OL 8 must ensure the password complexity module is enabled in the password-auth file.
Overview
| Finding ID | Version | Rule ID | IA Controls | Severity |
| V-248686 | OL08-00-020100 | SV-248686r982195_rule | CCI-000366 | 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. Use of "pwquality" enforces complex password construction configuration and has the ability to limit brute-force attacks on the system. OL 8 uses "pwquality" as a mechanism to enforce password complexity. This is set in both of the following: /etc/pam.d/password-auth /etc/pam.d/system-auth Satisfies: SRG-OS-000069-GPOS-00037, SRG-OS-000070-GPOS-00038 | ||||
| STIG | Date | |||
| Oracle Linux 8 Security Technical Implementation Guide | 2025-05-13 | |||
Details
Check Text (C-248686r982195_chk)
Verify the operating system uses "pwquality" to enforce the password complexity rules.
Check for the use of "pwquality" in the password-auth file with the following command:
$ sudo cat /etc/pam.d/password-auth | grep pam_pwquality
password requisite pam_pwquality.so
If the command does not return a line containing the value "pam_pwquality.so" as shown, or the line is commented out, this is a finding.
Fix Text (F-52074r902808_fix)
Configure the operating system to use "pwquality" to enforce password complexity rules.
Add the following line to the "/etc/pam.d/password-auth" file (or modify the line to have the required value):
password requisite pam_pwquality.so