Audit Splunk activity

When you enable auditing, the Splunk platform sends specific events to the audit index (index=_audit). Interactions with the platform, such as searches, logins and logouts, capability checks, and configuration changes generate audit events.

What is in an audit event?

• Timestamp:
  • date and time of the event.
• User information:
  • the user who generated the event.
  • If the event contains no user information, the Splunk platform sets the user to whoever is currently logged in.
• Additional information:
  • available event details -- what file, success/denial, etc.

Activities that generate audit events

The following activities generate audit events on the Splunk platform:

• all files in the Splunk Enterprise configuration directory $SPLUNK_HOME/etc/*
  • files are monitored for add/change/delete using the file system change monitor.
• Starts and stops of the instance.
• Users logging in and out of the platform.
• Additions and removals of users.
• Changing a user's information (password, role, etc).
• Execution of any capability on the platform.
  • Capabilities are listed in authorize.conf

Audit event storage

The Splunk platform stores audit events locally in the audit index (index=_audit). Audit events appear in the log file: $SPLUNK_HOME/var/log/splunk/audit.log.

If you have configured the Splunk platform as a forwarder in a distributed setting, the platform forwards audit events like any other event.

Configure audit logging

You can now configure audit logging levels like you can any other level on the Splunk platform. The category.AuditLogger category in the $SPLUNK_HOME/etc/log.cfg file controls the level at which the Splunk platform logs audit events. By default, the platform logs events at the DEBUG level. See Enable debug logging in the Troubleshooting Manual for information on how to enable debug logging.