RHEL 9 must not have accounts configured with blank or null passwords.
Overview
| Finding ID | Version | Rule ID | IA Controls | Severity |
| V-258120 | RHEL-09-611155 | SV-258120r991589_rule | CCI-000366 | 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 9 Security Technical Implementation Guide | 2025-05-14 | |||
Details
Check Text (C-258120r991589_chk)
Verify that null or blank passwords cannot be used 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-61785r926346_fix)
Configure all accounts on RHEL 9 to 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]