Finding ID | Version | Rule ID | IA Controls | Severity |
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V-71935 | RHEL-07-010280 | SV-86559r1_rule | Medium |
Description |
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The shorter the password, the lower the number of possible combinations that need to be tested before the password is compromised. Password complexity, or strength, is a measure of the effectiveness of a password in resisting attempts at guessing and brute-force attacks. Password length is one factor of several that helps to determine strength and how long it takes to crack a password. Use of more characters in a password helps to exponentially increase the time and/or resources required to compromise the password. |
STIG | Date |
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Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 Security Technical Implementation Guide | 2017-12-14 |
Check Text ( C-72167r1_chk ) |
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Verify the operating system enforces a minimum 15-character password length. The "minlen" option sets the minimum number of characters in a new password. Check for the value of the "minlen" option in "/etc/security/pwquality.conf" with the following command: # grep minlen /etc/security/pwquality.conf minlen = 15 If the command does not return a "minlen" value of 15 or greater, this is a finding. |
Fix Text (F-78287r1_fix) |
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Configure operating system to enforce a minimum 15-character password length. Add the following line to "/etc/security/pwquality.conf" (or modify the line to have the required value): minlen = 15 |