Finding ID | Version | Rule ID | IA Controls | Severity |
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V-230370 | RHEL-08-020231 | SV-230370r627750_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 increase exponentially the time and/or resources required to compromise the password. The DoD minimum password requirement is 15 characters. |
STIG | Date |
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Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 Security Technical Implementation Guide | 2023-12-01 |
Check Text ( C-33039r567856_chk ) |
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Verify that RHEL 8 enforces a minimum 15-character password length for new user accounts by running the following command: $ sudo grep -i pass_min_len /etc/login.defs PASS_MIN_LEN 15 If the "PASS_MIN_LEN" parameter value is less than "15", or commented out, this is a finding. |
Fix Text (F-33014r567857_fix) |
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Configure operating system to enforce a minimum 15-character password length for new user accounts. Add, or modify the following line in the "/etc/login.defs" file: PASS_MIN_LEN 15 |