Check: PHTN-67-000117
VMware vSphere 6.7 Photon OS STIG:
PHTN-67-000117
(in versions v1 r6 through v1 r5)
Title
The Photon operating system must enforce password complexity on the root account. (Cat II impact)
Discussion
Password complexity rules must apply to all accounts on the system, including root. Without specifying the enforce_for_root flag, pam_cracklib does not apply complexity rules to the root user. While root users can find ways around this requirement, given its superuser power, it is necessary to attempt to force compliance.
Check Content
At the command line, execute the following command: # grep pam_cracklib /etc/pam.d/system-password|grep --color=always "enforce_for_root" 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-239188r863035_rule
Vulnerability ID: V-239188
Group Title: SRG-OS-000480-GPOS-00227
Expert Comments
CCIs
Number | Definition |
---|---|
CCI-000366 |
The organization implements the security configuration settings. |
Controls
Number | Title |
---|---|
CM-6 |
Configuration Settings |