The ESXi host Secure Shell (SSH) daemon must not allow authentication using an empty password.
Overview
| Finding ID | Version | Rule ID | IA Controls | Severity |
| V-256387 | ESXI-70-000015 | SV-256387r959010_rule | Low |
| Description |
| Configuring this setting for the SSH daemon provides additional assurance that remote logon via SSH will require a password, even in the event of misconfiguration elsewhere. |
| STIG | Date |
| VMware vSphere 7.0 ESXi Security Technical Implementation Guide | 2024-12-16 |
Details
| Check Text (C-60062r885940_chk) |
| From an ESXi shell, run the following command: # /usr/lib/vmware/openssh/bin/sshd -T|grep permitemptypasswords Expected result: permitemptypasswords no If the output does not match the expected result, this is a finding. |
| Fix Text (F-60005r885941_fix) |
| From an ESXi shell, add or correct the following line in "/etc/ssh/sshd_config": PermitEmptyPasswords no |