AIX must use Loadable Password Algorithm (LPA) password hashing algorithm.
Overview
| Finding ID | Version | Rule ID | IA Controls | Severity |
| V-215225 | AIX7-00-001128 | SV-215225r1009541_rule | CCI-004066 | high |
| Description | ||||
| The default legacy password hashing algorithm, crypt(), uses only the first 8 characters from the password string, meaning the user's password is truncated to eight characters. If the password is shorter than 8 characters, it is padded with zero bits on the right. The crypt() is a modified DES algorithm that is vulnerable to brute force password guessing attacks and also to cracking the DES-hashing algorithm by using techniques such as pre-computation. With the Loadable Password Algorithm (LPA) framework release, AIX implemented a set of LPAs using MD5, SHA2, and Blowfish algorithms. These IBM proprietary password algorithms support a password longer than 8 characters and Unicode characters in passwords. | ||||
| STIG | Date | |||
| IBM AIX 7.x Security Technical Implementation Guide | 2024-08-16 | |||
Related Frameworks
6 paths across 3 frameworks
Related Frameworks
NIST 800-531 mapping
IA-5(1)
1.00
- DISA · 3 · disa_xccdf · related
- DISA · 2025-01-23 · disa_cci_list · equivalent
NIST 800-1714 mappings
3.5.10
1.00
- DISA · 3 · 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 · 3 · 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 · 3 · 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 · 3 · 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 · 3 · disa_xccdf · related
Details
Check Text (C-215225r1009541_chk)
From the command prompt, run the following command to check system wide password algorithm:
# lssec -f /etc/security/login.cfg -s usw -a pwd_algorithm
usw pwd_algorithm=ssha512
If the "pwd_algorithm" is not set to "ssha512", or "ssha256", this is a finding.
Fix Text (F-16421r294127_fix)
From the command prompt, run the following command to set system wide password algorithm to "ssha512" so that it supports passwords longer than 8-character:
# chsec -f /etc/security/login.cfg -s usw -a pwd_algorithm=ssha512
For each users who have hashed passwords in "/etc/security/passwd" file that does not start with "{ssha512}", run passwd commands to reset the users' passwords so that they have to change their passwords in the next login:
# passwd [user_name]