STIGQter: STIG Summary: Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 Security Technical Implementation Guide Version: 2 Release: 9 Benchmark Date: 01 Jul 2026:

RHEL 9 must audit all uses of the setxattr, fsetxattr, lsetxattr, removexattr, fremovexattr, and lremovexattr system calls.

DISA Rule

SV-258179r1155601_rule

Vulnerability Number

V-258179

Group Title

SRG-OS-000037-GPOS-00015

Rule Version

RHEL-09-654025

Severity

CAT II

CCI(s)

• CCI-000130 - Ensure that audit records containing information that establishes what type of event occurred.
• CCI-000135 - Generate audit records containing the organization-defined additional information that is to be included in the audit records.
• CCI-000169 - Provide audit record generation capability for the event types the system is capable of auditing as defined in AU-2 a. on organization-defined information system components.
• 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-002884 - Log organization-defined audit events for nonlocal maintenance and diagnostic sessions.

Weight

10

Fix Recommendation

Configure RHEL 9 to audit the execution of the "setxattr", "fsetxattr", "lsetxattr", "removexattr", "fremovexattr", and "lremovexattr" system calls by adding or updating the following lines to "/etc/audit/rules.d/audit.rules":

-a always,exit -F arch=b32 -S setxattr,fsetxattr,lsetxattr,removexattr,fremovexattr,lremovexattr -F auid>=1000 -F auid!=unset -k perm_mod
-a always,exit -F arch=b64 -S setxattr,fsetxattr,lsetxattr,removexattr,fremovexattr,lremovexattr -F auid>=1000 -F auid!=unset -k perm_mod
-a always,exit -F arch=b32 -S setxattr,fsetxattr,lsetxattr,removexattr,fremovexattr,lremovexattr -F auid=0 -k perm_mod
-a always,exit -F arch=b64 -S setxattr,fsetxattr,lsetxattr,removexattr,fremovexattr,lremovexattr -F auid=0 -k perm_mod

To load the rules to the kernel immediately, use the following command:

$ sudo augenrules --load

Check Contents

Verify RHEL 9 is configured to audit the execution of the "setxattr", "fsetxattr", "lsetxattr", "removexattr", "fremovexattr", and "lremovexattr" system calls with the following command:

$ sudo auditctl -l | grep xattr

-a always,exit -F arch=b32 -S setxattr,lsetxattr,fsetxattr,removexattr,lremovexattr,fremovexattr -F auid>=1000 -F auid!=-1 -F key=perm_mod
-a always,exit -F arch=b64 -S setxattr,lsetxattr,fsetxattr,removexattr,lremovexattr,fremovexattr -F auid>=1000 -F auid!=-1 -F key=perm_mod
-a always,exit -F arch=b32 -S setxattr,lsetxattr,fsetxattr,removexattr,lremovexattr,fremovexattr -F auid=0 -F key=perm_mod
-a always,exit -F arch=b64 -S setxattr,lsetxattr,fsetxattr,removexattr,lremovexattr,fremovexattr -F auid=0 -F key=perm_mod

If both the "b32" and "b64" audit rules are not defined for the "setxattr", "fsetxattr", "lsetxattr", "removexattr", "fremovexattr", and "lremovexattr" system calls, or any of the lines returned are commented out, this is a finding.

Vulnerability Number

V-258179

Documentable

False

Rule Version

RHEL-09-654025

Severity Override Guidance

Verify RHEL 9 is configured to audit the execution of the "setxattr", "fsetxattr", "lsetxattr", "removexattr", "fremovexattr", and "lremovexattr" system calls with the following command:

$ sudo auditctl -l | grep xattr

-a always,exit -F arch=b32 -S setxattr,lsetxattr,fsetxattr,removexattr,lremovexattr,fremovexattr -F auid>=1000 -F auid!=-1 -F key=perm_mod
-a always,exit -F arch=b64 -S setxattr,lsetxattr,fsetxattr,removexattr,lremovexattr,fremovexattr -F auid>=1000 -F auid!=-1 -F key=perm_mod
-a always,exit -F arch=b32 -S setxattr,lsetxattr,fsetxattr,removexattr,lremovexattr,fremovexattr -F auid=0 -F key=perm_mod
-a always,exit -F arch=b64 -S setxattr,lsetxattr,fsetxattr,removexattr,lremovexattr,fremovexattr -F auid=0 -F key=perm_mod

If both the "b32" and "b64" audit rules are not defined for the "setxattr", "fsetxattr", "lsetxattr", "removexattr", "fremovexattr", and "lremovexattr" system calls, or any of the lines returned are commented out, this is a finding.

Check Content Reference

M

Target Key

5551