STIGQter: STIG Summary: Oracle Linux 6 Security Technical Implementation Guide Version: 2 Release: 3 Benchmark Date: 23 Apr 2021:

The system must require at least eight characters be changed between the old and new passwords during a password change.

DISA Rule

SV-208835r603263_rule

Vulnerability Number

V-208835

Group Title

SRG-OS-000072

Rule Version

OL6-00-000060

Severity

CAT III

CCI(s)

• CCI-000195 - The information system, for password-based authentication, when new passwords are created, enforces that at least an organization-defined number of characters are changed.

Weight

10

Fix Recommendation

The pam_cracklib module's "difok" parameter controls requirements for usage of different characters during a password change.

Edit /etc/pam.d/system-auth and /etc/pam.d/password-auth adding "difok=[NUM]" after pam_cracklib.so to require differing characters when changing passwords, substituting [NUM] appropriately. The DoD requirement is “8”.

Check Contents

To check how many characters must differ during a password change, run the following command:

$ grep pam_cracklib /etc/pam.d/system-auth /etc/pam.d/password-auth

The "difok" parameter will indicate how many characters must differ. The DoD requires eight characters differ during a password change. This would appear as "difok=8".

If the “difok” parameter is not found or not set to the required value, this is a finding.

Vulnerability Number

V-208835

Documentable

False

Rule Version

OL6-00-000060

Severity Override Guidance

To check how many characters must differ during a password change, run the following command:

$ grep pam_cracklib /etc/pam.d/system-auth /etc/pam.d/password-auth

The "difok" parameter will indicate how many characters must differ. The DoD requires eight characters differ during a password change. This would appear as "difok=8".

If the “difok” parameter is not found or not set to the required value, this is a finding.

Check Content Reference

M

Target Key

2928

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