File Integrity Monitoring

App that monitors files and sends notifications if it changes.

Main features:

• Portable on windows and linux (not tested on ios)
• Periodic scans of files
• Ability to send notifications via email
• Ability to specify parts of files that can change
• I would say quite conifgurable

Disclaimer

This was at first a university project, therefore its not meant for enterprise use. I mean do what you will I wont stop you or anything but I warned you.

Also, this was a group project, and while I did about 80% of the code, my colleagues made some parts of the project, namely the mailing manager and database manager, as well as consultations and similiar stuff. Therefore a thank you for allowing me to put the repository on my private github is in place.

How to compile

Linux

Dependencies:

• git
• cmake
• make
• python
• libraries: pybind11, cppyaml, openssl
• g++

Steps to compile

Navigate to the repository mkdir build && cd build Generate makefile with cmake cmake .. Then just compile the app make -j Resulting binary will be in /output

Windows

I am primarily a Linux programmer, so if someone finds simpler/better way to compile on windows, by all means edit the readme

Dependecies:

• Visual Studio 2022 (Community edition is fine)

  • During install, select Desktop development with C++ workload.
  • In Individual components select CMake tools for Windows.

• Python 3.12

  • Has to be for some reason 3.12, link
  • Dont forget to check the box that says add python to PATH
  • During install its needed to go edit/modify -> next -> check download debugging symbols and download debug binaries

• Git for windows

• CMake for windows

Step 1 - vcpkg and dependencies

We need to get vcpkg and packeges needed for development. In powershell

git clone https://github.com/microsoft/vcpkg.git
cd vcpkg
.\bootstrap-vcpkg.bat

.\vcpkg install yaml-cpp:x64-windows
.\vcpkg install openssl:x64-windows
.\vcpkg install pybind11:x64-windows

Step 2 - set up of CMake and vcpkg

1. Open x64 Native Tools Command Prompt for VS 2022.
2. Navigate to the repository.
3. start CMake like this:

cmake -S . -B build -G "Visual Studio 17 2022" -A x64 -DPython3_ROOT_DIR="C:/Users/<username>/AppData/Local/Programs/Python/Python312" -DCMAKE_TOOLCHAIN_FILE="C:/<path>/<to>/vcpkg/scripts/buildsystems/vcpkg.cmake"

Be aware of the paths, replace <username> with your username and <path><to> with acutal paths

Step 3 - Build

Still in VS cmd

cmake --build build --config Release

Result should be at /output/Release.

Troubleshooting

• If python complains about some missing libraries when starting .\monitor.exe: ignore or set PYTHONHOME=C:\Users\lukas\AppData\Local\Programs\Python\Python312 pred spustením.
• If you get linker error: LINK : fatal error LNK1104: cannot open file 'python312.lib', you probably compiled a Debug or Optimize release during step 2. It works only on Release for some reason

Usage

Configuration

All you need to start using the application is a config file.

For windows:
C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Local\Monitor\config.yaml
For linux:
/etc/monitor/config.yaml

The config file must include at least the smallest config (look at config_minimal.yaml) which is needed to run the program properly. If the config file is not present on path mentioned above, a ./config.yaml fallback should exist For configuration explanation, look at config.yaml. Every config option is used there with explanation on what it does and whether its mandatory or optional

Starting of the program:

# When you have config ready, you can just run the program like this
./monitor

# Runs the program in security mode, meaning the program executes
# the utility specified in the arguments and then exits.
# In this case, it sets a new password. The password is required for encryption.
./monitor --security pwd

# Encrypts the config
./monitor --security encrypt config

# Decrypts the config
./monitor --security decrypt config

# Decrypts logs (for logs to be encrypted, monitor.logs.secure must be set to true in the config)
./monitor --security decrypt logs

Logs are stored here:

Windows:
C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Local\Monitor\logs
Linux:
/home/<username>/.local/state/monitor/logs

When the --security decrypt logs utility is used, the decrypted logs are placed in the same location, but in the /decrypted subdirectory.