The Linux Security Audit Project is a security assessment tool designed to help organizations identify and remediate security issues on Linux systems. As a security-focused project, we take the security of the tool itself seriously.

This document outlines:

• Supported versions
• How to report security vulnerabilities
• Security best practices for using the tool
• Known security considerations

We provide security updates for the following versions:

Recommendation: Always use the latest stable release to ensure you have the most recent security updates and features.

If you discover a security vulnerability in the Linux Security Audit Project, please report it responsibly.

DO NOT open a public GitHub issue for security vulnerabilities.

Preferred Method: Email Security Report

1. Email: Send details to security@[project-domain].com (or create a security advisory on GitHub)
2. Subject: [SECURITY] Brief description of vulnerability
3. Include:
   • Description of the vulnerability
   • Steps to reproduce
   • Potential impact
   • Affected versions
   • Any suggested fixes
   • Your contact information (optional)

Alternative Method: GitHub Security Advisory

1. Go to the Security Advisories page
2. Click "New draft security advisory"
3. Fill in the details
4. Submit

• Acknowledgment: Within 48 hours
• Initial Assessment: Within 7 days
• Status Updates: Every 7 days until resolved
• Public Disclosure: Coordinated with reporter after fix is released

This tool is designed to find security issues in Linux systems. If you find issues in systems being audited:

1. Document the findings from the audit report
2. Follow your organization's security incident response procedures
3. Apply remediations as appropriate
4. Do not report system security issues to this project (report to system owners)

• ✅ Reads system configuration files
• ✅ Executes read-only system commands
• ✅ Generates local report files
• ✅ Provides remediation commands (on request)

• ❌ Make unauthorized system changes (without explicit user request)
• ❌ Send data over the network
• ❌ Collect or transmit personal information
• ❌ Execute arbitrary code from external sources
• ❌ Create backdoors or persistence mechanisms

Audit Mode (Read-Only):

• Can run without root privileges (limited results)
• Gracefully degrades when permissions insufficient
• No system modifications
• Safe for production systems

Remediation Mode (Write):

• Requires root/sudo privileges
• Makes system configuration changes
• Should be tested in non-production first
• Requires explicit user confirmation

Sensitive Information in Reports: Reports may contain:

• System configuration details
• User account information (usernames, not passwords)
• Service configurations
• Network configurations
• File system layouts
• Security misconfigurations

Protection Measures:

• Reports created with 600 permissions (owner read/write only)
• Files owned by user who ran the script (or SUDO_USER)
• No automatic transmission of data
• User responsible for securing report files

Best Practices:

# Secure report directory
mkdir -p /secure/reports
chmod 700 /secure/reports

# Generate report in secure location
sudo python3 linux_security_audit.py -o /secure/reports/audit-$(date +%Y%m%d).html

# Encrypt for storage
gpg --encrypt --recipient security@example.com /secure/reports/audit-20250107.html

# Securely delete unencrypted
shred -u /secure/reports/audit-20250107.html

The tool does NOT:

• Store passwords
• Collect API keys
• Save credentials
• Transmit authentication tokens

User Responsibility:

• Protect reports containing sensitive configuration data
• Use secure channels when transmitting reports
• Apply appropriate access controls to report storage
• Follow data retention policies

Built-in Protections:

• Commands shown before execution (interactive mode)
• Timeout protection (30 seconds default)
• No command chaining from external input
• Validation of remediation commands

User Responsibility:

• Review remediation commands before executing
• Test in non-production environments first
• Maintain backups before remediation
• Have rollback procedures

Potential Issues:

• Service disruption if misconfigured
• Loss of access if authentication breaks
• System instability if incompatible changes
• Data loss if configurations overwritten

Mitigation:

# 1. Backup configurations
sudo tar czf /root/config-backup-$(date +%Y%m%d).tar.gz /etc/

# 2. Test in development
sudo python3 linux_security_audit.py --remediate-fail --auto-remediate

# 3. Have console access ready
# Ensure you have out-of-band access (IPMI, console, etc.)

# 4. Schedule appropriately
# Apply during maintenance windows with rollback time

Security Measures:

• No use of eval() or exec() on user input
• Subprocess commands sanitized
• Input validation on all parameters
• Type hints for type safety
• Comprehensive error handling

Code Review:

• All changes reviewed before merge
• Security-focused code review checklist
• Automated testing where possible
• Community oversight (open source)

Zero External Dependencies:

• Uses only Python standard library
• No pip packages required
• No external API calls
• No internet connectivity required

Benefits:

• No supply chain attacks via dependencies
• No dependency vulnerability exposure
• Reduced attack surface
• Easier security auditing

No Network Activity:

• Tool operates entirely offline
• No data transmission to external servers
• No "phone home" functionality
• No automatic updates (user-controlled)

Firewall Safety:

• Can run in air-gapped environments
• No firewall rules needed
• No ports opened
• No listening services

Issue: Remediation commands run with sudo/root privileges.

Risk: Malicious module could execute arbitrary commands.

Mitigation:

• Only use modules from trusted sources
• Review module code before use
• Use selective remediation (review each command)
• Test in isolated environments

Issue: Reports contain detailed system information.

Risk: If reports are exposed, attackers gain reconnaissance data.

Mitigation:

• Secure report storage (600 permissions)
• Encrypt reports at rest
• Control report distribution
• Follow data classification policies

Issue: System state may change between checks.

Risk: Time-of-check vs time-of-use issues.

Mitigation:

• Checks are informational only
• Remediation includes validation
• Users should verify current state
• Follow up with verification audit

Issue: Tool may not detect all security issues.

Risk: False sense of security.

Mitigation:

• Use as part of comprehensive security program
• Combine with other security tools
• Regular professional security audits
• Stay updated on new vulnerabilities

✅ DO:

• Run audits regularly (weekly/monthly)
• Review results carefully
• Prioritize critical findings
• Document false positives
• Track remediation progress
• Use version control for reports

❌ DON'T:

• Run as root unnecessarily (audit mode)
• Ignore "Error" status items
• Skip testing remediations
• Share reports insecurely
• Blindly apply all remediations

Secure Report Management:

# Set secure umask
umask 077

# Generate report
sudo python3 linux_security_audit.py -o audit.html

# Verify permissions
ls -l audit.html
# Should show: -rw------- (600)

# Encrypt for transmission
gpg --encrypt --recipient security@example.com audit.html

# Secure deletion
shred -u audit.html

Security Checklist:

• No hardcoded credentials
• Input validation on all user input
• No use of eval/exec on untrusted input
• Proper exception handling
• No SQL injection vectors
• No command injection vulnerabilities
• No path traversal vulnerabilities
• Proper file permission handling
• Secure temporary file creation
• No race conditions

Critical Review Points:

1. Command execution: Check subprocess calls
2. File operations: Verify path handling
3. Privilege handling: Ensure proper checks
4. Input validation: Test with malicious input
5. Error handling: No information leakage

Enterprise Deployment Checklist:

• Store scripts in version control
• Control script modification (code signing)
• Centralized report storage with access controls
• Regular audit scheduling
• Trend analysis and alerting
• Integration with SIEM/GRC tools
• Incident response procedures for findings
• Regular tool updates

Compliance Considerations:

• Document tool usage in security policies
• Include in security assessment procedures
• Map findings to compliance requirements
• Maintain audit trail of remediation
• Include in risk assessment process

Stay Informed:

• Watch the GitHub repository for releases
• Subscribe to GitHub security advisories
• Check CHANGELOG.md for security updates
• Review commit history for security fixes

Update Process:

# Check current version
grep "SCRIPT_VERSION = " linux_security_audit.py

# Backup current version
cp -r Linux-Security-Audit-Project Linux-Security-Audit-Project.backup

# Update to latest
cd Linux-Security-Audit-Project
git pull origin main

# Verify update
python3 linux_security_audit.py --list-modules

Critical Updates will be announced via:

• GitHub Security Advisories
• GitHub Releases (marked as security)
• CHANGELOG.md (Security section)
• README.md banner (for critical issues)

Signs of Compromise:

• Unexpected system modifications
• Unknown processes after audit
• Unexpected network activity
• Modified script files
• Suspicious remediation commands

Response Steps:

1. Stop: Cease using the tool immediately
2. Isolate: Quarantine affected systems
3. Investigate: Analyze what happened
4. Report: Notify project maintainers
5. Remediate: Clean affected systems
6. Verify: Audit from clean state

Post-Breach Audit:

# Run complete audit after incident
sudo python3 linux_security_audit.py -m All -o post-breach-audit.html

# Compare with baseline
diff baseline-audit.json post-breach-audit.json

# Focus on critical areas
sudo python3 linux_security_audit.py -m STIG,NSA,NIST

Tool Design Alignment:

• NIST 800-53: Security assessment controls
• ISO 27001: A.12.6 Technical vulnerability management
• CIS Controls: Control 7 - Continuous vulnerability management
• STIG: Automated security verification

Not Certified:

• This is not a certified security tool
• Not a replacement for professional audits
• Use as part of comprehensive security program

Security Issues: Use GitHub Security Advisories or email security contact

General Questions: GitHub Issues

Documentation: Wiki

We appreciate responsible disclosure and will acknowledge security researchers who report valid vulnerabilities (with permission).

Hall of Fame: (No vulnerabilities reported yet - thank you for secure development!)

Best Practices:

• OWASP Secure Coding Practices
• CWE Top 25
• SANS Secure Coding

Standards:

• NIST 800-53
• ISO 27001
• CIS Benchmarks

Last Updated: January 7, 2026
Security Policy Version: 1.1

This security policy is subject to change. Check this file regularly for updates.