Quotation Mark Formatting in ModSecurity Logs: Is the Use of Backticks and Single Quotes Correct?

Describe the bug

The ModSecurity log entries show operators and parameters enclosed in backticks (`), while variable names and data values are enclosed in single quotes ('). For example:

• `PmFromFile'
• `lfi-os-files.data'
• `ARGS:bar'
• `/bin/sh'

and so on...

Wouldn't it have to be?

• 'PmFromFile'
• 'lfi-os-files.data'
• 'ARGS:bar'
• '/bin/sh'

Logs and dumps

Output of: AuditLogs

---ABgEnRQg---H--
ModSecurity: Warning. Matched "Operator `PmFromFile' with parameter `lfi-os-files.data' against variable `ARGS:foo' (Value: `/etc/passwd' ) [file "/usr/share/owasp-modsecurity-crs/rules/REQUEST-930-APPLICATION-ATTACK-LFI.conf"] [line "99"] [id "930120"] [rev ""] [msg "OS File Access Attempt"] [data "Matched Data: etc/passwd found within ARGS:foo: /etc/passwd"] [severity "2"] [ver "OWASP_CRS/4.14.0"] [maturity "0"] [accuracy "0"] [tag "application-multi"] [tag "language-      multi"] [tag "platform-multi"] [tag "attack-lfi"] [tag "paranoia-level/1"] [tag "OWASP_CRS"] [tag "OWASP_CRS/ATTACK-LFI"] [tag "capec/1000/255/153/126"] [tag "PCI/6.5.4"] [hostname "192.168.1.35"] [uri "/"] [unique_id "174622258411.        325032"] [ref "o1,10v10,11t:utf8toUnicode,t:urlDecodeUni,t:normalizePathWin"]
ModSecurity: Warning. Matched "Operator `Rx' with parameter `(?i)(?:^|b[\"'\)\[\x5c]*(?:(?:(?:\|\||&&)[\s\x0b]*)?\$[!#\(\*\-0-9\?@_a-\{]*)?\x5c?u[\"'\)\[\x5c]*(?:(?:(?:\|\||&&)[\s\x0b]*)?\$[!#\(\*\-0-9\?@_a-\{]*)?\x5c?s[\"'\)\[\x5c]*(?:(?: (?:\|\||&&)[\s\x0b]*)? (7133 characters omitted)' against variable `ARGS:bar' (Value: `/bin/sh' ) [file "/usr/share/owasp-modsecurity-crs/rules/REQUEST-932-APPLICATION-ATTACK-RCE.conf"] [line "467"] [id "932250"] [rev ""] [msg "Remote      Command Execution: Direct Unix Command Execution"] [data "Matched Data: /bin/sh found within ARGS:bar: /bin/sh"] [severity "2"] [ver "OWASP_CRS/4.14.0"] [maturity "0"] [accuracy "0"] [tag "application-multi"] [tag "language-shell"] [tag    "platform-unix"] [tag "attack-rce"] [tag "paranoia-level/1"] [tag "OWASP_CRS"] [tag "OWASP_CRS/ATTACK-RCE"] [tag "capec/1000/152/248/88"] [tag "PCI/6.5.2"] [hostname "192.168.1.35"] [uri "/"] [unique_id "174622258411.325032"] [ref "o0,7v26,7"]
ModSecurity: Warning. Matched "Operator `PmFromFile' with parameter `unix-shell.data' against variable `ARGS:bar' (Value: `/bin/sh' ) [file "/usr/share/owasp-modsecurity-crs/rules/REQUEST-932-APPLICATION-ATTACK-RCE.conf"] [line "606"] [id  "932160"] [rev ""] [msg "Remote Command Execution: Unix Shell Code Found"] [data "Matched Data: bin/sh found within ARGS:bar: /bin/sh"] [severity "2"] [ver "OWASP_CRS/4.14.0"] [maturity "0"] [accuracy "0"] [tag "application-multi"] [tag    "language-shell"] [tag "platform-unix"] [tag "attack-rce"] [tag "paranoia-level/1"] [tag "OWASP_CRS"] [tag "OWASP_CRS/ATTACK-RCE"] [tag "capec/1000/152/248/88"] [tag "PCI/6.5.2"] [hostname "192.168.1.35"] [uri "/"] [unique_id "174622258411.325032"] [ref "o1,10v10,11t:cmdLine,t:normalizePatho1,6v26,7t:cmdLine,t:normalizePath"]
ModSecurity: Access denied with code 403 (phase 2). Matched "Operator `Ge' with parameter `5' against variable `TX:BLOCKING_INBOUND_ANOMALY_SCORE' (Value: `20' ) [file "/usr/share/owasp-modsecurity-crs/rules/REQUEST-949-BLOCKING-EVALUATION.conf"] [line "222"] [id "949110"] [rev ""] [msg "Inbound Anomaly Score Exceeded (Total Score: 20)"] [data ""] [severity "0"] [ver "OWASP_CRS/4.14.0"] [maturity "0"] [accuracy "0"] [tag "anomaly-evaluation"] [tag "OWASP_CRS"] [hostname "192.168.1.35"] [uri "/"] [unique_id "174622258411.325032"] [ref ""]

To Reproduce

• None

Expected behavior

• To know if this behavior is correct.

Server (please complete the following information):

• ModSecurity v3.0.14 with nginx-connector v1.0.3
• WebServer: nginx/1.28.0
• OS: Ubuntu 24.04.2 LTS

Rule Set (please complete the following information):

• OWASP CRS v4.14.0

Additional context

None, just see logs.

Start by reproducing the quoted AuditLogs output with ModSecurity v3.0.14, the nginx connector, and OWASP CRS v4.14.0, then inspect the log-formatting implementation and existing tests. Done means determining whether the mixed backtick and single-quote formatting is intentional and, if it is incorrect, defining the expected formatting and covering it with a regression test.