RHEL 10 must not have accounts configured with blank or null passwords.
Overview
| Finding ID | Version | Rule ID | IA Controls | Severity |
| V-281201 | RHEL-10-600460 | SV-281201r1166555_rule | CCI-004066 | medium |
| Description | ||||
| If an account has an empty password, anyone could log in and run commands with the privileges of that account. Accounts with empty passwords should never be used in operational environments. | ||||
| STIG | Date | |||
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10 Security Technical Implementation Guide | 2026-03-11 | |||
Details
Check Text (C-281201r1166555_chk)
Verify RHEL 10 prohibits null or blank passwords with the following command:
$ sudo awk -F: '!$2 {print $1}' /etc/shadow
If the command returns any results, this is a finding.
Fix Text (F-85667r1166554_fix)
Configure RHEL 10 so that all accounts have a password, or lock the account with the following commands:
Perform a password reset:
$ sudo passwd [username]
To lock an account:
$ sudo passwd -l [username]