AlmaLinux OS 9 must enforce password complexity by requiring that at least one special character be used.
Overview
| Finding ID | Version | Rule ID | IA Controls | Severity |
| V-269390 | ALMA-09-036320 | SV-269390r1050273_rule | CCI-004066 | medium |
| Description | ||||
| Use of a complex password helps to increase the time and resources required to compromise the password. Password complexity, or strength, is a measure of the effectiveness of a password in resisting attempts at guessing and brute-force attacks. Password complexity is one factor of several that determines how long it takes to crack a password. The more complex the password, the greater the number of possible combinations that need to be tested before the password is compromised. | ||||
| STIG | Date | |||
| CloudLinux AlmaLinux OS 9 Security Technical Implementation Guide | 2025-05-22 | |||
Details
Check Text (C-269390r1050273_chk)
Verify that AlmaLinux OS 9 enforces password complexity by requiring at least one special character with the following command:
$ grep -E ocredit /etc/security/pwquality.conf*
/etc/security/pwquality.conf.d/stig.conf:ocredit = -1
If the value of "ocredit" is a positive number, is not set, is commented out, or if conflicting results are returned, this is a finding.
Fix Text (F-73322r1049611_fix)
Configure AlmaLinux OS 9 to enforce password complexity by requiring at least one special character be used by setting the "ocredit" option.
Add or update the following line in the "/etc/security/pwquality.conf" file or a configuration file in the "/etc/security/pwquality.conf.d/" directory:
ocredit = -1
Remove any configurations that conflict with the above value.