The macOS system must restrict maximum password lifetime to 60 days.

Overview

Finding ID	Version	Rule ID	IA Controls	Severity
V-259538	APPL-14-003008	SV-259538r1038967_rule		Medium

Description

The macOS must be configured to enforce a maximum password lifetime limit of at least 60 days. This rule ensures that users are forced to change their passwords frequently enough to prevent malicious users from gaining and maintaining access to the system. Note: The guidance for password-based authentication in NIST 800-53 (Rev 5) and NIST 800-63B state that complexity rules should be organizationally defined. The values defined are based on common complexity values, but an organization may define its own password complexity rules.

STIG	Date
Apple macOS 14 (Sonoma) Security Technical Implementation Guide	2024-12-04

Details

Check Text (C-63277r941234_chk)

Verify the macOS system is configured to restrict maximum password lifetime to 60 days with the following command:

/usr/bin/pwpolicy -getaccountpolicies 2> /dev/null | /usr/bin/tail +2 | /usr/bin/xmllint --xpath '//dict/key[text()="policyAttributeExpiresEveryNDays"]/following-sibling::*[1]/text()' -

If the result is not "60" or less, this is a finding.

Fix Text (F-63185r941235_fix)

Configure the macOS system to restrict maximum password lifetime to 60 days by installing the "com.apple.mobiledevice.passwordpolicy" configuration profile.