AlmaLinux OS 9 must ensure the password complexity module is enabled in the password-auth file.

Overview

Finding IDVersionRule IDIA ControlsSeverity
V-269386ALMA-09-035880SV-269386r1050269_ruleCCI-004066medium
Description
Enabling PAM password complexity permits enforcement of strong passwords and consequently makes the system less prone to dictionary attacks.
STIGDate
Cloud Linux AlmaLinux OS 9 Security Technical Implementation Guide2026-02-27

Related Frameworks

6 paths across 3 frameworks
NIST 800-531 mapping
  • DISA · V1R6 · disa_xccdf · related
  • DISA · 2025-01-23 · disa_cci_list · equivalent
NIST 800-1714 mappings
3.5.10
1.00
  • DISA · V1R6 · 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 · V1R6 · 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 · V1R6 · 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 · V1R6 · 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 · V1R6 · disa_xccdf · related

Details

Check Text (C-269386r1050269_chk)

Verify AlmaLinux OS 9 uses "pwquality" to enforce the password complexity rules in the password-auth file with the following command: Check for the use of the "pwquality" module in the PAM auth files with the following command: $ grep pam_pwquality.so /etc/pam.d/system-auth /etc/pam.d/password-auth /etc/pam.d/system-auth:password required pam_pwquality.so retry=3 /etc/pam.d/password-auth:password required pam_pwquality.so retry=3 If the command does not return a line in each file containing the value "pam_pwquality.so", or the line is commented out, this is a finding. If the system administrator (SA) 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-73318r1049599_fix)

Configure AlmaLinux OS 9 to use "pwquality" to enforce password complexity rules. Add the following line to the "/etc/pam.d/system-auth" and "/etc/pam.d/password-auth" files (or modify the line to have the required value): password required pam_pwquality.so retry=3