The Photon operating system must not allow empty passwords.
Overview
| Finding ID | Version | Rule ID | IA Controls | Severity |
| V-266063 | PHTN-40-000247 | SV-266063r1003661_rule | Medium |
| Description |
| Accounts with empty or no passwords allow anyone to log on as that account without specifying a password or other forms of authentication. Allowing accounts with empty passwords puts the system at significant risk since only the username is required for access. |
| STIG | Date |
| VMware vSphere 8.0 vCenter Appliance Photon OS 4.0 Security Technical Implementation Guide | 2024-07-11 |
Details
| Check Text (C-69986r1003659_chk) |
| At the command line, run the following command to verify empty passwords are not allowed: # grep nullok /etc/pam.d/system-password /etc/pam.d/system-auth If any results are returned indicating "nullok" is configured on the "pam_unix.so" module, this is a finding. |
| Fix Text (F-69889r1003660_fix) |
| Navigate to and open: /etc/pam.d/system-password or /etc/pam.d/system-auth Remove the "nullok" argument on the "pam_unix.so" module line. 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. |