OL 8 passwords for new users must have a minimum of 15 characters.
Overview
| Finding ID | Version | Rule ID | IA Controls | Severity |
| V-248700 | OL08-00-020231 | SV-248700r1015059_rule | CCI-004066 | medium |
| Description | ||||
| The shorter the password, the lower the number of possible combinations that need to be tested before the password is compromised. Password complexity, or strength, is a measure of the effectiveness of a password in resisting attempts at guessing and brute-force attacks. Password length is one factor of several that helps to determine strength and how long it takes to crack a password. Use of more characters in a password helps to increase exponentially the time and/or resources required to compromise the password. The DOD minimum password requirement is 15 characters. | ||||
| STIG | Date | |||
| Oracle Linux 8 Security Technical Implementation Guide | 2025-05-13 | |||
Details
Check Text (C-248700r1015059_chk)
Verify that OL 8 enforces a minimum 15-character password length for new user accounts by running the following command:
$ sudo grep -i pass_min_len /etc/login.defs
PASS_MIN_LEN 15
If the "PASS_MIN_LEN" parameter value is less than "15" or is commented out, this is a finding.
Fix Text (F-52088r779665_fix)
Configure operating system to enforce a minimum 15-character password length for new user accounts.
Add or modify the following line in the "/etc/login.defs" file:
PASS_MIN_LEN 15