      macos_27:
        - CCE-XXXXX-X
      macos_26:
        - CCE-95114-5
      macos_15:
        - CCE-94114-6
      macos_14:
        - CCE-92714-5
    800-53r5:
      - AU-9
    800-171r3:
      - 03.03.08
  disa:
    cci:
      - CCI-000162
      - CCI-000163
      - CCI-000164
      - CCI-001493
      - CCI-001494
      - CCI-001495
    srg:
      - SRG-OS-000256-GPOS-00097
      - SRG-OS-000057-GPOS-00027
      - SRG-OS-000059-GPOS-00029
      - SRG-OS-000257-GPOS-00098
      - SRG-OS-000258-GPOS-00099
      - SRG-OS-000058-GPOS-00028
    disa_stig:
      macos_26:
        - APPL-26-001012
      macos_15:
        - APPL-15-001012
      macos_14:
        - APPL-14-001012
    cmmc:
      - AU.L2-3.3.8
  bzk:
    bio:
      - 8.18
      - 8.18.02
  cis:
    benchmark:
      macos_26:
        - 3.5 (level 1)
      macos_15:
        - 3.5 (level 1)
      macos_14:
        - 3.5 (level 1)
    controls_v8:
      - 3.3
platforms:
  macOS:
    '27.0': {}
    '26.0':
      benchmarks:
        - name: cis_lvl1
        - name: cis_lvl2
        - name: disa_stig
          severity: medium
        - name: nlmapgov_plus
        - name: nlmapgov_base
    '15.0':
      benchmarks:
        - name: cis_lvl1
        - name: cis_lvl2
        - name: disa_stig
          severity: medium
        - name: nlmapgov_plus
        - name: nlmapgov_base
    enforcement_info:
      check:
        shell: '/bin/ls -n $(/usr/bin/grep ''^dir'' /etc/security/audit_control | /usr/bin/awk -F: ''{print $2}'') | /usr/bin/awk ''{s+=$3} END {print s}'''
        result:
          integer: 0
      fix:
        shell: /usr/sbin/chown -R root /var/audit/*
tags:
  - 800-53r5_low
  - 800-53r5_moderate
  - 800-53r5_high
  - 800-171
  - cisv8
  - cnssi-1253_low
  - cnssi-1253_high
  - cmmc_lvl2
  - cnssi-1253_moderate
