AlmaLinux OS 9 must require the maximum number of repeating characters be limited to three when passwords are changed.
Severity | Group ID | Group Title | Version | Rule ID | Date | STIG Version |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| medium | V-269395 | SRG-OS-000072-GPOS-00040 | ALMA-09-036870 | SV-269395r1050278_rule | 2025-02-20 | 1 |
| 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 value of the "maxrepeat" option in "/etc/security/pwquality.conf" with the following command: $ grep -ir maxrepeat /etc/security/pwquality.conf* /etc/security/pwquality.conf:# maxrepeat = 0 /etc/security/pwquality.conf.d/stig.conf:maxrepeat = 3 If the value of "maxrepeat" is set to more than "3", or is commented out, this is a finding. |
| ✔️ Fix |
|---|
| Configure AlmaLinux OS 9 to require the change of the number of repeating consecutive characters when passwords are changed by setting the "maxrepeat" option. Add the following line to "/etc/security/pwquality.conf" (or modify the line to have the required value): maxrepeat = 3 |