Amazon Linux 2023 must ensure the password complexity module is enabled in the password-auth file.
Overview
| Finding ID | Version | Rule ID | IA Controls | Severity |
| V-274161 | AZLX-23-002489 | SV-274161r1120471_rule | CCI-004066 | medium |
| Description | ||||
| Enabling PAM password complexity permits enforcement of strong passwords and consequently makes the system less prone to dictionary attacks. | ||||
| STIG | Date | |||
| Amazon Linux 2023 Security Technical Implementation Guide | 2026-02-27 | |||
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