STIGQter: STIG Summary: Kubernetes Security Technical Implementation Guide Version: 2 Release: 6 Benchmark Date: 01 Apr 2026:

Kubernetes API Server must generate audit records that identify what type of event has occurred, identify the source of the event, contain the event results, identify any users, and identify any containers associated with the event.

DISA Rule

SV-242403r986135_rule

Vulnerability Number

V-242403

Group Title

SRG-APP-000026-CTR-000070

Rule Version

CNTR-K8-000700

Severity

CAT II

CCI(s)

• CCI-000018 - Automatically audit account creation actions.
• CCI-000130 - Ensure that audit records containing information that establishes what type of event occurred.
• CCI-000131 - Ensure that audit records containing information that establishes when the event occurred.
• CCI-000132 - Ensure that audit records containing information that establishes where the event occurred.
• CCI-000133 - Ensure that audit records containing information that establishes the source of the event.
• CCI-000134 - Ensure that audit records containing information that establishes the outcome of the event.
• CCI-000135 - Generate audit records containing the organization-defined additional information that is to be included in the audit records.
• CCI-000172 - Generate audit records for the event types defined in AU-2 c that include the audit record content defined in AU-3.
• CCI-001403 - Automatically audit account modification actions.
• CCI-001404 - Automatically audit account disabling actions.
• CCI-001487 - Ensure that audit records containing information that establishes the identity of any individuals, subjects, or objects/entities associated with the event.
• CCI-002264 - Provides the means to associate organization-defined types of security attributes having organization-defined security attribute values with information in transmission.

Weight

10

Fix Recommendation

Edit the Kubernetes API Server manifest file in the /etc/kubernetes/manifests directory on the Kubernetes Control Plane.

Set the value of "--audit-policy-file" to the path of a file with the following content:

# Log all requests at the RequestResponse level.
apiVersion: audit.k8s.io/vX (Where X is the latest apiVersion)
kind: Policy
rules:
- level: RequestResponse

Note: If the API server is running as a Pod, then the manifest will also need to be updated to mount the host system filesystem where the audit policy file resides.

Check Contents

Change to the /etc/kubernetes/manifests directory on the Kubernetes Control Plane. Run the command:
grep -i audit-policy-file

If the audit-policy-file is not set, this is a finding.

The file given is the policy file and defines what is audited and what information is included with each event.

The policy file must look like this:

# Log all requests at the RequestResponse level.
apiVersion: audit.k8s.io/vX (Where X is the latest apiVersion)
kind: Policy
rules:
- level: RequestResponse

If the audit policy file does not look like above, this is a finding.

Vulnerability Number

V-242403

Documentable

False

Rule Version

CNTR-K8-000700

Severity Override Guidance

Change to the /etc/kubernetes/manifests directory on the Kubernetes Control Plane. Run the command:
grep -i audit-policy-file

If the audit-policy-file is not set, this is a finding.

The file given is the policy file and defines what is audited and what information is included with each event.

The policy file must look like this:

# Log all requests at the RequestResponse level.
apiVersion: audit.k8s.io/vX (Where X is the latest apiVersion)
kind: Policy
rules:
- level: RequestResponse

If the audit policy file does not look like above, this is a finding.

Check Content Reference

M

Target Key

5376