# yaml-language-server: $schema=../../../../schema/control.schema.json
id: CB-DEB-AUDIT-019
title: Audit changes to accounts, groups and authentication settings
finding:
  title: Changes to accounts and authentication settings are not recorded
  description: Accounts, passwords and PAM rules can be changed to create a backdoor without leaving a record.
status: active
profiles: [server-hardened, desktop-hardened]
risk:
  severity: medium
assessment: automated
tags: [auditd, accounts, pam]

description: |
  auditd rules in `/etc/audit/rules.d/60-cirsec-identity.rules`:

  - writes to the account databases `/etc/passwd`, `/etc/shadow`, `/etc/group`, `/etc/gshadow` and
    the password history `/etc/security/opasswd`, to `/etc/nsswitch.conf`, `/etc/pam.conf` and
    `/etc/pam.d/` (key `identity`);
  - every run of `usermod` by a user who logged in (key `usermod`).
rationale: |
  Adding an account, changing a group membership or weakening a PAM rule are the simplest ways to
  keep access to a system. These records show every such change and the user who made it.
impact: |
  Password changes by users produce `identity` records, which is expected.

setting:
  location: /etc/audit/rules.d/60-cirsec-identity.rules
  default_value: No audit rules
  recommended_value: "Rules loaded (auditctl -l) and present in /etc/audit/rules.d/60-cirsec-identity.rules"

audit:
  manual: |
    1. Run `auditctl -l` as root. It must list the rules shown below (keys `identity`, `usermod`).
    2. Run `grep -h . /etc/audit/rules.d/*.rules`. The same rules must be present, so they load at boot.

    Expected rules, as `auditctl -l` prints them:
    ```
    -w /etc/group -p wa -k identity
    -w /etc/passwd -p wa -k identity
    -w /etc/gshadow -p wa -k identity
    -w /etc/shadow -p wa -k identity
    -w /etc/security/opasswd -p wa -k identity
    -w /etc/nsswitch.conf -p wa -k identity
    -w /etc/pam.conf -p wa -k identity
    -w /etc/pam.d -p wa -k identity
    -a always,exit -S all -F path=/usr/sbin/usermod -F perm=x -F auid>=1000 -F auid!=-1 -F key=usermod
    ```
  checks:
    - id: rules
      engine: shell
      description: Rules loaded in the kernel and present in /etc/audit/rules.d.
      spec:
        script: |
          command -v auditctl >/dev/null 2>&1 || { echo "auditctl not found: auditd is not installed"; exit 1; }
          want() {
          cat <<'RULES'
          -w /etc/group -p wa -k identity
          -w /etc/passwd -p wa -k identity
          -w /etc/gshadow -p wa -k identity
          -w /etc/shadow -p wa -k identity
          -w /etc/security/opasswd -p wa -k identity
          -w /etc/nsswitch.conf -p wa -k identity
          -w /etc/pam.conf -p wa -k identity
          -w /etc/pam.d -p wa -k identity
          -a always,exit -S all -F path=/usr/sbin/usermod -F perm=x -F auid>=1000 -F auid!=-1 -F key=usermod
          RULES
          }
          loaded=$(auditctl -l 2>&1) || { echo "$loaded"; exit 3; }
          disk=$(cat /etc/audit/rules.d/*.rules 2>/dev/null)
          n=0 rc=0
          while IFS= read -r r; do
            [ -n "$r" ] || continue
            n=$((n + 1))
            printf '%s\n' "$loaded" | grep -Fxq -- "$r" || { echo "not loaded: $r"; rc=1; }
            printf '%s\n' "$disk" | grep -Fxq -- "$r" || { echo "not in /etc/audit/rules.d: $r"; rc=1; }
          done <<EOF
          $(want)
          EOF
          [ "$rc" = 1 ] || echo "$n rules loaded and present in /etc/audit/rules.d"
          exit "$rc"

remediation:
  manual: |
    1. Write the expected rules to `/etc/audit/rules.d/60-cirsec-identity.rules` (mode 0640).
    2. Run `augenrules --load`. If `auditctl -s` shows `enabled 2`, the configuration is locked:
       reboot to load the new rules.
  effects:
    restart: none
    disruption: none
    lockout_risk: false
  rollback: |
    Delete `/etc/audit/rules.d/60-cirsec-identity.rules` and run `augenrules --load` (or reboot if the configuration is locked).
  scripts:
    - id: rules-file
      engine: shell
      content: |
        command -v augenrules >/dev/null 2>&1 || { echo "auditd is not installed" >&2; exit 1; }
        want() {
        cat <<'RULES'
        -w /etc/group -p wa -k identity
        -w /etc/passwd -p wa -k identity
        -w /etc/gshadow -p wa -k identity
        -w /etc/shadow -p wa -k identity
        -w /etc/security/opasswd -p wa -k identity
        -w /etc/nsswitch.conf -p wa -k identity
        -w /etc/pam.conf -p wa -k identity
        -w /etc/pam.d -p wa -k identity
        -a always,exit -S all -F path=/usr/sbin/usermod -F perm=x -F auid>=1000 -F auid!=-1 -F key=usermod
        RULES
        }
        f=/etc/audit/rules.d/60-cirsec-identity.rules
        t=$(mktemp)
        { echo '# Written by CIRSEC Baselines CB-DEB-AUDIT-019'; want; } >"$t"
        if ! cmp -s "$t" "$f"; then
          cb_backup "$f"
          cat "$t" >"$f"
        fi
        rm -f "$t"
        chmod 640 "$f"
        if auditctl -s | grep -q '^enabled 2'; then
          echo "audit rules are locked (-e 2): reboot to load $f"
        else
          augenrules --load >/dev/null
        fi

references:
  - title: audit.rules(7), Debian manual pages
    url: https://manpages.debian.org/trixie/auditd/audit.rules.7.en.html
    publisher: Debian
    kind: vendor-doc
    accessed: 2026-10-18
  - title: auditctl(8), Debian manual pages
    url: https://manpages.debian.org/trixie/auditd/auditctl.8.en.html
    publisher: Debian
    kind: vendor-doc
    accessed: 2026-10-18
  - title: ANSSI-BP-028 v2.0 - Recommandations de configuration d'un système GNU/Linux (R73)
    url: https://messervices.cyber.gouv.fr/documents-guides/fr_np_linux_configuration-v2.0.pdf
    publisher: ANSSI
    kind: guide
    accessed: 2026-10-18
mappings:
  - framework: anssi-linux
    framework_version: "2.0"
    id: "R73"
    relation: partial
  - framework: nist-800-53r5
    framework_version: "5.1.1"
    id: "AU-12"
    relation: related
  - framework: nist-800-53r5
    framework_version: "5.1.1"
    id: "AC-2(4)"
    relation: related
  - framework: cis-debian-12
    framework_version: "2.0.0"
    id: "6.2.3.11"
    relation: equivalent
  - framework: cis-debian-12
    framework_version: "2.0.0"
    id: "6.2.3.12"
    relation: equivalent
  - framework: cis-debian-12
    framework_version: "2.0.0"
    id: "6.2.3.13"
    relation: equivalent
  - framework: cis-debian-12
    framework_version: "2.0.0"
    id: "6.2.3.14"
    relation: equivalent
  - framework: cis-debian-12
    framework_version: "2.0.0"
    id: "6.2.3.15"
    relation: equivalent
  - framework: cis-debian-12
    framework_version: "2.0.0"
    id: "6.2.3.16"
    relation: equivalent
  - framework: cis-debian-12
    framework_version: "2.0.0"
    id: "6.2.3.27"
    relation: equivalent
  - framework: cis-debian-13
    framework_version: "1.1.0"
    id: "6.2.3.12"
    relation: equivalent
  - framework: cis-debian-13
    framework_version: "1.1.0"
    id: "6.2.3.13"
    relation: equivalent
  - framework: cis-debian-13
    framework_version: "1.1.0"
    id: "6.2.3.14"
    relation: equivalent
  - framework: cis-debian-13
    framework_version: "1.1.0"
    id: "6.2.3.15"
    relation: equivalent
  - framework: cis-debian-13
    framework_version: "1.1.0"
    id: "6.2.3.16"
    relation: equivalent
  - framework: cis-debian-13
    framework_version: "1.1.0"
    id: "6.2.3.17"
    relation: equivalent
  - framework: cis-debian-13
    framework_version: "1.1.0"
    id: "6.2.3.30"
    relation: equivalent
threats:
  - framework: mitre-attack
    id: T1098
  - framework: mitre-attack
    id: T1136.001
  - framework: mitre-attack
    id: T1556.003
related_controls:
  - id: CB-DEB-AUDIT-011
    type: requires
  - id: CB-DEB-AUDIT-029
    type: related

authors:
  - name: Alice
    github: Sn0wAlice
verified:
  - date: 2026-10-18
    by: Sn0wAlice
    versions: ["12"]
    environment: Proxmox VM, Debian 12 genericcloud image, kernel 6.1.0-54-cloud-amd64, auditd 1:3.0.9-1, BIOS boot
    notes: "Rules fail on fresh install; fix writes /etc/audit/rules.d/60-cirsec-identity.rules and loads it; rules match auditctl -l, kept after reboot; second run idempotent."
  - date: 2026-10-18
    by: Sn0wAlice
    versions: ["13"]
    environment: Proxmox VM, Debian 13 genericcloud image, kernel 6.12.113+deb13-cloud-amd64, auditd 1:4.0.2-2+deb13u1, BIOS boot
    notes: "Rules fail on fresh install; fix writes /etc/audit/rules.d/60-cirsec-identity.rules and loads it; rules match auditctl -l, kept after reboot; second run idempotent."
introduced_in: 0.1.0
created: 2026-10-18
updated: 2026-10-18