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The password for the krbtgt account on a domain must be reset at least every 180 days.

Overview

Finding IDVersionRule IDIA ControlsSeverity
V-278176WN25-DC-000430SV-278176r1192634_ruleCCI-000366medium
Description
The krbtgt account acts as a service account for the Kerberos Key Distribution Center (KDC) service. The account and password are created when a domain is created and the password is typically not changed. If the krbtgt account is compromised, attackers can create valid Kerberos Ticket Granting Tickets (TGT). The password must be changed twice to effectively remove the password history. Changing once, waiting for replication to complete and the amount of time equal to or greater than the maximum Kerberos ticket lifetime, and changing again reduces the risk of issues.
STIGDate
Microsoft Windows Server 2025 Security Technical Implementation Guide2026-02-20

Related Frameworks

1 mapping across 5 frameworks
SCF0 mappings

No source states a mapping between these directly.

Also reachable in 3 hops (8) 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.

CFG-01Configuration Management Program
1.00
END-01Endpoint Device Management (EDM)
1.00
END-04Malicious Code Protection (Anti-Malware)
1.00
END-06Endpoint File Integrity Monitoring (FIM)
1.00
MON-01Continuous Monitoring
1.00
MON-01.7File Integrity Monitoring (FIM)
1.00
CFG-02Secure Baseline Configurations
0.50
CFG-02.7Approved Configuration Deviations
0.50
NIST 800-530 mappings

No source states a mapping between these directly.

Also reachable in 2 hops (100) 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-12Session Termination
1.00
AC-16(1)Dynamic Attribute Association
1.00
AC-17(1)Monitoring and Control
1.00
AC-2Account Management
1.00
AC-2(1)Automated System Account Management
1.00
AC-2(11)Usage Conditions
1.00
AC-2(3)Disable Accounts
1.00
AC-2(4)Automated Audit Actions
1.00
AC-24(1)Transmit Access Authorization Information
1.00
AC-25Reference Monitor
1.00

+90 more (top 10 by confidence shown)

NIST 800-1710 mappings

No source states a mapping between these directly.

Also reachable in 3 hops (2) 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.

3.4.1
1.00
3.4.2
1.00
CCI1 mapping
CCI-000366
1.00
NIST CSF 2.00 mappings

No source states a mapping between these directly.

Also reachable in 3 hops (5) 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.

DE.CM-09
1.00
PR.PS-01
1.00
PR.DS-10
0.50
PR.PSPlatform Security
0.50
PR.PS-05
0.50

Who does this work

10 NICE work roles and 9 EC-Council certifications.

This is an inference across published mappings, not a single claim by anyone. This check maps to a control, which maps to a Cybersecurity Framework outcome, which NIST assigns to the work roles below. EC-Council separately maps its certifications to those same roles.

A certification prepares someone for a role. It is not evidence that a holder is qualified, and neither NIST nor EC-Council has stated that any certification here addresses this check.

Work-role assignments published by NIST (NICE Framework Components 2.2.0 and the CSF 2.0 OLIR crosswalk). Certification mappings published by EC-Council.

Details

Check Text (C-278176r1192634_chk)

This requirement is applicable to domain controllers; it is not applicable for other systems. Open "Windows PowerShell". Enter "Get-ADUser krbtgt -Property PasswordLastSet". If the "PasswordLastSet" date is more than 180 days old, this is a finding.

Fix Text (F-82611r1192633_fix)

Reset the password for the krbtgt account a least every 180 days. The password must be changed twice to effectively remove the password history. Changing once, waiting for replication to complete, and changing again reduces the risk of issues. Changing twice in rapid succession forces clients to reauthenticate (including application services) but is desired if a compromise is suspected. PowerShell scripts are available to accomplish this such as at the following link: https://gallery.technet.microsoft.com/Reset-the-krbtgt-account-581a9e51 Open "Active Directory Users and Computers" (available from various menus or run "dsa.msc"). Select "Advanced Features" in the "View" menu if not previously selected. Select the "Users" node. Right-click on the krbtgt account and select "Reset password". Enter a password that meets password complexity requirements. Clear the "User must change password at next logon" check box. The system will automatically change this to a system-generated complex password.