The operating system must store only encrypted representations of passwords.
Overview
| Finding ID | Version | Rule ID | IA Controls | Severity |
| V-258818 | PHTN-40-000039 | SV-258818r933515_rule | CCI-000196 | high |
| Description | ||||
| Passwords need to be protected at all times, and encryption is the standard method for protecting passwords. If passwords are not encrypted, they can be plainly read (i.e., clear text) and easily compromised. | ||||
| STIG | Date | |||
| VMware vSphere 8.0 vCenter Appliance Photon OS 4.0 Security Technical Implementation Guide | 2023-10-29 | |||
Details
Check Text (C-258818r933515_chk)
At the command line, run the following command to verify passwords are stored with only encrypted representations:
# grep ^ENCRYPT_METHOD /etc/login.defs
Example result:
ENCRYPT_METHOD SHA512
If the "ENCRYPT_METHOD" option is not set to "SHA512", is missing or commented out, this is a finding.
Fix Text (F-62467r933514_fix)
Navigate to and open:
/etc/login.defs
Add or update the following line:
ENCRYPT_METHOD SHA512