Check: UBTU-20-010055
Canonical Ubuntu 20.04 LTS STIG:
UBTU-20-010055
(in versions v1 r12 through v1 r1)
Title
The Ubuntu operating system must enforce password complexity by requiring that at least one special character be used. (Cat III 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. Password complexity is one factor in determining how long it takes to crack a password. The more complex the password, the greater the number of possible combinations that need to be tested before the password is compromised. Special characters are those characters that are not alphanumeric. Examples include: ~ ! @ # $ % ^ *.
Check Content
Determine if the field "ocredit" is set in the "/etc/security/pwquality.conf" file with the following command: $ grep -i "ocredit" /etc/security/pwquality.conf ocredit=-1 If the "ocredit" parameter is greater than "-1" or is commented out, this is a finding.
Fix Text
Configure the Ubuntu operating system to enforce password complexity by requiring that at least one special character be used. Add or update the following line in the "/etc/security/pwquality.conf" file to include the "ocredit=-1" parameter: ocredit=-1
Additional Identifiers
Rule ID: SV-238226r653853_rule
Vulnerability ID: V-238226
Group Title: SRG-OS-000266-GPOS-00101
Expert Comments
CCIs
Number | Definition |
---|---|
CCI-001619 |
The information system enforces password complexity by the minimum number of special characters used. |
Controls
Number | Title |
---|---|
IA-5 (1) |
Password-Based Authentication |