Windows 2012/2012 R2 manually managed application account passwords must be changed at least annually or when a system administrator with knowledge of the password leaves the organization.

Overview

Finding ID	Version	Rule ID	IA Controls	Severity
V-226038	WN12-00-000011	SV-226038r794376_rule		Medium

Description
Setting application accounts to expire may cause applications to stop functioning. However, not changing them on a regular basis exposes them to attack. If managed service accounts are used, this alleviates the need to manually change application account passwords.

STIG	Date
Microsoft Windows Server 2012/2012 R2 Domain Controller Security Technical Implementation Guide	2022-08-31

Details

Check Text ( C-27740r475437_chk )
Determine if manually managed application/service accounts exist. If none exist, this is NA. If passwords for manually managed application/service accounts are not changed at least annually or when an administrator with knowledge of the password leaves the organization, this is a finding. Identify manually managed application/service accounts. To determine the date a password was last changed: Domain controllers: Open "Windows PowerShell". Enter "Get-ADUser -Identity [application account name] -Properties PasswordLastSet \| FL Name, PasswordLastSet", where [application account name] is the name of the manually managed application/service account. If the "PasswordLastSet" date is more than one year old, this is a finding. Member servers and standalone systems: Open "Windows PowerShell" or "Command Prompt". Enter 'Net User [application account name] \| Find /i "Password Last Set"', where [application account name] is the name of the manually managed application/service account. If the "Password Last Set" date is more than one year old, this is a finding.

Check Text ( C-27740r475437_chk )

Determine if manually managed application/service accounts exist. If none exist, this is NA.

If passwords for manually managed application/service accounts are not changed at least annually or when an administrator with knowledge of the password leaves the organization, this is a finding.

Identify manually managed application/service accounts.

To determine the date a password was last changed:

Domain controllers:

Open "Windows PowerShell".

Enter "Get-ADUser -Identity [application account name] -Properties PasswordLastSet | FL Name, PasswordLastSet", where [application account name] is the name of the manually managed application/service account.

If the "PasswordLastSet" date is more than one year old, this is a finding.

Member servers and standalone systems:

Open "Windows PowerShell" or "Command Prompt".

Enter 'Net User [application account name] | Find /i "Password Last Set"', where [application account name] is the name of the manually managed application/service account.

If the "Password Last Set" date is more than one year old, this is a finding.

Fix Text (F-27728r475438_fix)
Change passwords for manually managed application/service accounts at least annually or when an administrator with knowledge of the password leaves the organization. It is recommended that system-managed service accounts be used where possible.