SV-253401r1268251: Windows 11 must be configured to require a minimum PIN length of six characters or greater. | Microsoft Windows 11 STIG SCAP Benchmark

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Assessment Title

Rule Text

Windows 11 must be configured to require a minimum PIN length of six characters or greater.

Description

Discussion Text

Windows allows the use of PINs and biometrics for authentication without sending a password to a network or website where it could be compromised. Longer minimum PIN lengths increase the available combinations an attacker would have to attempt. Shorter minimum length significantly reduces the strength. Note: A different registry location is needed when systems are managed by Intune versus GPO.

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

IA Controls

NIST SP 800-53

Not mappedCCI-000366

References

DPMS Target Microsoft Windows 11 DISA DPMS Target Microsoft Windows 11 5471

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.

# Windows PowerShell
# Reconstructed from oval:mil.disa.stig.windows11:def:253401
# Windows 11 must be configured to require a minimum PIN length of six characters or greater.
# Per-module read mechanism curated from static teardown of DISA's SCC tool
# (SCAP Compliance Checker) -- see the SCC Automation Reference above.

# Minimum PIN length is 6 or greater
# registry_object (registry_test)
function test_1 {
  return ((((@{String='reg_sz';ExpandString='reg_expand_sz';Binary='reg_binary';DWord='reg_dword';MultiString='reg_multi_sz';QWord='reg_qword';None='reg_none'}[(Get-Item -Path 'Registry::HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\PassportForWork\PINComplexity').GetValueKind('MinimumPINLength').ToString()]) -eq 'reg_dword') -and (((Get-ItemProperty -Path 'Registry::HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\PassportForWork\PINComplexity' -Name 'MinimumPINLength' -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue) | Select-Object -ExpandProperty 'MinimumPINLength') -ge 6)) -or (((@{String='reg_sz';ExpandString='reg_expand_sz';Binary='reg_binary';DWord='reg_dword';MultiString='reg_multi_sz';QWord='reg_qword';None='reg_none'}[(Get-Item -Path 'Registry::HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\').GetValueKind('MinimumPINLength').ToString()]) -eq 'reg_dword') -and (((Get-ItemProperty -Path 'Registry::HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\' -Name 'MinimumPINLength' -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue) | Select-Object -ExpandProperty 'MinimumPINLength') -ge 6)))
}

if (test_1) {
  Write-Output "PASS"
} else {
  Write-Output "FAIL"
}

Assessment Script Powered by AISyntax-verified

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

Syntax-checked as valid PowerShell. Not executed here — running it for real needs the actual ms_windows_11 target this check assesses.

# OVAL Definition: oval:mil.disa.stig.windows11:def:253401
$compliant = $true
if (Test-Path "HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\PassportForWork\PINComplexity") {
    $pinLength = (Get-ItemProperty -Path "HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\PassportForWork\PINComplexity" -Name "MinimumPINLength").MinimumPINLength
    if ($pinLength -lt 6) { $compliant = $false }
} else {
    $compliant = $false
}
if ($compliant) { Write-Output "PASS"; exit 0 } else { Write-Output "FAIL"; exit 1 }

Remediation

For GPO-managed systems:

Configure the policy value for Computer Configuration >> Administrative Templates >> System >> PIN Complexity >> "Minimum PIN length" to "6" or greater.

For Intune-managed systems:

Revise the Intune policy to set the minimum PIN length to "6" or greater.