STIGQter: STIG Summary: VMware vSphere 8.0 ESXi Security Technical Implementation Guide Version: 2 Release: 4 Benchmark Date: 01 Jul 2026:

The ESXi host must configure a persistent log location for all locally stored logs.

DISA Rule

SV-258797r1003575_rule

Vulnerability Number

V-258797

Group Title

SRG-OS-000341-VMM-001220

Rule Version

ESXI-80-000243

Severity

CAT II

CCI(s)

• CCI-001849 - Allocate audit log storage capacity to accommodate organization-defined audit record retention requirements.

Weight

10

Fix Recommendation

From the vSphere Client, go to Hosts and Clusters.

Select the ESXi Host >> Configure >> System >> Advanced System Settings.

Click "Edit". Select the "Syslog.global.logDir" value and set it to a known persistent location.

An example is shown below, where 51dda02d-fade5016-8a08-005056171889 is the UUID of the target datastore:

/vmfs/volumes/51dda02d-fade5016-8a08-005056171889

or

From a PowerCLI command prompt while connected to the ESXi host, run the following command:

Get-VMHost | Get-AdvancedSetting -Name Syslog.global.logDir | Set-AdvancedSetting -Value "New Log Location"

Note: The new location should not include a subfolder as enabling audit logging will create a folder and will fail if a subfolder is specified.

Check Contents

From the vSphere Client, go to Hosts and Clusters.

Select the ESXi Host >> Configure >> System >> Advanced System Settings.

Select the "Syslog.global.logDir" value and verify it is set to a persistent location.

If the value of the setting is "[] /scratch/logs", verify the advanced setting "ScratchConfig.CurrentScratchLocation" is not set to "/tmp/scratch". This is a nonpersistent location.

If "Syslog.global.logDir" is not configured to a persistent location, this is a finding.

or

From a PowerCLI command prompt while connected to the ESXi host, run the following commands:

$esxcli = Get-EsxCli -v2
$esxcli.system.syslog.config.get.Invoke() | Select LocalLogOutput,LocalLogOutputIsPersistent

If the "LocalLogOutputIsPersistent" value is not true, this is a finding.

Vulnerability Number

V-258797

Documentable

False

Rule Version

ESXI-80-000243

Severity Override Guidance

From the vSphere Client, go to Hosts and Clusters.

Select the ESXi Host >> Configure >> System >> Advanced System Settings.

Select the "Syslog.global.logDir" value and verify it is set to a persistent location.

If the value of the setting is "[] /scratch/logs", verify the advanced setting "ScratchConfig.CurrentScratchLocation" is not set to "/tmp/scratch". This is a nonpersistent location.

If "Syslog.global.logDir" is not configured to a persistent location, this is a finding.

or

From a PowerCLI command prompt while connected to the ESXi host, run the following commands:

$esxcli = Get-EsxCli -v2
$esxcli.system.syslog.config.get.Invoke() | Select LocalLogOutput,LocalLogOutputIsPersistent

If the "LocalLogOutputIsPersistent" value is not true, this is a finding.

Check Content Reference

M

Target Key

5562