Microsoft Windows Server 2025 Security Technical Implementation Guide

The Microsoft Windows Server 2025 Security Technical Implementation Guide (V1 R4) has 291 STIG checks. New to STIG checklists? Read What is a STIG checklist?, CKL vs CKLB, and STIG vs SCAP benchmark.

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Severity

Version

V1 · R4

CurrentPublished Wed Sep 30 2026

Windows Server 2025 OpenSSH must not allow blank passwords.

Microsoft Windows Server 2025 Security Technical Implementation Guide

Assessment Title

Rule Text

Windows Server 2025 OpenSSH must not allow blank passwords.

Description

Discussion Text

If an account has an empty password, anyone could log on and run commands with the privileges of that account. Accounts with empty passwords must never be used in operational environments.

Satisfies: SRG-OS-000106-GPOS-00053, SRG-OS-000480-GPOS-00229, SRG-OS-000480-GPOS-00228

New to STIG checklists? Read What is a STIG checklist? and CKL vs CKLB.

Objective

V-285316

Rule

SV-285316r1268229_rule

Severity

high

Rule Version

WN25-SH-000040

Documentable

false

IA Controls

NIST SP 800-53

Rev 5

Assessment Procedure

Check Text

If OpenSSH is not installed on the system, this requirement is not applicable.

Verify system remote access using OpenSSH prevents logging on with a blank password with the following command:

C:\ > Get-Content "$env:ProgramData\ssh\sshd_config" | Select-String -Pattern '^\s*PermitEmptyPasswords'

PermitEmptyPasswords no

If the "PermitEmptyPasswords" keyword is set to "yes", is missing, or is commented out, this is a finding.

Implementation Procedure

Fix Text

To configure the system, add or modify the following line in the "$env:ProgramData/ssh/sshd_config" file:

PermitEmptyPasswords no

Restart the OpenSSH service for the settings to take effect.

STIG check 283 of 291 in the Microsoft Windows Server 2025 STIG checklist

← Previous · V-285315Windows Server 2025 OpenSSH must accept public key authentication.Next · V-285317 →Windows Server 2025 OpenSSH must force a frequent session key renegotiation for SSH connections to the server.