To investigate possible unauthorized file access in Atlassian Data Center, preserve the relevant application audit logs and HTTP access logs, then correlate requests across the incident window, application nodes, and any proxy or load balancer. What those logs can establish depends on the product, version, logging configuration, audit coverage, and retention. A request record is evidence that a request was made; it does not by itself prove which person received or opened a file.
Start by defining the incident and preserving logs
Before searching, write down the suspected file or attachment, the incident window and timezone, the Atlassian product and version, relevant accounts, the cluster nodes, and the route through any reverse proxy or load balancer. Establish which logs exist and how long they are retained.
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Copy or export the relevant records before rotation or cleanup. Keep the originals unchanged, and record when each copy was collected and which system or node it came from. Include application audit logs, HTTP access logs, and available proxy, load-balancer, and identity-provider records.
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Confluence Data Center
Confluence audit evidence is coverage-dependent. In the Confluence Data Center 10.2 event list, Attachment downloaded and Attachment uploaded are recorded under Full end-user activity coverage; attachment deletion and version deletion are listed under Advanced coverage. See Atlassian’s Confluence 10.2 audit-log event list, and verify the event names and settings for the version actually installed.
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Check the configured coverage for the incident period and whether the relevant records are still retained. A missing download event is not proof that no download occurred if Full coverage was not enabled or the records are no longer available. Atlassian also warns that Full coverage can generate high event volume with possible database and disk impact.
Jira and other Data Center products
Do not assume that Confluence’s event list or coverage behavior applies to Jira or another Atlassian product. Verify the relevant product’s audit settings, event coverage, and version-specific documentation before drawing conclusions from absent events.
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Search HTTP access logs for attachment requests
Jira Tomcat access logs
In Jira, inspect Tomcat access logs for attachment-related request URLs within the incident window. Atlassian’s support article shows that a download URL can include an attachment ID, which can help identify the requested attachment. However, the log records the request URL, not the request payload; Atlassian states, “This is something you can not directly see from the Tomcat access log as that log contains the request URL only and not the payload.” The attachment ID’s association with an issue may require custom logic. See Atlassian’s Jira attachment and Tomcat-log guidance.
Interpret the available request fields
Jira access logs can cover browser and API requests and may include originating IP, non-anonymous user, HTTP method, endpoint, and response code. The precise fields depend on the access-log format and configuration, so verify the local setup and the installed version before parsing. Atlassian’s guidance on parsing Jira Tomcat access logs describes these fields and their investigative use.
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Group candidate requests by timestamp, account where present, source address, method, endpoint, response status, and attachment ID. A response status can help prioritize records, but a log line alone does not establish that a particular person received or viewed the file.
Include REST API requests and every relevant node
Search for API-mediated activity
Do not restrict the search to browser-style attachment URLs. Atlassian notes that attachment actions can also be performed through REST API endpoints, so a browser-route-only search can miss relevant requests. Match endpoint patterns to the installed Jira version’s API documentation and the deployment’s actual configuration rather than assuming one universal path. The Jira support article discusses both attachment URLs and REST access.
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Account for cluster and intermediary logs
Determine where each product writes its application and audit logs, and collect records from all nodes that could have handled the request. Do not assume a node-local file path from one Atlassian product applies to another. For example, Bitbucket Data Center documents a separate local audit directory on each cluster node; this is a Bitbucket-specific detail, not a Jira or Confluence path. See Bitbucket Data Center’s audit-logging documentation.
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Compare what each evidence source can show
| Evidence source | Potentially useful evidence | Limitation |
|---|---|---|
| Confluence application audit log | Attachment download and upload events when Full end-user activity coverage is enabled; other attachment changes at their documented coverage levels. | Event presence depends on configured coverage and retention. Event details cited here are for Confluence Data Center 10.2. Source. |
| Jira Tomcat HTTP access log | Request URL and, where included, attachment ID; fields may include account, IP, method, endpoint, and response code. | Does not contain request payload; mapping an attachment ID to an issue may require custom logic. Attachment guidance; access-log guidance. |
| Jira REST API request records | May reveal attachment actions performed through API endpoints rather than the browser route being searched. | Verify endpoint patterns against the installed version and local configuration. Atlassian support guidance. |
| Proxy, load-balancer, and identity-provider records | May provide additional request-source or authentication context for correlation. | Availability and fields depend on the deployment. |
Correlate evidence before deciding what happened
Compare the request timestamp, account, source address, endpoint, response status, and attachment identifier with application audit events, authentication records, and available proxy records. Check whether the apparent account or address is shared, anonymous, or associated with automation before attributing activity to a person.
Write the conclusion in terms supported by the records. For example, a log may show that a request for an attachment URL was made from a recorded address, while the audit log may or may not identify an account. Neither fact alone proves who controlled the client or that the file was received and opened. Note any gaps that affect confidence, including missing audit coverage, rotated logs, unavailable nodes, or API paths not included in the search.
Atlassian’s security practices guidance recommends reviewing audit settings and using access logs to investigate unusual activity; it does not define a universal query or retention period for every deployment.
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