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The Ubuntu operating system must require the change of at least 8 characters when passwords are changed.

Overview

Finding IDVersionRule IDIA ControlsSeverity
V-238224UBTU-20-010053SV-238224r1015147_ruleCCI-000195low
Description
If the operating system allows the user to consecutively reuse extensive portions of passwords, this increases the chances of password compromise by increasing the window of opportunity for attempts at guessing and brute-force attacks. The number of changed characters refers to the number of changes required with respect to the total number of positions in the current password. In other words, characters may be the same within the two passwords; however, the positions of the like characters must be different. If the password length is an odd number then number of changed characters must be rounded up. For example, a password length of 15 characters must require the change of at least 8 characters.
STIGDate
Canonical Ubuntu 20.04 LTS Security Technical Implementation Guide2025-05-16

Related Frameworks

2 mappings across 4 frameworks
SCF0 mappings

No source states a mapping between these directly.

Also reachable in 3 hops (3) derived by us, not asserted by any source

Each of these is a route we composed by chaining published mappings. No publisher states a relationship between the two endpoints.

IAC-10Authenticator Management
0.50
IAC-10.1Password-Based Authentication
0.50
IAC-10.4Automated Support For Password Strength
0.50
NIST 800-530 mappings

No source states a mapping between these directly.

Also reachable in 2 hops (64) derived by us, not asserted by any source

Each of these is a route we composed by chaining published mappings. No publisher states a relationship between the two endpoints.

AC-10Concurrent Session Control
1.00
AC-12Session Termination
1.00
AC-17(10)Authenticate Remote Commands
1.00
AC-2(1)Automated System Account Management
1.00
AC-2(10)Shared and Group Account Credential Change
1.00
AC-2(11)Usage Conditions
1.00
AC-2(2)Automated Temporary and Emergency Account Management
1.00
AC-2(3)Disable Accounts
1.00
AC-2(4)Automated Audit Actions
1.00
AC-3Access Enforcement
1.00

+54 more (top 10 by confidence shown)

NIST 800-1710 mappings

No source states a mapping between these directly.

Also reachable in 3 hops (4) derived by us, not asserted by any source

Each of these is a route we composed by chaining published mappings. No publisher states a relationship between the two endpoints.

3.5.10
1.00
3.5.7
1.00
3.5.8
1.00
3.5.9
1.00
CCI2 mappings
CCI-000195
1.00
CCI-004066
1.00

Details

Check Text (C-238224r1015147_chk)

Verify the Ubuntu operating system requires the change of at least eight characters when passwords are changed. Determine if the field "difok" is set in the "/etc/security/pwquality.conf" file with the following command: $ grep -i "difok" /etc/security/pwquality.conf difok=8 If the "difok" parameter is less than "8" or is commented out, this is a finding.

Fix Text (F-41393r653846_fix)

Configure the Ubuntu operating system to require the change of at least eight characters when passwords are changed. Add or update the "/etc/security/pwquality.conf" file to include the "difok=8" parameter: difok=8