Title

RHEL 9 must be configured so that user and group account administration utilities are configured to store only encrypted representations of passwords. (Cat II impact)

Discussion

Passwords need to be protected at all times, and encryption is the standard method for protecting passwords. If passwords are not encrypted, they can be plainly read (i.e., clear text) and easily compromised. Passwords that are encrypted with a weak algorithm are no more protected than if they are kept in plain text. This setting ensures user and group account administration utilities are configured to store only encrypted representations of passwords. Additionally, the "crypt_style" configuration option ensures the use of a strong hashing algorithm that makes password cracking attacks more difficult.

Check Content

Verify the user and group account administration utilities are configured to store only encrypted representations of passwords with the following command: # grep crypt /etc/libuser.conf crypt_style = sha512 If the "crypt_style" variable is not set to "sha512", is not in the defaults section, is commented out, or does not exist, this is a finding.

Fix Text

Configure RHEL 9 to use the SHA-512 algorithm for password hashing. Add or change the following line in the "[default]" section of "/etc/libuser.conf" file: crypt_style = sha512

Additional Identifiers

Rule ID: SV-258116r926335_rule

Vulnerability ID: V-258116

Group Title: SRG-OS-000073-GPOS-00041

Expert Comments

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