The SUSE operating system must not be configured to allow blank or null passwords.

Overview

Finding ID	Version	Rule ID	IA Controls	Severity
V-217125	SLES-12-010231	SV-217125r603262_rule		Medium

Description
Passwords need to be protected at all times, and encryption is the standard method for protecting passwords. If passwords are not encrypted, they can be plainly read (i.e., clear text) and easily compromised.

STIG	Date
SLES 12 Security Technical Implementation Guide	2022-12-06

Details

Check Text ( C-18353r369531_chk )
Verify the SUSE operating is not configured to allow blank or null passwords. Check that blank or null passwords cannot be used by running the following command: # grep pam_unix.so /etc/pam.d/* | grep nullok If this produces any output, it may be possible to log on with accounts with empty passwords. If null passwords can be used, this is a finding.

Fix Text (F-18351r369532_fix)
Configure the SUSE operating system to not allow blank or null passwords. Remove any instances of the "nullok" option in "/etc/pam.d/common-auth" and "/etc/pam.d/common-password" to prevent logons with empty passwords.