STIGQter: STIG Summary: Crunchy Data Postgres 16 Security Technical Implementation Guide Version: 1 Release: 3 Benchmark Date: 01 Jul 2026:

PostgreSQL must produce audit records of its enforcement of access restrictions associated with changes to the configuration of PostgreSQL or database(s).

DISA Rule

SV-261925r1000780_rule

Vulnerability Number

V-261925

Group Title

SRG-APP-000381-DB-000361

Rule Version

CD16-00-007900

Severity

CAT II

CCI(s)

• CCI-000366 - Implement the security configuration settings.

Weight

10

Fix Recommendation

Enable logging.

All denials are logged by default if logging is enabled. To ensure logging is enabled, see the instructions in the supplementary content APPENDIX-C.

Check Contents

Note: The following instructions use the PGDATA environment variable. Refer to APPENDIX-F for instructions on configuring PGDATA and APPENDIX-I for PGLOG.

To verify that system denies are logged when unprivileged users attempt to change database configuration, as the database administrator (shown here as "postgres"), run the following commands:

$ sudo su - postgres
$ psql

Create a role with no privileges, change the current role to that user, and attempt to change a configuration by running the following SQL:

CREATE ROLE bob;
SET ROLE bob;
SET pgaudit.role='test';
RESET ROLE;
DROP ROLE bob;

Check ${PGLOG?} (use the latest log):

$ cat ${PGDATA?}/${PGLOG?}/postgresql-Thu.log
< 2024-01-28 17:57:34.092 UTC bob postgres: >ERROR: permission denied to set parameter "pgaudit.role"
< 2024-01-28 17:57:34.092 UTC bob postgres: >STATEMENT: SET pgaudit.role='test';

If the denial is not logged, this is a finding.

By default PostgreSQL configuration files are owned by the Postgres user and cannot be edited by nonprivileged users:

$ ls -la ${PGDATA?} | grep postgresql.conf
-rw-------. 1 postgres postgres 21758 Jan 22 10:27 postgresql.conf

If postgresql.conf is not owned by the database owner and does not have read and write permissions for the owner, this is a finding.

Vulnerability Number

V-261925

Documentable

False

Rule Version

CD16-00-007900

Severity Override Guidance

Note: The following instructions use the PGDATA environment variable. Refer to APPENDIX-F for instructions on configuring PGDATA and APPENDIX-I for PGLOG.

To verify that system denies are logged when unprivileged users attempt to change database configuration, as the database administrator (shown here as "postgres"), run the following commands:

$ sudo su - postgres
$ psql

Create a role with no privileges, change the current role to that user, and attempt to change a configuration by running the following SQL:

CREATE ROLE bob;
SET ROLE bob;
SET pgaudit.role='test';
RESET ROLE;
DROP ROLE bob;

Check ${PGLOG?} (use the latest log):

$ cat ${PGDATA?}/${PGLOG?}/postgresql-Thu.log
< 2024-01-28 17:57:34.092 UTC bob postgres: >ERROR: permission denied to set parameter "pgaudit.role"
< 2024-01-28 17:57:34.092 UTC bob postgres: >STATEMENT: SET pgaudit.role='test';

If the denial is not logged, this is a finding.

By default PostgreSQL configuration files are owned by the Postgres user and cannot be edited by nonprivileged users:

$ ls -la ${PGDATA?} | grep postgresql.conf
-rw-------. 1 postgres postgres 21758 Jan 22 10:27 postgresql.conf

If postgresql.conf is not owned by the database owner and does not have read and write permissions for the owner, this is a finding.

Check Content Reference

M

Target Key

5598