Chapter 5. Auditing IdM API operations

Procedure

1. To see a list of all IdM API operations recorded in the journal, filter the journal for the IPA.API marker:

   # journalctl -g IPA.API
   May 23 10:30:15 idmserver.idm.example.com /usr/bin/ipa[247422]: [IPA.API] [autobind]: user_del: SUCCESS [ldap2_140328582446688] {"uid": ["example_user"], "continue": false, "version": "2.253"}
   May 23 10:32:01 idmserver.idm.example.com /usr/bin/ipa[247555]: [IPA.API] admin@IDM.EXAMPLE.COM: user_add: SUCCESS [ldap2_140328582446999] {"uid": ["new_user"], "givenname": "New", "sn": "User", "cn": "New User"}
   May 23 10:33:10 idmserver.idm.example.com /mod_wsgi[247035]: [IPA.API] admin@IDM.EXAMPLE.COM: ping: SUCCESS [ldap2_139910420944784] {"version": "2.253"}
   May 23 10:34:05 idmserver.idm.example.com /usr/bin/ipa[247888]: [IPA.API] [autobind]: group_add_member: SUCCESS [ldap2_140328582447111] {"cn": "admins", "user": "new_user"}

   The output shows a summary of each API call, including the user, the command, the result, the unique connection ID, and the parameters used.

2. Identify the unique identifier for the specific entry you want to inspect. For example, the user_del call has the LDAP backend instance identifier ldap2_140328582446688.

3. Use journalctl with the -x option and the unique identifier value to get a detailed explanation of the user deletion log entry:

   # journalctl -x -g ldap2_140328582446688
   May 23 10:30:15 idmserver.idm.example.com /usr/bin/ipa[255232]: [IPA.API] [autobind]: user_del: SUCCESS [ldap2_140328582446688] {"uid": ["example_user"], "continue": false, "version": "2.253"}
   -- Subject: IdM API command was executed and result of its execution was audited
   -- Defined-by: FreeIPA
   -- Support: https://lists.fedorahosted.org/archives/list/freeipa-users@lists.fedorahosted.org/
   -- Documentation: man:ipa(1)
   -- Documentation: https://freeipa.readthedocs.io/en/latest/api/index.html
   -- Documentation: https://freeipa.readthedocs.io/en/latest/api/user_del.html
   
   -- Identity Management provides an extensive API that allows to manage all aspects of IdM deployments.
   
   -- The following information about the API command executed is available:
   
   -- [IPA.API] [autobind]: user_del: SUCCESS [ldap2_140328582446688] {"uid": ["example_user"], "continue": false, "version": "2.253"}
   
   -- The command was executed by '/usr/bin/ipa' utility. If the utility name
   -- is '/mod_wsgi`, then this API command came from a remote source through the IdM
   -- API end-point.
   
   -- The message includes following fields:
   
   --   - executable name and PID ('/mod_wsgi' for HTTP end-point; in this case it
   --     was '/usr/bin/ipa' command)
   
   --   - '[IPA.API]' marker to allow searches with 'journalctl -g IPA.API'
   
   --   - authenticated Kerberos principal or '[autobind]' marker for LDAPI-based
   --     access as root. In this case it was '[autobind]'
   
   --   - name of the command executed, in this case 'user_del'
   
   --   - result of execution: SUCCESS or an exception name. In this case it was
   --     'SUCCESS'
   
   --   - LDAP backend instance identifier. The identifier will be the same for all
   --     operations performed under the same request. This allows to identify operations
   --     which were executed as a part of the same API request instance. For API
   --     operations that didn't result in LDAP access, there will be
   --     '[no_connection_id]' marker.
   
   --   - finally, a list of arguments and options passed to the command is provided
   --     in JSON format.
   
   -- ---------
   -- The following list of arguments and options were passed to the command
   -- 'user_del' by the '[autobind]' actor:
   --
   -- {"uid": ["example_user"], "continue": false, "version": "2.253"}
   -- ---------
   
   -- A detailed information about Identity Management API can be found at upstream documentation API reference:
   -- https://freeipa.readthedocs.io/en/latest/api/index.html
   
   -- For details on the IdM API command 'user_del' see
   -- https://freeipa.readthedocs.io/en/latest/api/user_del.html