Local accounts with blank passwords must be restricted to prevent access from the network.

Overview

Finding ID	Version	Rule ID	IA Controls	Severity
V-3344	WN08-SO-000004	SV-48073r1_rule	IAIA-1	High

Description
An account without a password can allow unauthorized access to a system as only the username would be required. Password policies should prevent accounts with blank passwords from existing on a system. However, if a local account with a blank password did exist, enabling this setting will prevent network access, limiting the account to local console logon only.

STIG	Date
Windows 8 / 8.1 Security Technical Implementation Guide	2014-04-02

Details

Check Text ( C-44812r1_chk )
Analyze the system using the Security Configuration and Analysis snap-in. (See "Performing Analysis with the Security Configuration and Analysis Snap-in" in the STIG Overview document.) Expand the Security Configuration and Analysis tree view. Navigate to Local Policies -> Security Options. If the value for "Accounts: Limit local account use of blank passwords to console logon only" is not set to "Enabled", this is a finding. The policy referenced configures the following registry value: Registry Hive: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE Registry Path: \System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Lsa Value Name: LimitBlankPasswordUse Value Type: REG_DWORD Value: 1

Check Text ( C-44812r1_chk )

Analyze the system using the Security Configuration and Analysis snap-in. (See "Performing Analysis with the Security Configuration and Analysis Snap-in" in the STIG Overview document.)
Expand the Security Configuration and Analysis tree view.
Navigate to Local Policies -> Security Options.

If the value for "Accounts: Limit local account use of blank passwords to console logon only" is not set to "Enabled", this is a finding.

The policy referenced configures the following registry value:

Registry Hive: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
Registry Path: \System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Lsa

Value Name: LimitBlankPasswordUse

Value Type: REG_DWORD
Value: 1

Fix Text (F-41211r1_fix)
Configure the policy value for Computer Configuration -> Windows Settings -> Security Settings -> Local Policies -> Security Options -> "Accounts: Limit local account use of blank passwords to console logon only" to "Enabled".