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📝 Google Cloud PostgreSQL Instance cloudsql.enable_pgaudit Database Flag is not set to on 🟢

  • Contextual name: 📝 PostgreSQL Instance cloudsql.enable_pgaudit Database Flag is not set to on 🟢
  • ID: /ce/ca/google/sql/postgresql-instance-cloudsql-enable-pgaudit-flag
  • Located in: 📁 Google Cloud SQL

Flags​

Our Metadata​

  • Policy Type: COMPLIANCE_POLICY
  • Policy Category:
    • RELIABILITY

Similar Policies​

Logic​

Description​

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Description​

Ensure cloudsql.enable_pgaudit database flag for Cloud SQL PostgreSQL instance is set to on to allow for centralized logging.

Rationale​

As numerous other recommendations in this section consist of turning on flags for logging purposes, your organization will need a way to manage these logs. You may have a solution already in place. If you do not, consider installing and enabling the open source pgaudit extension within PostgreSQL and enabling its corresponding flag of cloudsql.enable_pgaudit. This flag and installing the extension enables database auditing in PostgreSQL through the open-source pgAudit extension. This extension provides detailed session and object logging to comply with government, financial, & ISO standards and provides auditing capabilities to mitigate threats by monitoring security events on the instance. Enabling the flag and settings later in this recommendation will send these logs to Google Logs Explorer so that you can access them in a central location. to This recommendation is applicable only to PostgreSQL database instances.

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Remediation​

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Remediation​

Initialize the pgAudit flag​

From Google Cloud Console​
  1. Go to https://console.cloud.google.com/sql/instances.
  2. Select the instance to open its Overview page.
  3. Click Edit.
  4. Scroll down and expand Flags.
  5. To set a flag that has not been set on the instance before, click Add item.
  6. Enter cloudsql.enable_pgaudit for the flag name and set the flag to on.
  7. Click Done.
  8. Click Save to update the configuration.
  9. Confirm your changes under Flags on the Overview page.
From Google Cloud CLI​

Run the below command by providing <INSTANCE_NAME> to enable cloudsql.enable_pgaudit flag.

        gcloud sql instances patch <INSTANCE_NAME> --database-flags cloudsql.enable_pgaudit=on

Note: RESTART is required to get this configuration in effect.

Creating the extension

  1. Connect to the the server running PostgreSQL or through a SQL client of your choice.
  2. If SSHing to the server in the command line open the PostgreSQL shell by typing psql
  3. Run the following command as a superuser.

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policy.yaml​

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Linked Framework Sections​

SectionSub SectionsInternal RulesPoliciesFlags
💼 CIS GCP v3.0.0 → 💼 6.2.8 Ensure That 'cloudsql.enable_pgaudit' Database Flag for each Cloud Sql Postgresql Instance Is Set to 'on' For Centralized Logging - Level 1 (Automated)1
💼 Cloudaware Framework → 💼 System Configuration24