Title

The Ubuntu operating system must prevent the use of dictionary words for passwords. (Cat II impact)

Discussion

If the Ubuntu operating system 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.

Check Content

Verify the Ubuntu operating system prevents the use of dictionary words for passwords. Determine if the field "dictcheck" is set in the "/etc/security/pwquality.conf" or "/etc/pwquality.conf.d/*.conf" files with the following command: # grep dictcheck /etc/security/pwquality.conf /etc/pwquality.conf.d/*.conf dictcheck=1 If the "dictcheck" parameter is not set to "1", or is commented out, this is a finding.

Fix Text

Configure the Ubuntu operating system 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-214964r610931_rule

Vulnerability ID: V-214964

Group Title: SRG-OS-000480-GPOS-00225

Expert Comments

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