RHEL 9 must ensure the password complexity module is enabled in the system-auth file.
Overview
| Finding ID | Version | Rule ID | IA Controls | Severity |
| V-258098 | RHEL-09-611045 | SV-258098r1045195_rule | Medium |
| Description |
| Enabling PAM password complexity permits enforcement of strong passwords and consequently makes the system less prone to dictionary attacks. |
| STIG | Date |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 Security Technical Implementation Guide | 2024-12-04 |
Details
| Check Text (C-61839r1045194_chk) |
| Verify RHEL 9 uses "pwquality" to enforce the password complexity rules in the system-auth file with the following command: $ grep pam_pwquality /etc/pam.d/system-auth password required pam_pwquality.so If the command does not return a line containing the value "pam_pwquality.so", or the line is commented out, this is a finding. If the system administrator (SA) can demonstrate that the required configuration is contained in a PAM configuration file included or substacked from the system-auth file, this is not a finding. |
| Fix Text (F-61763r926280_fix) |
| Configure RHEL 9 to use "pwquality" to enforce password complexity rules. Add the following line to the "/etc/pam.d/system-auth" file(or modify the line to have the required value): password required pam_pwquality.so |