RHEL 10 must ensure the password complexity module is enabled in the "system-auth" file.
Overview
| Finding ID | Version | Rule ID | IA Controls | Severity |
| V-281215 | RHEL-10-600630 | SV-281215r1166597_rule | CCI-004066 | medium |
| Description | ||||
| Enabling Pluggable Authentication Module (PAM) password complexity permits enforcement of strong passwords and consequently makes the system less prone to dictionary attacks. | ||||
| STIG | Date | |||
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10 Security Technical Implementation Guide | 2026-03-11 | |||
Related Frameworks
6 paths across 3 frameworks
Related Frameworks
NIST 800-531 mapping
IA-5(1)
1.00
- DISA · V1R1 · disa_xccdf · related
- DISA · 2025-01-23 · disa_cci_list · equivalent
NIST 800-1714 mappings
3.5.10
1.00
- DISA · V1R1 · 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 · V1R1 · 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 · V1R1 · 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 · V1R1 · 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 · V1R1 · disa_xccdf · related
Details
Check Text (C-281215r1166597_chk)
Verify RHEL 10 uses "pwquality" to enforce the password complexity rules in the "system-auth" file with the following command:
$ sudo grep pam_pwquality /etc/pam.d/system-auth
password required pam_pwquality.so
If the command does not return a line containing the value "pam_pwquality.so", or the line is commented out, this is a finding.
If the system administrator can demonstrate that the required configuration is contained in a PAM configuration file included or substacked from the "system-auth" file, this is not a finding.
Fix Text (F-85681r1166596_fix)
Configure RHEL 10 to use "pwquality" to enforce password complexity rules.
Add the following line to the "/etc/pam.d/system-auth" file (or modify the line to have the required value):
password required pam_pwquality.so