Check: PHTN-67-000052
VMware vSphere 6.7 Photon OS STIG:
PHTN-67-000052
(in versions v1 r6 through v1 r5)
Title
The Photon operating system must enforce password complexity by requiring that at least one special character be used. (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.
Check Content
At the command line, execute the following command: # grep pam_cracklib /etc/pam.d/system-password|grep --color=always "ocredit=.." Expected result: password requisite pam_cracklib.so dcredit=-1 ucredit=-1 lcredit=-1 ocredit=-1 minlen=8 minclass=4 difok=4 retry=3 maxsequence=0 enforce_for_root If the output does not match the expected result, this is a finding. NOTE: After the fix is implemented, the check will not pass until either a reboot is performed or both files are modified, which happens automatically on reboot.
Fix Text
Open /etc/applmgmt/appliance/system-password with a text editor. Comment out any existing "pam_cracklib.so" line and add the following: password requisite pam_cracklib.so dcredit=-1 ucredit=-1 lcredit=-1 ocredit=-1 minlen=8 minclass=4 difok=4 retry=3 maxsequence=0 enforce_for_root Save and close.
Additional Identifiers
Rule ID: SV-239123r863030_rule
Vulnerability ID: V-239123
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 |