The Samsung KNOX for Android platform must not allow passwords that include more than two repeating or sequential characters.

Overview

Finding ID	Version	Rule ID	IA Controls	Severity
V-69631	KNOX-35-021900	SV-84253r1_rule		Low

Description
Password strength is a measure of the effectiveness of a password in resisting guessing and brute force attacks. Passwords that contain repeating or sequential characters are significantly easier to guess than those that do not contain repeating or sequential characters. Therefore, disallowing repeating or sequential characters increases password strength and decreases risk. SFR ID: FMT_SMF_EXT.1.1 #01b

Description

Password strength is a measure of the effectiveness of a password in resisting guessing and brute force attacks. Passwords that contain repeating or sequential characters are significantly easier to guess than those that do not contain repeating or sequential characters. Therefore, disallowing repeating or sequential characters increases password strength and decreases risk. SFR ID: FMT_SMF_EXT.1.1 #01b

STIG	Date
Samsung Android OS 6 (with KNOX 2.x) Security Technical Implementation Guide	2016-11-14

Details

Check Text ( C-70067r1_chk )
This validation procedure is performed on both the MDM Administration Console and the Samsung KNOX for Android device. Check whether the appropriate setting is configured on the MDM Administration Console: 1. Ask the MDM administrator to display the "Max Sequential Characters" and "Max Sequential Numbers" settings in the "Android Password Restrictions" rule. 2. Verify the value of the setting is the same or less than the required length. On the Samsung KNOX for Android device: 1. Open the device settings. 2. Select "Lock screen and security". 3. Select "Screen lock type". 4. Enter current password. 5. Select "Password". 6. Attempt to enter a password that contains sequential characters or sequential numbers of length greater than the required length. 7. Verify the password is not accepted. If the configured values of the "Max Sequential Character" and "Max Sequential Number" settings are greater than the required length, or if the device accepts a password that contains sequential characters or sequential numbers of length greater than the required length, this is a finding. Note: On some MDM servers, there may only be one configuration setting ("Max Sequential Characters") since this API actually disables both sequential and repeating characters.

Check Text ( C-70067r1_chk )

This validation procedure is performed on both the MDM Administration Console and the Samsung KNOX for Android device.

Check whether the appropriate setting is configured on the MDM Administration Console:
1. Ask the MDM administrator to display the "Max Sequential Characters" and "Max Sequential Numbers" settings in the "Android Password Restrictions" rule.
2. Verify the value of the setting is the same or less than the required length.

On the Samsung KNOX for Android device:
1. Open the device settings.
2. Select "Lock screen and security".
3. Select "Screen lock type".
4. Enter current password.
5. Select "Password".
6. Attempt to enter a password that contains sequential characters or sequential numbers of length greater than the required length.
7. Verify the password is not accepted.

If the configured values of the "Max Sequential Character" and "Max Sequential Number" settings are greater than the required length, or if the device accepts a password that contains sequential characters or sequential numbers of length greater than the required length, this is a finding.

Note: On some MDM servers, there may only be one configuration setting ("Max Sequential Characters") since this API actually disables both sequential and repeating characters.

Fix Text (F-75821r1_fix)
Configure the mobile operating system to prevent passwords from containing more than two repeating or sequential characters. On the MDM Administration Console, set the "Max Sequential Characters" and "Max Sequential Numbers" values to "2" in the "Android Password Restrictions" rule.