The Samsung KNOX for Android container must be configured to prohibit more than 10 consecutive failed authentication attempts.

Overview

Finding ID	Version	Rule ID	IA Controls	Severity
V-69677	KNOX-39-015200	SV-84299r1_rule		Low

Description
Users must not be able to override the system policy on the maximum number of consecutive failed authentication attempts because this could allow them to raise the maximum, thus giving adversaries more chances to guess/brute force passwords, which increases the risk of the mobile device being compromised. Therefore, only administrators should have the authority to set consecutive failed authentication attempt policies. SFR ID: FMT_SMF_EXT.1.1 #45

Description

Users must not be able to override the system policy on the maximum number of consecutive failed authentication attempts because this could allow them to raise the maximum, thus giving adversaries more chances to guess/brute force passwords, which increases the risk of the mobile device being compromised. Therefore, only administrators should have the authority to set consecutive failed authentication attempt policies. SFR ID: FMT_SMF_EXT.1.1 #45

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

Details

Check Text ( C-70119r1_chk )
This validation procedure is performed on the MDM Administration Console only. Check whether the device lock screen setting is configured on the MDM server. 1. Ask the MDM administrator to display the "Maximum Failed Attempts" field in the "Android KNOX Container >> Container Password Restrictions" rule. 2. Verify the value of the setting is "10" or less. If there is no value configured for the "Maximum Failed Attempts" field, or if it is greater than "10", this is a finding.

Check Text ( C-70119r1_chk )

This validation procedure is performed on the MDM Administration Console only.

Check whether the device lock screen setting is configured on the MDM server.
1. Ask the MDM administrator to display the "Maximum Failed Attempts" field in the "Android KNOX Container >> Container Password Restrictions" rule.
2. Verify the value of the setting is "10" or less.

If there is no value configured for the "Maximum Failed Attempts" field, or if it is greater than "10", this is a finding.

Fix Text (F-75881r1_fix)
Configure the mobile operating system to allow only "10" or less consecutive failed authentication attempts. On the MDM Administration Console, set the "Maximum Failed Attempts" to the organization-defined value in the "Android KNOX Container >> Container Password Restrictions" rule.