Check ID: cloudtrail_logs_s3_bucket_access_logging_enabled
Provider: AWS
Service: cloudtrail
Severity: MEDIUM
Categories: logging, forensics-ready
Resource type: AwsCloudTrailTrail

What this check verifies

CloudTrail trails deliver logs to an S3 bucket; this evaluates whether that bucket has S3 server access logging enabled to record requests against it. If the destination bucket is outside the account or audit scope, a manual review is indicated.

Risk

Without access logging on the CloudTrail logs bucket, access and changes to log files lack an independent audit trail. Attackers could read, delete, or replace logs without attribution, undermining log confidentiality and integrity, and slowing incident response.

Recommendation

Enable S3 server access logging on the CloudTrail logs bucket and write logs to a separate, tightly controlled bucket. Apply least privilege, enable versioning, and consider Object Lock to deter tampering. Centralize monitoring to support defense-in-depth and rapid investigation.

Remediation

aws s3api put-bucket-logging --bucket <CLOUDTRAIL_BUCKET_NAME> --bucket-logging-status "{\"LoggingEnabled\":{\"TargetBucket\":\"<TARGET_BUCKET_NAME>\"}}"

References

Where this check fires

This check runs on every scheduled scan against your AWS account. Findings appear at Cloud Security → Findings filterable by Check ID = cloudtrail_logs_s3_bucket_access_logging_enabled. To re-evaluate after a fix, hit Run now on the account’s schedule under Cloud Security → Schedules — the next scan re-checks this control and marks the finding fixed or keeps it persistent.
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