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V-230366

CAT II (Medium)

RHEL 8 user account passwords must have a 180-day maximum password lifetime restriction.

Rule ID

SV-230366r1262169_rule

STIG

Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 Security Technical Implementation Guide

Version

V2R9

CCIs

CCI-000199 CCI-004066

Discussion

Any password, no matter how complex, can eventually be cracked. Therefore, passwords need to be changed periodically. If RHEL 8 does not limit the lifetime of passwords and force users to change their passwords, there is the risk that RHEL 8 passwords could be compromised.

Check Content

Verify that RHEL 8 enforces a 180-day maximum password lifetime for new user accounts by running the following command:

$ sudo grep -i pass_max_days /etc/login.defs
PASS_MAX_DAYS 180

If the "PASS_MAX_DAYS" parameter value is greater than "180", or commented out, this is a finding.

Fix Text

Configure RHEL 8 to enforce a 180-day maximum password lifetime.

Add, or modify the following line in the "/etc/login.defs" file:

PASS_MAX_DAYS 180