Check: AZLX-23-002390
Amazon Linux 2023 STIG:
AZLX-23-002390
(in version v1 r1)
Title
Amazon Linux 2023 must prevent the use of dictionary words for passwords. (Cat II impact)
Discussion
Use of a complex password helps to increase the time and resources required to compromise the password. Password complexity, or strength, is a measure of the effectiveness of a password in resisting attempts at guessing and brute-force attacks. If Amazon Linux 2023 allows the user to select passwords based on dictionary words, this increases the chances of password compromise by increasing the opportunity for successful guesses, and brute-force attacks. Satisfies: SRG-OS-000480-GPOS-00225, SRG-OS-000710-GPOS-00160
Check Content
Verify Amazon Linux 2023 prevents the use of dictionary words for passwords with the following command: $ sudo grep -rs dictcheck /etc/security/pwquality.conf /etc/pwquality.conf.d/*.conf /etc/security/pwquality.conf:dictcheck=1 If the "dictcheck" parameter is not set to "1", is commented out, or is missing, this is a finding.
Fix Text
Configure Amazon Linux 2023 to prevent the use of dictionary words for passwords. Add or update the following line in the "/etc/security/pwquality.conf" file or a configuration file in the /etc/pwquality.conf.d/ directory to contain the "dictcheck" parameter: dictcheck=1
Additional Identifiers
Rule ID: SV-274140r1120408_rule
Vulnerability ID: V-274140
Group Title: SRG-OS-000480-GPOS-00225
Expert Comments
CCIs
| Number | Definition |
|---|---|
| CCI-000366 |
Implement the security configuration settings. |
| CCI-004061 |
For password-based authentication, verify when users create or update passwords, that the passwords are not found on the list of commonly-used, expected, or compromised passwords in IA-5 (1) (a). |