The macOS system must require a minimum password length of 14 characters.
Overview
| Finding ID | Version | Rule ID | IA Controls | Severity |
| V-268537 | APPL-15-003010 | SV-268537r1034551_rule | CCI-004066 | medium |
| Description | ||||
| The macOS must be configured to require that a minimum of 14 characters be used when a password is created. This rule enforces password complexity by requiring users to set passwords that are less vulnerable to malicious users. NOTE: The guidance for password-based authentication in NIST 800-53 (Rev 5) and NIST 800-63B states that complexity rules should be organizationally defined. The values defined are based on common complexity values, but each organization may define its own password complexity rules. | ||||
| STIG | Date | |||
| Apple macOS 15 (Sequoia) Security Technical Implementation Guide | 2025-05-05 | |||
Details
Check Text (C-268537r1034551_chk)
Verify the macOS system is configured to enforce a minimum 14-character password length with the following command:
/usr/bin/pwpolicy -getaccountpolicies 2> /dev/null | /usr/bin/tail +2 | /usr/bin/xmllint --xpath 'boolean(//*[contains(text(),"policyAttributePassword matches '\''.{14,}'\''")])' -
If the result is not "true", this is a finding.
Fix Text (F-72468r1034550_fix)
Configure the macOS system to enforce a 14-character password length by installing the "com.apple.mobiledevice.passwordpolicy" configuration profile.