The vRA PostgreSQL database must use UTC for log timestamps.

From VMW vRealize Automation 7.x PostgreSQL Security Technical Implementation Guide

Associated with: CCI-001890

SV-100041r1_rule The vRA PostgreSQL database must use UTC for log timestamps.

Vulnerability discussion

If time stamps are not consistently applied and there is no common time reference, it is difficult to perform forensic analysis.Time stamps generated by the DBMS must include date and time. Time is commonly expressed in Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), a modern continuation of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), or local time with an offset from UTC. Some DBMS products offer a data type called TIMESTAMP that is not a representation of date and time. Rather, it is a database state counter and does not correspond to calendar and clock time. This requirement does not refer to that meaning of TIMESTAMP.

Check content

At the command prompt, execute the following command: # grep '^\s*log_timezone\b' /storage/db/pgdata/postgresql.conf If "log_timezone" is not "utc", this is a finding.

Fix text

At the command prompt, execute the following commands: # /opt/vmware/vpostgres/current/bin/psql -U postgres -c "ALTER SYSTEM SET log_timezone TO 'UTC';" # /opt/vmware/vpostgres/current/bin/psql -U postgres -c "SELECT pg_reload_conf();"

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