NixOS must prevent the use of dictionary words for passwords.
Severity | Group ID | Group Title | Version | Rule ID | Date | STIG Version |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| medium | V-268169 | SRG-OS-000480-GPOS-00225 | ANIX-00-001860 | SV-268169r1039395_rule | 2024-10-25 | 1 |
| Description |
|---|
| If the operating system allows the user to select passwords based on dictionary words, then this increases the chances of password compromise by increasing the opportunity for successful guesses and brute-force attacks. |
| ℹ️ Check |
|---|
| Verify NixOS prevents the use of dictionary words for passwords with the following command: $ grep dict /etc/security/pwquality.conf dictcheck=1 If the value of "ocredit" is a positive number or is commented out, this is a finding. |
| ✔️ Fix |
|---|
| Configure NixOS to check password change attempts against a dictionary. Add/modify /etc/nixos/configuration.nix to include the following lines: environment.etc."/security/pwquality.conf".text = '' dictcheck=1 ''; Rebuild the system with the following command: $ sudo nixos-rebuild switch |