The system must require passwords to contain a minimum of 14 characters.

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The system must require passwords to contain a minimum of 14 characters.

Overview

Finding ID	Version	Rule ID	IA Controls	Severity
RHEL-06-000050	RHEL-06-000050	RHEL-06-000050_rule		Medium

Description
Requiring a minimum password length makes password cracking attacks more difficult by ensuring a larger search space. However, any security benefit from an onerous requirement must be carefully weighed against usability problems, support costs, or counterproductive behavior that may result.

STIG	Date
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 Security Technical Implementation Guide	2013-02-05

Details

Check Text ( C-RHEL-06-000050_chk )
To check the minimum password length, run the command: $ grep PASS_MIN_LEN /etc/login.defs The DoD requirement is "14". If it is not set to the required value, this is a finding.

Fix Text (F-RHEL-06-000050_fix)
To specify password length requirements for new accounts, edit the file "/etc/login.defs" and add or correct the following lines: PASS_MIN_LEN 14 The DoD requirement is "14". If a program consults "/etc/login.defs" and also another PAM module (such as "pam_cracklib") during a password change operation, then the most restrictive must be satisfied.