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RHEL-09-611040 RHEL 9 must ensure the password complexity module is enabled in the password-auth file.

DISA STIG library V2R10
All changes in this version
first version loaded CAT II

Maps to IA-5(1) via CCI-004066, CCI-000192, CCI-000193

Title

RHEL 9 must ensure the password complexity module is enabled in the password-auth file.

Control

Verify RHEL 9 uses "pwquality" to enforce the password complexity rules in the password-auth file with the following command: $ grep pam_pwquality /etc/pam.d/password-auth password required pam_pwquality.so If the command does not return a line containing the value "pam_pwquality.so", or the line is commented out, this is a finding. If the system administrator (SA) can demonstrate that the required configuration is contained in a PAM configuration file included or substacked from the system-auth file, this is not a finding.

Discussion

Enabling PAM password complexity permits enforcement of strong passwords and consequently makes the system less prone to dictionary attacks. Satisfies: SRG-OS-000069-GPOS-00037, SRG-OS-000070-GPOS-00038, SRG-OS-000480-GPOS-00227

Related controls

CCI-000192, CCI-000193, CCI-004066

Fix

Configure RHEL 9 to use "pwquality" to enforce password complexity rules. Add the following line to the "/etc/pam.d/password-auth" file (or modify the line to have the required value): password required pam_pwquality.so