RHEL-10-600485 RHEL 10 must ensure the password complexity module in the system-auth file is configured for three or fewer retries.
All changes in this version
Maps to IA-5(1) via CCI-004066
Title
RHEL 10 must ensure the password complexity module in the system-auth file is configured for three or fewer retries.
Control
Verify RHEL 10 is configured to limit the "pwquality" retry option to "3" with the following command: $ sudo grep -w retry /etc/security/pwquality.conf /etc/security/pwquality.conf.d/*.conf retry = 3 If the value of "retry" is set to "0" or greater than "3", is commented out, or is missing, this is a finding.
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. "pwquality" enforces complex password construction configuration and has the ability to limit brute-force attacks on the system. RHEL 10 uses "pwquality" as a mechanism to enforce password complexity. This is set in both of the following: "/etc/pam.d/password-auth" "/etc/pam.d/system-auth" By limiting the number of attempts to meet the pwquality module complexity requirements before returning with an error, the system will audit abnormal attempts at password changes.
Related controls
CCI-004066
Fix
Configure RHEL 10 to limit the "pwquality" retry option to "3". Add or update the following line in the "/etc/security/pwquality.conf" file or a file in the "/etc/security/pwquality.conf.d/" directory to contain the "retry" parameter: retry = 3