---
title: "HOST-LOG-002 Security Audit Daemon Not Running"
canonical: https://openvapt.com/checks/HOST-LOG-002.html
html: https://openvapt.com/checks/HOST-LOG-002.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-LOG-002 Security Audit Daemon Not Running

Checks whether the Linux audit daemon (auditd) is running.

- 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: 8.2
- NIST CSF 2.0: PR.PS-04
- CWE: CWE-778
- OWASP Top 10 2021: A09:2021
- NIST SP 800-53 Rev. 5: AU-2, AU-12
- Benchmark topic: Logging and auditing: auditd (topic only, no benchmark text)

## Why It Matters

auditd records security-relevant events (changes to /etc/passwd, privilege use, file deletions) that ordinary logs miss, which incident responders rely on.

## How It Detects

Asks systemd whether the auditd unit is active.

## How to Fix

Install the audit package (apt install auditd, or dnf install audit), enable it (systemctl enable --now auditd) and load a rule set appropriate to your policy.

## How to Verify

```
systemctl is-active auditd  should print 'active'.
```

## Learn the Theory

- [P16 Logging, Auditing and Time](https://openvapt.com/academy/p16.md)

## References

- [auditd(8), Linux man-pages](https://man7.org/linux/man-pages/man8/auditd.8.html)

## Source Code

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

Run it: `openvapt scan --only HOST-LOG-002`. Read it offline: `openvapt explain HOST-LOG-002`.

---

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