Amazon Linux 2023 must ensure the password complexity module is enabled in the password-auth file.

Overview

Finding IDVersionRule IDIA ControlsSeverity
V-274161AZLX-23-002489SV-274161r1120471_ruleCCI-004066medium
Description
Enabling PAM password complexity permits enforcement of strong passwords and consequently makes the system less prone to dictionary attacks.
STIGDate
Amazon Linux 2023 Security Technical Implementation Guide2026-02-27

Related Frameworks

6 paths across 3 frameworks
NIST 800-531 mapping
  • DISA · V1R3 · disa_xccdf · related
  • DISA · 2025-01-23 · disa_cci_list · equivalent
NIST 800-1714 mappings
3.5.10
1.00
  • DISA · V1R3 · disa_xccdf · related
  • DISA · 2025-01-23 · disa_cci_list · equivalent
  • NIST · Rev 2 (Feb 2020, errata Jan 2021) · nist_800_171_app_d · equivalent
3.5.7
1.00
  • DISA · V1R3 · disa_xccdf · related
  • DISA · 2025-01-23 · disa_cci_list · equivalent
  • NIST · Rev 2 (Feb 2020, errata Jan 2021) · nist_800_171_app_d · equivalent
3.5.8
1.00
  • DISA · V1R3 · disa_xccdf · related
  • DISA · 2025-01-23 · disa_cci_list · equivalent
  • NIST · Rev 2 (Feb 2020, errata Jan 2021) · nist_800_171_app_d · equivalent
3.5.9
1.00
  • DISA · V1R3 · disa_xccdf · related
  • DISA · 2025-01-23 · disa_cci_list · equivalent
  • NIST · Rev 2 (Feb 2020, errata Jan 2021) · nist_800_171_app_d · equivalent
CCI1 mapping
CCI-004066
1.00
  • DISA · V1R3 · disa_xccdf · related

Details

Check Text (C-274161r1120471_chk)

Verify Amazon Linux 2023 uses "pwquality" to enforce the password complexity rules in the password-auth file with the following command: $ grep pam_pwquality /etc/pam.d/password-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 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-78157r1120470_fix)

Configure Amazon Linux 2023 to use "pwquality" to enforce password complexity rules. Add the following line to the "/etc/pam.d/password-auth" file (or modify the line to have the required value): password required pam_pwquality.so