---
title: "HOST-AUD-011 Logs Not Forwarded to a Remote Collector"
canonical: https://openvapt.com/checks/HOST-AUD-011.html
html: https://openvapt.com/checks/HOST-AUD-011.html
site: OpenVAPT, https://openvapt.com/
license: OpenVAPT Source-Available Licence 1.3, https://openvapt.com/legal/licence-text.html
modified: 2026-10-14
version: 0.1.0-alpha.6
---

# HOST-AUD-011 Logs Not Forwarded to a Remote Collector

Checks that system logs are sent to another machine, so an intruder with root cannot erase the only copy.

- Domain: Server
- Severity: Low
- Control category: Logging and Monitoring
- Fix effort: medium
- CVSS v3.1 vector: `CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:N`
- CIS Controls v8: 8.9
- NIST CSF 2.0: PR.PS-04, DE.CM-09
- CWE: CWE-778
- OWASP Top 10 2021: A09:2021
- NIST SP 800-53 Rev. 5: AU-9(2), AU-6, SI-4
- Benchmark topic: Centralised log collection (CIS Controls v8 8.9) (topic only, no benchmark text)

## Why It Matters

Whoever gains root on a server can delete or edit its local logs. A copy that already left the machine, to a log server or a SIEM, is the record an investigation can trust. NIST SP 800-92 treats centralised log collection as a basic log management control.

## How It Detects

Looks for a forwarding rule in /etc/rsyslog.conf and /etc/rsyslog.d/*.conf (a selector followed by @host or @@host, or an omfwd action), a network destination in /etc/syslog-ng/syslog-ng.conf, or a URL= in /etc/systemd/journal-upload.conf. The remote address is never copied into the report. Incomplete when a file exists but cannot be read.

## How to Fix

rsyslog: create /etc/rsyslog.d/90-remote.conf with  *.* action(type="omfwd" target="logs.example.internal" port="6514" protocol="tcp" StreamDriver="gtls" StreamDriverMode="1" StreamDriverAuthMode="x509/name")  and restart rsyslog. Or configure systemd-journal-upload with URL= pointing at a journal-remote collector. Prefer TLS so logs are not readable in transit.

## How to Verify

```
grep -rE '^[^#].*@|omfwd' /etc/rsyslog.conf /etc/rsyslog.d/  or  grep '^URL=' /etc/systemd/journal-upload.conf
```

## Learn the Theory

- [P21 Audit Logging and Monitoring Depth](https://openvapt.com/academy/p21.md)

## References

- [NIST SP 800-92, Guide to Computer Security Log Management](https://csrc.nist.gov/pubs/sp/800/92/final)
- [rsyslog.conf(5), Debian trixie manual pages (forwarding actions)](https://manpages.debian.org/trixie/rsyslog/rsyslog.conf.5.en.html)
- [journal-upload.conf(5), systemd](https://www.freedesktop.org/software/systemd/man/latest/journal-upload.conf.html)

## Source Code

https://github.com/OpenVAPT/openvapt/blob/574f7f3333c44b75a3c649e2d93a76d507f75adf/internal/checks/host/audit_journal.go

Run it: `openvapt scan --only HOST-AUD-011`. Read it offline: `openvapt explain HOST-AUD-011`.

---

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