Ubuntu 20.04 LTS must audit any script or executable called by cron as root or by any privileged user.
Overview
| Finding ID | Version | Rule ID | IA Controls | Severity |
| V-274852 | UBTU-20-010105 | SV-274852r1106134_rule | Medium |
| Description |
| Any script or executable called by cron as root or by any privileged user must be owned by that user, must have the permissions 755 or more restrictive, and should have no extended rights that allow any nonprivileged user to modify the script or executable. |
| STIG | Date |
| Canonical Ubuntu 20.04 LTS Security Technical Implementation Guide | 2025-05-16 |
Details
| Check Text (C-78953r1106133_chk) |
| Verify that the Ubuntu operating system is configured to audit the execution of any system call made by cron as root or as any privileged user. $ sudo auditctl -l | grep /etc/cron.d -w /etc/cron.d -p wa -k cronjobs $ sudo auditctl -l | grep /var/spool/cron -w /var/spool/cron -p wa -k cronjobs If either of these commands does not return the expected output, or the lines are commented out, this is a finding. |
| Fix Text (F-78858r1101676_fix) |
| Configure the Ubuntu operating system to audit the execution of any system call made by cron as root or as any privileged user. Add or update the following file system rules to "/etc/audit/rules.d/audit.rules": auditctl -w /etc/cron.d/ -p wa -k cronjobs auditctl -w /var/spool/cron/ -p wa -k cronjobs To load the rules to the kernel immediately, use the following command: $ sudo augenrules --load |