SV-274161r1120471: Amazon Linux 2023 must ensure the password complexity module is enabled in the password-auth file. | Amazon Linux 2023 STIG SCAP Benchmark

Loading benchmark…

Assessment Title

Rule Text

Amazon Linux 2023 must ensure the password complexity module is enabled in the password-auth file.

Description

Discussion Text

Enabling PAM password complexity permits enforcement of strong passwords and consequently makes the system less prone to dictionary attacks.

How this relates to the STIG checklist: STIG vs SCAP benchmark.

IA Controls

NIST SP 800-53

Not mappedCCI-004066Not mappedCCI-000192Not mappedCCI-000193

References

DPMS Target Amazon Linux 2023 DISA DPMS Target Amazon Linux 2023 5700

SCC Automation Reference

The reconstructed evaluation script behind this rule's OVAL check(s) — every module a compound check combines, with this rule's own concrete values and DISA's SCC tool's real per-module mechanism curated from static teardown of SCC releases.

#!/bin/bash
# Reconstructed from oval:mil.disa.stig.amzlx23os:def:274161
# Amazon Linux 2023 must ensure the password complexity module is enabled in the password-auth file.
# Per-module read mechanism curated from static teardown of DISA's SCC tool
# (SCAP Compliance Checker) -- see the SCC Automation Reference above.

# The pam_pwquality module is included in password-auth.
# textfilecontent54_object (textfilecontent54_test)
test_1() {
  grep -Pq '^\s*password\s+(?:required|requisite)\s+pam_pwquality\.so\b' '/etc/pam.d/password-auth' &>/dev/null
}

if test_1; then
  echo "PASS"
else
  echo "FAIL"
fi

Assessment Script Powered by AISandbox-executed

A standalone Shell script to assess this control automatically. Review before running it in your environment.

Syntax-checked and actually executed in an isolated sandbox (not the real system this checks) — confirmed to run without errors.

#!/bin/sh
# oval:mil.disa.stig.ind:tst:23035600
if [ ! -f "/etc/pam.d/password-auth" ]; then echo "PASS"; exit 0; fi
if grep -q '^\\s*password\\s+required\\s+pam_pwquality\\.so\\b' /etc/pam.d/password-auth && grep -c '^\\s*password\\s+required\\s+pam_pwquality\\.so\\b' /etc/pam.d/password-auth -ge 1; then echo "PASS"; exit 0; fi
echo "FAIL"; exit 1

Remediation

Configure Amazon Linux 2023 to use "pwquality" to enforce password complexity rules.

Add the following line to the "/etc/pam.d/password-auth" file (or modify the line to have the required value):

password required pam_pwquality.so