aureport Command in Linux
aureport is a command-line tool that is used in Linux to create summary reports from audit logs. These logs are generated by the audit daemon that tracks various system activities for security purposes.
With aureport, you can generate different types of reports, such as those related to file accesses, authentication attempts, or system events. It is a pretty useful tool that quickly analyzes and understands the audit data and makes it easier to identify potential security issues or unusual activities.
Table of Contents
Here is a comprehensive guide to the options available with the aureport command in linux −
Syntax of aureport Command
The syntax of the aureport command in Linux is as follows −
aureport [options]
Where,
- aureport is used to invoke the command.
- [options] are additional flags you can use to customize the reporting process.
aureport Command Options
With aureport command, you can use different options, a few of them are provided in the table given below −
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
| -au, --auth | Generates a report about authentication attempts. |
| -a, --avc | Creates a report about Access Vector Cache (AVC) messages. |
| --comm | Produces a report about commands that have been run. |
| -c, --config | Reports on configuration changes. |
| -cr, --crypto | Generates a report about cryptographic events. |
| --debug | Enables debug mode, providing detailed information about the commands execution process. |
| -e, --event | Creates a report about various system events. |
| -f, --file | Reports on file accesses and AF_UNIX sockets. |
| --failed | Only includes failed events in the report. |
| -h, --host | Generates a report about host activities. |
| -i, --interpret | Converts numeric entities (like UID) into text (e.g., account names). |
| --input-logs | Specifies the input log files to be used for generating the report. |
| -l, --login | Produces a report about login activities. |
| -m, --mods | Reports on account modifications. |
| -k, --key | Generates a report about audit rule keys. |
| -ts, --start | Specifies the start date/time for the report. |
| -te, --end | Specifies the end date/time for the report. |
For more details, you can open manual on the terminal using −
man aureport
Examples of aureport Command in Linux
Lets discuss a few examples of aureport commands in Linux systems. This will help you in learning how to get started with the command.
- Generate a Report on Authentication Attempts
- Create a Report on Failed Events
- Generate a Report on Logins
- Produce a Report from a Specific Log File
- Generate a Summary Report for a Specific Time Period
- Create a Report on System Events
Generate a Report on Authentication Attempts
One of the basic uses of aureport is to generate a report detailing all authentication attempts on the system. To do this, you can execute the following command −
aureport -au
Once you run the above command, it will provide a summary of all authentication attempts, and helps you track login activities.
Create a Report on Failed Events
With aureport command, you can also produce a report that includes only the failed events. This is useful for identifying unsuccessful actions, and it can be done using the below given command −
aureport --failed
The above command will generate a report focusing on failed events, and makes it easier to spot potential security issues.
Generate a Report on Logins
It is also possible to create a report about all login activities to monitor user access patterns using the below-provided aureport command −
aureport -l
When the above command is executed, it will list all log-in events, and provide you insights into who accessed the system and when.
Produce a Report from a Specific Log File
In case you want to generate a report using a specific audit log file, rather than the default log location, you can use the aureport command in the following way −
aureport -if /path/to/audit.log
Replace /path/to/audit.log with the path to your specific audit log file. This command will generate a report based on the specified log file.
Generate a Summary Report for a Specific Time Period
To create a summary report for events that occurred within a specific time frame, simply use the following aureport command −
aureport -ts yesterday -te now --summary
Running the above command will generate a summary report for events from yesterday to the current time, thus, helps you analyze recent activities.
Create a Report on Account Modifications
To create a report about account modifications, you can use the -e option with the aureport command. This will help you track changes to user accounts. The command is provided below −
aureport -m
The above command will list all account modification events, and help you keep track of changes to user accounts.
Create a Report on System Events
If you want to create a report about various system events, you can use the command with -e option, as given below −
aureport -e
You can get a summary of system events once you run the above command, this gives you an overview of significant activities on the system.
Conclusion
The aureport is a powerful command-line tool that is used in Linux to help create summary reports from audit logs generated by the audit daemon.
In this tutorial, we explained the syntax and various options available for the aureport command. We also provided several examples to help you learn the use of the command on Linux. By using these examples, you can generate different types of reports, such as those related to file access, system events, or authentication attempts.
In short, aureport is a valuable resource for maintaining system security and integrity.