SV-253434r1268251: Local accounts with blank passwords must be restricted to prevent access from the network. | Microsoft Windows 11 STIG SCAP Benchmark

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Assessment Title

Rule Text

Local accounts with blank passwords must be restricted to prevent access from the network.

Description

Discussion Text

An account without a password can allow unauthorized access to a system as only the username would be required. Password policies must prevent accounts with blank passwords from existing on a system. However, if a local account with a blank password did exist, enabling this setting will prevent network access, limiting the account to local console logon only.

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:253434
# Local accounts with blank passwords must be restricted to prevent access from the network.
# Per-module read mechanism curated from static teardown of DISA's SCC tool
# (SCAP Compliance Checker) -- see the SCC Automation Reference above.

# Verifies 'Accounts: Limit local account use of blank passwords to console logon only' is set to 'Enabled'
# 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\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Lsa').GetValueKind('LimitBlankPasswordUse').ToString()]) -eq 'reg_dword') -and (((Get-ItemProperty -Path 'Registry::HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Lsa' -Name 'LimitBlankPasswordUse' -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue) | Select-Object -ExpandProperty 'LimitBlankPasswordUse') -eq 1))
}

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:253434
$regPath = "HKLM:\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Lsa"
$regKey = "LimitBlankPasswordUse"
$regValue = 1
if (Test-Path $regPath -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue -and (Get-ItemProperty -Path $regPath -Name $regKey -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue).$regKey -eq $regValue) {Write-Output "PASS"; exit 0} else {Write-Output "FAIL"; exit 1}

Remediation

Configure the policy value for Computer Configuration >> Windows Settings >> Security Settings >> Local Policies >> Security Options >> "Accounts: Limit local account use of blank passwords to console logon only" to "Enabled".