5.9 Ensure Users' Accounts Do Not Have a Password Hint

Information

Password hints help the user recall their passwords for various systems and/or accounts. In most cases, password hints are simple and closely related to the user's password.

Password hints that are closely related to the user's password are a security vulnerability, especially in the social media age. Unauthorized users are more likely to guess a user's password if there is a password hint. The password hint is very susceptible to social engineering attacks and information exposure on social media networks.

Solution

Graphical Method:

Perform the following steps to remove a user's password hint:

- Open System Preferences
- Select Users & Groups
- Select the Current User
- Select Change Password
- Change the password and ensure that no text is entered in the Password hint box

Note: This will only change the currently logged-in user's password, and not any others that are not compliant on the Mac. Use the terminal method if multiple users are not in compliance.

Terminal Method:

Run the following command to remove a user's password hint:

$ /usr/bin/sudo /usr/bin/dscl . -delete /Users/<username> hint

example

:

$ /usr/bin/sudo /usr/bin/dscl . -delete /Users/firstuser hint

$ /usr/bin/sudo /usr/bin/dscl . -delete /Users/seconduser hint

See Also

https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/18633

Item Details

Category: IDENTIFICATION AND AUTHENTICATION

References: 800-53|IA-5(1), CSCv7|4.4

Plugin: Unix

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