auparse_interpret_field - Linux

Overview

The auparse_interpret_field command interprets a field in an audit record according to the relevant audit interpretation rules defined in the audit interpretation key file. It is commonly used for advanced analysis of audit records to extract meaningful and context-specific information.

Syntax

auparse_interpret_field [options] <audit key file> <audit record file> <field name>

Options/Flags

  • -v, –verbose: Enable verbose output, showing detailed interpretation steps and warnings.
  • -i, –ignore-undefined: Ignore undefined fields instead of returning an error.
  • -o, –output-format : Specify the output format for the interpreted field (default: human-readable). Options include: "human", "json", "xml".

Examples

Simple interpretation:

$ auparse_interpret_field /etc/audit/audit.key /var/log/audit/audit.log subj_user_name

Verbose output with undefined field handling:

$ auparse_interpret_field -v -i /etc/audit/audit.key /var/log/audit/audit.log unsupported_field

JSON output format:

$ auparse_interpret_field -o json /etc/audit/audit.key /var/log/audit/audit.log execve_arg_1

Common Issues

  • Undefined fields: If a field is not defined in the audit key file, an error will be returned unless the --ignore-undefined option is used.
  • Malformed audit records: Invalid or malformed audit records may cause the command to fail. Ensure the audit record file is properly formatted.

Integration

auparse_interpret_field can be integrated into scripts or command chains for automated audit analysis. For example, to parse specific fields from multiple audit records and generate a report:

#!/bin/bash
while read -r line; do
  field=$(auparse_interpret_field /etc/audit/audit.key "$line" subj_user_name)
  echo "User: $field" >> report.txt
done < audit.log

Related Commands

  • ausearch: Search for audit records based on specified criteria.
  • audisp: Display audit records in a human-readable format.
  • auditctl: Manage audit rules and policies.