Windows Server 2016 accounts must require passwords.

Overview

Finding ID	Version	Rule ID	IA Controls	Severity
V-224838	WN16-00-000220	SV-224838r857232_rule		Medium

Description
The lack of password protection enables anyone to gain access to the information system, which opens a backdoor opportunity for intruders to compromise the system as well as other resources. Accounts on a system must require passwords.

STIG	Date
Microsoft Windows Server 2016 Security Technical Implementation Guide	2024-02-21

Details

Check Text ( C-26529r857231_chk )
Review the password required status for enabled user accounts. Open "PowerShell". Domain Controllers: Enter "Get-Aduser -Filter * -Properties Passwordnotrequired \|FT Name, Passwordnotrequired, Enabled". Exclude disabled accounts (e.g., DefaultAccount, Guest) and Trusted Domain Objects (TDOs). If "Passwordnotrequired" is "True" or blank for any enabled user account, this is a finding. Member servers and standalone or nondomain-joined systems: Enter 'Get-CimInstance -Class Win32_Useraccount -Filter "PasswordRequired=False and LocalAccount=True" \| FT Name, PasswordRequired, Disabled, LocalAccount'. Exclude disabled accounts (e.g., DefaultAccount, Guest). If any enabled user accounts are returned with a "PasswordRequired" status of "False", this is a finding.

Check Text ( C-26529r857231_chk )

Review the password required status for enabled user accounts.

Open "PowerShell".

Domain Controllers:

Enter "Get-Aduser -Filter * -Properties Passwordnotrequired |FT Name, Passwordnotrequired, Enabled".

Exclude disabled accounts (e.g., DefaultAccount, Guest) and Trusted Domain Objects (TDOs).

If "Passwordnotrequired" is "True" or blank for any enabled user account, this is a finding.

Member servers and standalone or nondomain-joined systems:

Enter 'Get-CimInstance -Class Win32_Useraccount -Filter "PasswordRequired=False and LocalAccount=True" | FT Name, PasswordRequired, Disabled, LocalAccount'.

Exclude disabled accounts (e.g., DefaultAccount, Guest).

If any enabled user accounts are returned with a "PasswordRequired" status of "False", this is a finding.

Fix Text (F-26517r819692_fix)
Configure all enabled user accounts to require passwords. The password required flag can be set by entering the following on a command line: "Net user [username] /passwordreq:yes", substituting [username] with the name of the user account.