---
title: Ensure journald ForwardToSyslog is disabled
description: Datadog, the leading service for cloud-scale monitoring.
breadcrumbs: >-
  Docs > Datadog Security > OOTB Rules > Ensure journald ForwardToSyslog is
  disabled
---

> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.datadoghq.com/llms.txt).

# Ensure journald ForwardToSyslog is disabled
 
## Description{% #description %}

Data from journald should be kept in the confines of the service and not forwarded to other services.

## Rationale{% #rationale %}

If journald is the method for capturing logs, all logs of the system should be handled by journald and not forwarded to other logging mechanisms.

## Remediation{% #remediation %}

### Shell script{% #shell-script %}

The following script can be run on the host to remediate the issue.

```bash
#!/bin/bash

# Remediation is applicable only in certain platforms
if dpkg-query --show --showformat='${db:Status-Status}' 'linux-base' 2>/dev/null | grep -q '^installed$' && { ( ( dpkg-query --show --showformat='${db:Status-Status}' 'systemd' 2>/dev/null | grep -q '^installed$' && ! (systemctl is-active rsyslog &>/dev/null) ) ); }; then

found=false

# set value in all files if they contain section or key
for f in $(echo -n "/etc/systemd/journald.conf.d/complianceascode_hardening.conf /etc/systemd/journald.conf.d/*.conf /etc/systemd/journald.conf"); do
    if [ ! -e "$f" ]; then
        continue
    fi

    # find key in section and change value
    if grep -qzosP "(?m)^[[:space:]]*\[Journal\]([^\n\[]*\n+)+?[[:space:]]*ForwardToSyslog" "$f"; then
        if ! grep -qzosP "(?m)^[[:space:]]*ForwardToSyslog[[:space:]]*=[[:space:]]*no"'[[:space:]]*$' "$f"; then

            sed -i "/^[[:space:]]*ForwardToSyslog/s/\([[:blank:]]*=[[:blank:]]*\).*/\1no/" "$f"

        fi

        found=true

    # find section and add key = value to it
    elif grep -qs "^[[:space:]]*\[Journal\]" "$f"; then

            sed -i "/^[[:space:]]*\[Journal\]/a ForwardToSyslog=no" "$f"

            found=true
    fi


    # within [Journal], remove entries where ForwardToSyslog has wrong value

    sed -i "/^[[:space:]]*\[Journal\]/,/^[[:space:]]*\[/{/^[[:space:]]*ForwardToSyslog[[:blank:]]*=/{ /=[[:blank:]]*no"'[[:space:]]*$/!d }}' "$f"


done

# if section not in any file, append section with key = value to FIRST file in files parameter
if ! $found ; then
    file=$(echo "/etc/systemd/journald.conf.d/complianceascode_hardening.conf /etc/systemd/journald.conf.d/*.conf /etc/systemd/journald.conf" | cut -f1 -d ' ')
    mkdir -p "$(dirname "$file")"
    chmod 0755 "$(dirname "$file")"

    echo -e "[Journal]\nForwardToSyslog=no" >> "$file"

fi

else
    >&2 echo 'Remediation is not applicable, nothing was done'
fi
```

### Ansible playbook{% #ansible-playbook %}

The following playbook can be run with Ansible to remediate the issue.

```go
- name: Gather the package facts
  package_facts:
    manager: auto
  tags:
  - journald_disable_forward_to_syslog
  - low_complexity
  - low_disruption
  - medium_severity
  - no_reboot_needed
  - restrict_strategy

- name: Gather the service facts
  ansible.builtin.service_facts: null
  tags:
  - journald_disable_forward_to_syslog
  - low_complexity
  - low_disruption
  - medium_severity
  - no_reboot_needed
  - restrict_strategy

- name: Ensure journald ForwardToSyslog is disabled - Search for a section in files
  ansible.builtin.find:
    paths: '{{item.path}}'
    patterns: '{{item.pattern}}'
    contains: ^\s*\[Journal\]
    read_whole_file: true
    use_regex: true
  register: systemd_dropin_files_with_section
  loop:
  - path: '{{ ''/etc/systemd/journald.conf'' | dirname }}'
    pattern: '{{ ''/etc/systemd/journald.conf'' | basename | regex_escape }}'
  - path: /etc/systemd/journald.conf.d
    pattern: .*\.conf
  when:
  - '"linux-base" in ansible_facts.packages'
  - ( "systemd" in ansible_facts.packages and (((ansible_facts.services | default({}))["rsyslog.service"]
    | default({})).state | default("")) != "running" )
  tags:
  - journald_disable_forward_to_syslog
  - low_complexity
  - low_disruption
  - medium_severity
  - no_reboot_needed
  - restrict_strategy

- name: Ensure journald ForwardToSyslog is disabled - Count number of files which
    contain the correct section
  ansible.builtin.set_fact:
    count_of_systemd_dropin_files_with_section: '{{systemd_dropin_files_with_section.results
      | map(attribute=''matched'') | list | map(''int'') | sum}}'
  when:
  - '"linux-base" in ansible_facts.packages'
  - ( "systemd" in ansible_facts.packages and (((ansible_facts.services | default({}))["rsyslog.service"]
    | default({})).state | default("")) != "running" )
  tags:
  - journald_disable_forward_to_syslog
  - low_complexity
  - low_disruption
  - medium_severity
  - no_reboot_needed
  - restrict_strategy

- name: Ensure journald ForwardToSyslog is disabled - Collect current permissions
    of existing drop-in files
  ansible.builtin.stat:
    path: '{{item}}'
  register: systemd_dropin_existing_modes
  when:
  - '"linux-base" in ansible_facts.packages'
  - ( "systemd" in ansible_facts.packages and (((ansible_facts.services | default({}))["rsyslog.service"]
    | default({})).state | default("")) != "running" )
  - count_of_systemd_dropin_files_with_section | int > 0
  loop: '{{systemd_dropin_files_with_section.results | sum(attribute=''files'', start=[])
    | map(attribute=''path'') | list }}'
  tags:
  - journald_disable_forward_to_syslog
  - low_complexity
  - low_disruption
  - medium_severity
  - no_reboot_needed
  - restrict_strategy

- name: Ensure journald ForwardToSyslog is disabled - Add missing configuration to
    correct section
  community.general.ini_file:
    path: '{{item}}'
    section: Journal
    option: ForwardToSyslog
    value: 'no'
    state: present
    no_extra_spaces: true
    mode: '{{ (systemd_dropin_existing_modes.results | selectattr(''item'', ''equalto'',
      item) | map(attribute=''stat.mode'') | first) | default(''0644'', true) }}'
  when:
  - '"linux-base" in ansible_facts.packages'
  - ( "systemd" in ansible_facts.packages and (((ansible_facts.services | default({}))["rsyslog.service"]
    | default({})).state | default("")) != "running" )
  - count_of_systemd_dropin_files_with_section | int > 0
  loop: '{{systemd_dropin_files_with_section.results | sum(attribute=''files'', start=[])
    | map(attribute=''path'') | list }}'
  tags:
  - journald_disable_forward_to_syslog
  - low_complexity
  - low_disruption
  - medium_severity
  - no_reboot_needed
  - restrict_strategy

- name: Ensure journald ForwardToSyslog is disabled - Add configuration to new remediation
    file
  community.general.ini_file:
    path: /etc/systemd/journald.conf.d/complianceascode_hardening.conf
    section: Journal
    option: ForwardToSyslog
    value: 'no'
    state: present
    no_extra_spaces: true
    create: true
    mode: '0644'
  when:
  - '"linux-base" in ansible_facts.packages'
  - ( "systemd" in ansible_facts.packages and (((ansible_facts.services | default({}))["rsyslog.service"]
    | default({})).state | default("")) != "running" )
  - count_of_systemd_dropin_files_with_section | int == 0
  tags:
  - journald_disable_forward_to_syslog
  - low_complexity
  - low_disruption
  - medium_severity
  - no_reboot_needed
  - restrict_strategy
```