AlmaLinux OS 9 must ensure the password complexity module in the system-auth file is configured for three retries or less.
Overview
| Finding ID | Version | Rule ID | IA Controls | Severity |
| V-269387 | ALMA-09-035990 | SV-269387r1050270_rule | Medium |
| Description |
| AlmaLinux OS 9 uses "pwquality" as a mechanism to enforce password complexity. This is set in both: /etc/pam.d/password-auth /etc/pam.d/system-auth By limiting the number of attempts to meet the pwquality module complexity requirements before returning with an error, the system will audit abnormal attempts at password changes. |
| STIG | Date |
| CloudLinux AlmaLinux OS 9 Security Technical Implementation Guide | 2025-05-22 |
Details
| Check Text (C-73418r1049601_chk) |
| Verify AlmaLinux OS 9 is configured to limit the "pwquality" retry option to "3". Check for the use of the "pwquality" retry option in the PAM auth files with the following command: $ grep pam_pwquality.so /etc/pam.d/system-auth /etc/pam.d/password-auth /etc/pam.d/system-auth:password required pam_pwquality.so retry=3 /etc/pam.d/password-auth:password required pam_pwquality.so retry=3 If the value of "retry" is set to "0" or greater than "3", or is missing from either, this is a finding. If the system administrator (SA) can demonstrate that the required configuration is contained in a PAM configuration file included or substacked from the system-auth file, this is not a finding. |
| Fix Text (F-73319r1049602_fix) |
| Configure AlmaLinux OS 9 to limit the "pwquality" retry option to "3". Add the following line to the "/etc/pam.d/system-auth" and "/etc/pam.d/password-auth" files (or modify the line to have the required value): password required pam_pwquality.so retry=3 |