Finding ID | Version | Rule ID | IA Controls | Severity |
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V-38570 | RHEL-06-000058 | SV-50371r2_rule | Low |
Description |
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Requiring a minimum number of special characters makes password guessing attacks more difficult by ensuring a larger search space. |
STIG | Date |
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Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 Security Technical Implementation Guide | 2018-03-01 |
Check Text ( C-46128r2_chk ) |
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To check how many special characters are required in a password, run the following command: $ grep pam_cracklib /etc/pam.d/system-auth /etc/pam.d/password-auth Note: The "ocredit" parameter (as a negative number) will indicate how many special characters are required. The DoD requires at least one special character in a password. This would appear as "ocredit=-1". If “ocredit” is not found or not set to the required value, this is a finding. |
Fix Text (F-43518r2_fix) |
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The pam_cracklib module's "ocredit=" parameter controls requirements for usage of special (or "other") characters in a password. When set to a negative number, any password will be required to contain that many special characters. When set to a positive number, pam_cracklib will grant +1 additional length credit for each special character. Edit /etc/pam.d/system-auth and /etc/pam.d/password-auth adding "ocredit=-1" after pam_cracklib.so to require use of a special character in passwords. |