VMware vSphere 6.5 ESXi Security Technical Implementation Guide

The VMware vSphere 6.5 ESXi Security Technical Implementation Guide (V2 R4) has 74 STIG checks. New to STIG checklists? Read What is a STIG checklist?, CKL vs CKLB, and STIG vs SCAP benchmark.

Find STIG checks

74STIG checks

Search filters this STIG's checks locally. Separate terms must all match (use quotes for an exact phrase). A search you ran on the Search page carries over here.

Severity

Version

V2 · R4

CurrentPublished Wed Jul 26 2023

The ESXi host SSH daemon must not allow authentication using an empty password.

VMware vSphere 6.5 ESXi Security Technical Implementation Guide

Assessment Title

Rule Text

The ESXi host SSH daemon must not allow authentication using an empty password.

Description

Discussion Text

Configuring this setting for the SSH daemon provides additional assurance that remote login via SSH will require a password, even in the event of misconfiguration elsewhere.

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

Objective

V-207616

Rule

SV-207616r388482_rule

Severity

high

Rule Version

ESXI-65-000015

Documentable

false

IA Controls

NIST SP 800-53

Rev 5

Assessment Procedure

Check Text

From an SSH session connected to the ESXi host, or from the ESXi shell, run the following command:

# grep -i "^PermitEmptyPasswords" /etc/ssh/sshd_config

If there is no output or the output is not exactly "PermitEmptyPasswords no", this is a finding.

Implementation Procedure

Fix Text

From an SSH session connected to the ESXi host, or from the ESXi shell, add or correct the following line in "/etc/ssh/sshd_config":

PermitEmptyPasswords no

STIG check 15 of 74 in the VMware vSphere 6.5 ESXi STIG checklist

← Previous · V-207615The ESXi host SSH daemon must not permit root logins.Next · V-207617 →The ESXi host SSH daemon must not permit user environment settings.