Ensure the PostgreSQL Audit Extension (pgAudit) is enabled

HighLevel 1Automatedpostgres

Description

The PostgreSQL Audit Extension (pgAudit) provides detailed session and/or object audit logging via the standard PostgreSQL logging facility. The goal of pgAudit is to provide PostgreSQL users with the capability to produce audit logs often required to comply with government, financial, or ISO certifications. Passes when pgaudit is in shared_preload_libraries and pgaudit.log selects at least one class. Runs psql as ${PGUSER:-postgres} against ${PGDATABASE:-postgres}; set PGHOST/PGPORT and use ~/.pgpass (not PGPASSWORD, see 1.6/1.7) when peer authentication is not available.

How it is checked

Audit method: SQL query

sql_query

out=$(psql -X -U "${PGUSER:-postgres}" -d "${PGDATABASE:-postgres}" -tAc "SELECT CASE WHEN 'pgaudit' = ANY (string_to_array(replace(current_setting('shared_preload_libraries'), ' ', ''), ',')) AND coalesce(current_setting('pgaudit.log', true), '') NOT IN ('', 'none') THEN 'compliant' ELSE 'noncompliant' END" 2>/dev/null) || exit 1; printf '%s\n' "$out"

Expected output: compliant

How it is fixed

Fix method: Guidance or infrastructure patch

Install pgAudit (dnf install pgaudit_18 / apt install postgresql-18-pgaudit), add pgaudit to shared_preload_libraries (keep existing entries), set pgaudit.log (e.g. 'ddl,write') in postgresql.conf, restart PostgreSQL and run CREATE EXTENSION pgaudit;

Properties

Operating systems: Any
Tags: postgresdatabaseloggingaudit
Reference: CIS PostgreSQL 18 Benchmark v1.0.0 - 3.2 Ensure the PostgreSQL Audit Extension (pgAudit) is enabled

Check this host

Run this on a machine you are allowed to audit. The scan is read-only.

shell

tmaegis scan --target postgres