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1.266 RHEL-09-411010

Information

RHEL 9 user account passwords for new users or password changes must have a 60-day maximum password lifetime restriction in /etc/login.defs.

GROUP ID: V-258041
RULE ID: SV-258041r1038967

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

Setting the password maximum age ensures users are required to periodically change their passwords. Requiring shorter password lifetimes increases the risk of users writing down the password in a convenient location subject to physical compromise.

Solution

Configure RHEL 9 to enforce a 60-day maximum password lifetime.

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

PASS_MAX_DAYS 60

See Also

https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/22008

Item Details

Category: IDENTIFICATION AND AUTHENTICATION

References: 800-53|IA-5, 800-53|IA-5(1), CAT|II, CCI|CCI-000199, CCI|CCI-004066, Rule-ID|SV-258041r1038967_rule, STIG-ID|RHEL-09-411010, Vuln-ID|V-258041

Plugin: Unix

Control ID: ff87b8257cb63dad68e43d8be98df58995aa5071d3788396223d1627327546bf