What does "---" in audit.log timestamp / event-id field mean?

[Casey Schaufler]

On 5/18/2022 9:25 AM, Lenny Bruzenak wrote:
> On 5/17/22 16:41, Steve Grubb wrote:
>
>> Hello,
>>
>> On Thursday, May 12, 2022 4:01:34 AM EDT Sam Pinkus wrote:
>>> I'm using auditd=1:2.8.4-3 on Debian. I got this event in my audit.log:
>>>
>>>
>>> ...
>>> type=SYSCALL msg=audit(16523210---): arch=c000003e syscall=87 success=yes
>>> exit=0 a0=7f867d66a3ed a1=7f867d66a3ed a2=0 a3=792f18 items=2 ppid=2275
>>> pid=16746 auid=1000 uid=1000 gid=1000 euid=1000 suid=1000 fsuid=1000
>>> egid=1000 sgid=1000 fsgid=1000 tty=(none) ses=2 comm=4C5320546872656164
>>> exe="/usr/lib/firefox-esr/firefox-esr" subj==unconfined key="delete"
>>> type=CWD msg=audit(1652321038.100:23444): cwd="/home/sam"
>>> type=PATH msg=audit(1652321038.100:23444): item=0
>>> name="/home/sam/.mozilla/firefox/baey2He4.default/" inode=15861713
>>> dev=fe:01 mode=040700 ouid=1000 ogid=1000 rdev=00:00 nametype=PARENT
>>> cap_fp=0 cap_fi=0 cap_fe=0 cap_fver=0 cap_frootid=0 type=PATH
>>> msg=audit(1652321038.100:23444): item=1
>>> name="/home/sam/.mozilla/firefox/baey2He4.default/webappsstore.sqlite-wal"
>>> inode=15860647 dev=fe:01 mode=0100644 ouid=1000 ogid=1000 rdev=00:00
>>> nametype=DELETE cap_fp=0 cap_fi=0 cap_fe=0 cap_fver=0 cap_frootid=0
>>> type=PROCTITLE msg=audit(1652321038.100:23444):
>>> proctitle="/usr/lib/firefox-esr/firefox-esr"
>>>
>>> I.e. there is an incomplete timestamp and no event ID in the first line of
>>> the event "16523210---".
>> I have never seen such a problem. Looking at both the kernel and userspace
>> code, I do not see what could prossibly do this. There is no code with
>> exactly 3 dashes in the audit user space or kernel.
>
> I see "subj==" which I do not think is correct.

This is normal (if not strictly desirable) for AppArmor.

> Are you certain the event was not manipulated after the fact?
>
> LCB
>