The Photon operating system must store only encrypted representations of passwords.
Overview
| Finding ID | Version | Rule ID | IA Controls | Severity |
| V-256585 | PHTN-30-000117 | SV-256585r982199_rule | Medium |
| Description |
| Passwords must be protected at all times via strong, one-way encryption. If passwords are not encrypted, they can be plainly read (i.e., clear text) and easily compromised. If they are encrypted with a weak cipher, those passwords are much more vulnerable to offline brute-force attacks. |
| STIG | Date |
| VMware vSphere 7.0 vCenter Appliance Photon OS Security Technical Implementation Guide | 2024-12-16 |
Details
| Check Text (C-60260r887427_chk) |
| At the command line, run the following command: # grep password /etc/pam.d/system-password|grep --color=always "sha512" If the output does not include "sha512", this is a finding. |
| Fix Text (F-60203r887428_fix) |
| Navigate to and open: /etc/pam.d/system-password Add the argument "sha512" to the "password" line: password required pam_unix.so sha512 shadow try_first_pass Note: On vCenter appliances, the equivalent file must be edited under "/etc/applmgmt/appliance", if one exists, for the changes to persist after a reboot. |