The Photon operating system must store only encrypted representations of passwords.
Overview
| Finding ID | Version | Rule ID | IA Controls | Severity |
| V-256585 | PHTN-30-000117 | SV-256585r982199_rule | CCI-000196 | medium |
| Description | ||||
| Passwords must be protected at all times via strong, one-way encryption. If passwords are not encrypted, they can be plainly read (i.e., clear text) and easily compromised. If they are encrypted with a weak cipher, those passwords are much more vulnerable to offline brute-force attacks. | ||||
| STIG | Date | |||
| VMware vSphere 7.0 vCenter Appliance Photon OS Security Technical Implementation Guide | 2024-12-16 | |||
Details
Check Text (C-256585r982199_chk)
At the command line, run the following command:
# grep password /etc/pam.d/system-password|grep --color=always "sha512"
If the output does not include "sha512", this is a finding.
Fix Text (F-60203r887428_fix)
Navigate to and open:
/etc/pam.d/system-password
Add the argument "sha512" to the "password" line:
password required pam_unix.so sha512 shadow try_first_pass
Note: On vCenter appliances, the equivalent file must be edited under "/etc/applmgmt/appliance", if one exists, for the changes to persist after a reboot.