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RHEL 9 must ensure the password complexity module is enabled in the system-auth file.


Overview

Finding ID Version Rule ID IA Controls Severity
V-258098 RHEL-09-611045 SV-258098r991589_rule Medium
Description
Enabling PAM password complexity permits enforcement of strong passwords and consequently makes the system less prone to dictionary attacks.
STIG Date
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 Security Technical Implementation Guide 2024-06-04

Details

Check Text ( C-61839r926279_chk )
Verify RHEL 9 uses "pwquality" to enforce the password complexity rules in the system-auth file with the following command:

$ cat /etc/pam.d/system-auth | grep pam_pwquality

password required pam_pwquality.so

If the command does not return a line containing the value "pam_pwquality.so", or the line is commented out, this is a finding.
Fix Text (F-61763r926280_fix)
Configure RHEL 9 to use "pwquality" to enforce password complexity rules.

Add the following line to the "/etc/pam.d/system-auth" file(or modify the line to have the required value):

password required pam_pwquality.so