All non-interactive/automated processing account passwords must be changed at least once per year or be locked.

Overview

Finding ID	Version	Rule ID	IA Controls	Severity
V-11977	GEN000740	SV-37302r1_rule	IAIA-1 IAIA-2	Medium

Description
Limiting the lifespan of authenticators limits the period of time an unauthorized user has access to the system while using compromised credentials and reduces the period of time available for password-guessing attacks to run against a single password. Locking the password for non-interactive and automated processing accounts is preferred as it removes the possibility of accessing the account by a password. On some systems, locking the passwords of these accounts may prevent the account from functioning properly. Passwords for non-interactive/automated processing accounts must not be used for direct logon to the system.

Description

Limiting the lifespan of authenticators limits the period of time an unauthorized user has access to the system while using compromised credentials and reduces the period of time available for password-guessing attacks to run against a single password. Locking the password for non-interactive and automated processing accounts is preferred as it removes the possibility of accessing the account by a password. On some systems, locking the passwords of these accounts may prevent the account from functioning properly. Passwords for non-interactive/automated processing accounts must not be used for direct logon to the system.

STIG	Date
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 Security Technical Implementation Guide	2014-01-09

Details

Check Text ( C-35997r2_chk )
Ask the SA if there are any automated processing accounts on the system. If there are automated processing accounts on the system, ask the SA if the passwords for those automated accounts are changed at least once a year or are locked. If SA indicates passwords for automated processing accounts are not changed once per year or are not locked, this is a finding.

Fix Text (F-31249r2_fix)
Implement or establish procedures to change the passwords of automated processing accounts at least once per year or lock them.