The password hashes stored on the ESXi host must have been generated using a FIPS 140-2 approved cryptographic hashing algorithm.

Overview

Finding ID	Version	Rule ID	IA Controls	Severity
V-207634	ESXI-65-000033	SV-207634r388482_rule		Medium

Description
Systems must employ cryptographic hashes for passwords using the SHA-2 family of algorithms or FIPS 140-2 approved successors. The use of unapproved algorithms may result in weak password hashes more vulnerable to compromise.

STIG	Date
VMware vSphere 6.5 ESXi Security Technical Implementation Guide	2021-09-22

Details

Check Text ( C-7889r364301_chk )
From an SSH session connected to the ESXi host, or from the ESXi shell, run the following command: # grep -i "^password" /etc/pam.d/passwd | grep sufficient If sha512 is not listed, this is a finding.

Fix Text (F-7889r364302_fix)
From an SSH session connected to the ESXi host, or from the ESXi shell, add or correct the following line in “/etc/pam.d/passwd”: password sufficient /lib/security/$ISA/pam_unix.so use_authtok nullok shadow sha512 remember=5