The Photon operating system must enforce a delay of at least four seconds between logon prompts following a failed logon attempt.
Overview
| Finding ID | Version | Rule ID | IA Controls | Severity |
| V-258869 | PHTN-40-000206 | SV-258869r1003654_rule | Medium |
| Description |
| Limiting the number of logon attempts over a certain time interval reduces the chances that an unauthorized user may gain access to an account. |
| STIG | Date |
| VMware vSphere 8.0 vCenter Appliance Photon OS 4.0 Security Technical Implementation Guide | 2024-07-11 |
Details
| Check Text (C-62609r1003653_chk) |
| At the command line, run the following command to verify the pam_faildelay.so module is used: # grep '^auth' /etc/pam.d/system-auth Example result: auth required pam_faillock.so preauth auth required pam_unix.so auth required pam_faillock.so authfail auth optional pam_faildelay.so delay=4000000 If the pam_faildelay.so module is not present with the delay set to at least four seconds, this is a finding. Note: The delay is configured in microseconds. |
| Fix Text (F-62518r933667_fix) |
| Navigate to and open: /etc/pam.d/system-auth Add or update the following line: auth optional pam_faildelay.so delay=4000000 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. |