Collect audit events for execution of setuid and setgid privileged programs
Scanned 9/3/2026
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---
name: "CIS Ubuntu 14.04 LTS - 4.1.12 Ensure use of privileged commands is collected"
description: "Collect audit events for execution of setuid and setgid privileged programs"
category: "cis-os-hardening"
version: "2.1.0"
author: "cyberstrike-official"
tags:
- cis
- ubuntu
- ubuntu-14.04
- level-2
- scored
- auditd
- privileged
- logging
cis_id: "4.1.12"
cis_benchmark: "CIS Ubuntu Linux 14.04 LTS Benchmark v2.1.0"
tech_stack:
- ubuntu
- linux
cwe_ids: []
chains_with: []
prerequisites: []
severity_boost: "high"
---
# 4.1.12 Ensure use of privileged commands is collected (Scored)
## Profile Applicability
- Level 2 - Server
- Level 2 - Workstation
## Description
Monitor privileged programs (those that have the setuid and/or setgid bit set on execution) to determine if unprivileged users are running these commands.
## Rationale
Execution of privileged commands by non-privileged users could be an indication of someone trying to gain unauthorized access to the system.
## Audit Procedure
Run the following command replacing `<partition>` with a list of partitions where programs can be executed from on your system:
```bash
find <partition> -xdev \( -perm -4000 -o -perm -2000 \) -type f | awk '{print \
"-a always,exit -F path=" $1 " -F perm=x -F auid>=1000 -F auid!=4294967295 \
-k privileged" }'
```
Verify all resulting lines are in the `/etc/audit/audit.rules` file and the output of `auditctl -l`.
## Expected Result
All setuid/setgid binaries should have corresponding audit rules.
## Remediation
To remediate this issue, the system administrator will have to execute a find command to locate all the privileged programs and then add an audit line for each one of them. The audit parameters associated with this are as follows:
`-F path=" $1 "` - will populate each file name found through the find command and processed by awk. `-F perm=x` - will write an audit record if the file is executed. `-F auid>=1000` - will write a record if the user executing the command is not a privileged user. `-F auid!= 4294967295` - will ignore Daemon events.
All audit records should be tagged with the identifier "privileged".
Run the following command replacing with a list of partitions where programs can be executed from on your system:
```bash
find <partition> -xdev \( -perm -4000 -o -perm -2000 \) -type f | awk '{print \
"-a always,exit -F path=" $1 " -F perm=x -F auid>=1000 -F auid!=4294967295 \
-k privileged" }'
```
Add all resulting lines to the `/etc/audit/audit.rules` file.
**Notes:** Reloading the auditd config to set active settings may require a system reboot.
## Default Value
Not configured by default.
## References
1. CIS Controls v6.1 - 5.1 Minimize And Sparingly Use Administrative Privileges
## Profile
- Level 2 - Server
- Level 2 - Workstation

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