The Ubuntu operating system must enforce password complexity by requiring that at least one upper-case character be used.
Severity | Group ID | Group Title | Version | Rule ID | Date | STIG Version |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| low | V-238221 | SRG-OS-000069-GPOS-00037 | UBTU-20-010050 | SV-238221r1015144_rule | 2025-03-03 | 2 |
| Description |
|---|
| Use of a complex password helps to increase the time and resources required to compromise the password. Password complexity, or strength, is a measure of the effectiveness of a password in resisting attempts at guessing and brute-force attacks. Password complexity is one factor of several that determines how long it takes to crack a password. The more complex the password, the greater the number of possible combinations that need to be tested before the password is compromised. |
| ℹ️ Check |
|---|
| Verify the Ubuntu operating system enforces password complexity by requiring that at least one upper-case character be used. Determine if the field "ucredit" is set in the "/etc/security/pwquality.conf" file with the following command: $ grep -i "ucredit" /etc/security/pwquality.conf ucredit=-1 If the "ucredit" parameter is greater than "-1" or is commented out, this is a finding. |
| ✔️ Fix |
|---|
| Add or update the "/etc/security/pwquality.conf" file to contain the "ucredit" parameter: ucredit=-1 |