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

Overview

Finding ID	Version	Rule ID	IA Controls	Severity
V-258911	VCSA-80-000069	SV-258911r1003591_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
VMware vSphere 8.0 vCenter Security Technical Implementation Guide	2024-07-11

Details

Check Text ( C-62651r934389_chk )
From the vSphere Client, go to Administration >> Single Sign On >> Configuration >> Local Accounts >> Password Policy. View the value of the "Minimum Length" setting. Minimum Length: 15 If the password policy is not configured with a "Minimum Length" policy of "15" or more, this is a finding.

Fix Text (F-62560r934390_fix)
From the vSphere Client, go to Administration >> Single Sign On >> Configuration >> Local Accounts >> Password Policy. Click "Edit". Set the "Minimum Length" to "15" and click "Save".