SV-278033r1180805: Windows Server 2025 account lockout duration must be configured to 15 minutes or greater. | Microsoft Windows Server 2025 STIG SCAP Benchmark

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Assessment Title

Rule Text

Windows Server 2025 account lockout duration must be configured to 15 minutes or greater.

Description

Discussion Text

When enabled, the account lockout feature prevents brute-force password attacks on the system. This parameter specifies the period of time that an account will remain locked after the specified number of failed logon attempts.

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

IA Controls

NIST SP 800-53

Not mappedCCI-002238

References

DPMS Target Microsoft Windows Server 2025 DISA DPMS Target Microsoft Windows Server 2025 5719

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.windows2025:def:278033
# Windows Server 2025 account lockout duration must be configured to 15 minutes or greater.
# Per-module read mechanism curated from static teardown of DISA's SCC tool
# (SCAP Compliance Checker) -- see the SCC Automation Reference above.

# Verifies 'Account lockout threshold' is not set to '0'
# lockoutpolicy_object (lockoutpolicy_test)
function test_1 {
  return (((net accounts | Select-String 'Lockout threshold') -replace '[^0-9]','') -gt 0)
}
# Verifies 'Account lockout duration' is set to '0'
# lockoutpolicy_object (lockoutpolicy_test)
function test_2 {
  return ((((net accounts | Select-String 'Lockout duration') -replace '[^0-9]','') -le 0) -or (((net accounts | Select-String 'Lockout duration') -replace '[^0-9]','') -eq 4294967295))
}
# Verifies 'Account lockout duration' is set to '15 minutes' or greater
# lockoutpolicy_object (lockoutpolicy_test)
function test_3 {
  return (((net accounts | Select-String 'Lockout duration') -replace '[^0-9]','') -ge 900)
}

if ((test_1 -and (test_2 -or test_3))) {
  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_server_2025 target this check assesses.

# OVAL Definition: oval:mil.disa.stig.windows2025:def:278033
$lockoutThreshold = (Get-CimInstance -ClassName Win32_LocalUser).LockoutBehavior -ne 2
$lockoutDuration = (Get-CimInstance -ClassName Win32_AccountPolicy).LockoutDuration
if (($lockoutThreshold -and (($lockoutDuration -le 900) -or ([int]"0" -eq $lockoutDuration))) -or ($lockoutDuration -ge 900)) { Write-Output "PASS"; Exit 0 } else { Write-Output "FAIL"; Exit 1 }

Remediation

Configure the policy value for Computer Configuration >> Windows Settings >> Security Settings >> Account Policies >> Account Lockout Policy. Set "Account lockout duration" to "15" minutes or greater.

A value of "0" is also acceptable, requiring an administrator to unlock the account.