The vCenter Server for Windows passwords must be at least 15 characters in length.

Overview

Finding ID	Version	Rule ID	IA Controls	Severity
V-216859	VCWN-65-000039	SV-216859r612237_rule		Medium

Description
The shorter the password, the lower the number of possible combinations that need to be tested before the password is compromised. Password complexity, or strength, is a measure of the effectiveness of a password in resisting attempts at guessing and brute-force attacks. Password length is one factor of several that helps to determine strength and how long it takes to crack a password. The shorter the password, the lower the number of possible combinations that need to be tested before the password is compromised. Use of more characters in a password helps to exponentially increase the time and/or resources required to compromise the password.

Description

The shorter the password, the lower the number of possible combinations that need to be tested before the password is compromised. Password complexity, or strength, is a measure of the effectiveness of a password in resisting attempts at guessing and brute-force attacks. Password length is one factor of several that helps to determine strength and how long it takes to crack a password. The shorter the password, the lower the number of possible combinations that need to be tested before the password is compromised. Use of more characters in a password helps to exponentially increase the time and/or resources required to compromise the password.

STIG	Date
VMW vSphere 6.5 vCenter Server for Windows Security Technical Implementation Guide	2021-06-23

Details

Check Text ( C-18090r366291_chk )
From the vSphere Web Client go to Administration >> Single Sign-On >> Configuration >> Policies >> Password Policy. View the values of the password format requirements. The following password requirement should be set at a minimum: Minimum Length: 15 If this password policy is not configured as stated, this is a finding.

Fix Text (F-18088r366292_fix)
From the vSphere Web Client go to Administration >> Single Sign-On >> Configuration >> Policies >> Password Policy. Click "Edit". Set the Minimum Length to "15" and click "OK".