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TOSS must enforce the limit of five consecutive invalid logon attempts by a user during a 15-minute time period.


Overview

Finding ID Version Rule ID IA Controls Severity
V-252946 TOSS-04-020000 SV-252946r958388_rule Medium
Description
By limiting the number of failed logon attempts, the risk of unauthorized system access via user password guessing, otherwise known as brute-force attacks, is reduced. Limits are imposed by locking the account.
STIG Date
Tri-Lab Operating System Stack (TOSS) 4 Security Technical Implementation Guide 2024-05-30

Details

Check Text ( C-56399r824160_chk )
Verify the "/etc/security/faillock.conf" file is configured to lock an account after three unsuccessful logon attempts within 15 minutes:

$ sudo grep -e "deny =" -e "fail_interval =" /etc/security/faillock.conf
deny = 3
fail_interval = 900

If the "deny" option is set to "0", more than "3", is missing, or is commented out, this is a finding.
If the "fail_interval" option is set to less than "900", is missing, or is commented out, this is a finding.

Note: If the System Administrator demonstrates the use of an approved centralized account management method that locks an account after three unsuccessful logon attempts within a period of 15 minutes, this requirement is Not Applicable.
Fix Text (F-56349r824161_fix)
Configure the operating system to lock an account when three unsuccessful logon attempts occur in 15 minutes.

Add/Modify the "/etc/security/faillock.conf" file to match the following lines:

deny = 3
fail_interval = 900