The Oracle Linux operating system must be configured so that when passwords are changed a minimum of four character classes must be changed.
Severity | Group ID | Group Title | Version | Rule ID | Date | STIG Version |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| medium | V-221674 | SRG-OS-000072-GPOS-00040 | OL07-00-010170 | SV-221674r1015171_rule | 2025-02-20 | 3 |
| 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 |
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| The "minclass" option sets the minimum number of required classes of characters for the new password (digits, uppercase, lower-case, others). Check for the value of the "minclass" option in "/etc/security/pwquality.conf" with the following command: # grep minclass /etc/security/pwquality.conf minclass = 4 If the value of "minclass" is set to less than "4", this is a finding. |
| ✔️ Fix |
|---|
| Configure the operating system to require the change of at least four character classes when passwords are changed by setting the "minclass" option. Add the following line to "/etc/security/pwquality.conf conf" (or modify the line to have the required value): minclass = 4 |