Ensure PAM Enforces Password Requirements - Minimum Length

An XCCDF Rule

Description

The pam_pwquality module's minlen parameter controls requirements for minimum characters required in a password. Add

minlen=

after pam_pwquality to set minimum password length requirements.

Rationale

The shorter the password, the lower the number of possible combinations that need to be tested before the password is compromised.
Password complexity, or strength, is a measure of the effectiveness of a password in resisting attempts at guessing and brute-force attacks. Password length is one factor of several that helps to determine strength and how long it takes to crack a password. Use of more characters in a password helps to exponentially increase the time and/or resources required to compromise the password.

ID: xccdf_org.ssgproject.content_rule_accounts_password_pam_minlen
Severity: Medium
References: 1 12 15 16 5

5.6.2.1.1

DSS05.04 DSS05.05 DSS05.07 DSS05.10 DSS06.03 DSS06.10

4.3.3.2.2 4.3.3.5.1 4.3.3.5.2 4.3.3.6.1 4.3.3.6.2 4.3.3.6.3 4.3.3.6.4 4.3.3.6.5 4.3.3.6.6 4.3.3.6.7 4.3.3.6.8 4.3.3.6.9 4.3.3.7.2 4.3.3.7.4

SR 1.1 SR 1.10 SR 1.2 SR 1.3 SR 1.4 SR 1.5 SR 1.7 SR 1.8 SR 1.9 SR 2.1

0421 0422 0431 0974 1173 1401 1504 1505 1546 1557 1558 1559 1560 1561

A.18.1.4 A.7.1.1 A.9.2.1 A.9.2.2 A.9.2.3 A.9.2.4 A.9.2.6 A.9.3.1 A.9.4.2 A.9.4.3

CM-6(a) IA-5(1)(a) IA-5(4) IA-5(c)

PR.AC-1 PR.AC-6 PR.AC-7

FMT_SMF_EXT.1

Req-8.2.3

8.3 8.3.6

SRG-OS-000078-GPOS-00046

CCI-004066

R31 R68
Updated: about 1 month ago

Remediation Templates

# Remediation is applicable only in certain platforms
if rpm --quiet -q pam; then
var_password_pam_minlen='<xccdf-1.2:sub xmlns:xccdf-1.2="http://checklists.nist.gov/xccdf/1.2" idref="xccdf_org.ssgproject.content_value_var_password_pam_minlen" use="legacy"/>'




if [ -e "/etc/pam.d/system-auth" ] ; then
    PAM_FILE_PATH="/etc/pam.d/system-auth"
    if [ -f /usr/bin/authselect ]; then
        
        if ! authselect check; then
        echo "
        authselect integrity check failed. Remediation aborted!
        This remediation could not be applied because an authselect profile was not selected or the selected profile is not intact.
        It is not recommended to manually edit the PAM files when authselect tool is available.
        In cases where the default authselect profile does not cover a specific demand, a custom authselect profile is recommended."
        exit 1
        fi

        CURRENT_PROFILE=$(authselect current -r | awk '{ print $1 }')
        # If not already in use, a custom profile is created preserving the enabled features.
        if [[ ! $CURRENT_PROFILE == custom/* ]]; then
            ENABLED_FEATURES=$(authselect current | tail -n+3 | awk '{ print $2 }')
            authselect create-profile hardening -b $CURRENT_PROFILE
            CURRENT_PROFILE="custom/hardening"
            
            authselect apply-changes -b --backup=before-hardening-custom-profile
            authselect select $CURRENT_PROFILE
            for feature in $ENABLED_FEATURES; do
                authselect enable-feature $feature;
            done
            
            authselect apply-changes -b --backup=after-hardening-custom-profile
        fi
        PAM_FILE_NAME=$(basename "/etc/pam.d/system-auth")
        PAM_FILE_PATH="/etc/authselect/$CURRENT_PROFILE/$PAM_FILE_NAME"

        authselect apply-changes -b
    fi
    
if grep -qP "^\s*password\s.*\bpam_pwquality.so\s.*\bminlen\b" "$PAM_FILE_PATH"; then
    sed -i -E --follow-symlinks "s/(.*password.*pam_pwquality.so.*)\bminlen\b=?[[:alnum:]]*(.*)/\1\2/g" "$PAM_FILE_PATH"
fi
    if [ -f /usr/bin/authselect ]; then
        
        authselect apply-changes -b
    fi
else
    echo "/etc/pam.d/system-auth was not found" >&2
fi


# Strip any search characters in the key arg so that the key can be replaced without
# adding any search characters to the config file.
stripped_key=$(sed 's/[\^=\$,;+]*//g' <<< "^minlen")

# shellcheck disable=SC2059
printf -v formatted_output "%s = %s" "$stripped_key" "$var_password_pam_minlen"

# If the key exists, change it. Otherwise, add it to the config_file.
# We search for the key string followed by a word boundary (matched by \>),
# so if we search for 'setting', 'setting2' won't match.
if LC_ALL=C grep -q -m 1 -i -e "^minlen\\>" "/etc/security/pwquality.conf"; then
    escaped_formatted_output=$(sed -e 's|/|\\/|g' <<< "$formatted_output")
    LC_ALL=C sed -i --follow-symlinks "s/^minlen\\>.*/$escaped_formatted_output/gi" "/etc/security/pwquality.conf"
else
    if [[ -s "/etc/security/pwquality.conf" ]] && [[ -n "$(tail -c 1 -- "/etc/security/pwquality.conf" || true)" ]]; then
        LC_ALL=C sed -i --follow-symlinks '$a'\\ "/etc/security/pwquality.conf"
    fi
    printf '%s\n' "$formatted_output" >> "/etc/security/pwquality.conf"
fi

else
    >&2 echo 'Remediation is not applicable, nothing was done'
fi

- name: Gather the package facts
  package_facts:
    manager: auto
  tags:
  - CJIS-5.6.2.1.1
  - NIST-800-53-CM-6(a)  - NIST-800-53-IA-5(1)(a)
  - NIST-800-53-IA-5(4)
  - NIST-800-53-IA-5(c)
  - PCI-DSS-Req-8.2.3
  - PCI-DSSv4-8.3
  - PCI-DSSv4-8.3.6
  - accounts_password_pam_minlen
  - low_complexity
  - low_disruption
  - medium_severity
  - no_reboot_needed
  - restrict_strategy
- name: XCCDF Value var_password_pam_minlen # promote to variable
  set_fact:
    var_password_pam_minlen: !!str <xccdf-1.2:sub xmlns:xccdf-1.2="http://checklists.nist.gov/xccdf/1.2" idref="xccdf_org.ssgproject.content_value_var_password_pam_minlen" use="legacy"/>
  tags:
    - always
- name: Ensure PAM Enforces Password Requirements - Minimum Length - Check if /etc/pam.d/system-auth
    file is present
  ansible.builtin.stat:
    path: /etc/pam.d/system-auth
  register: result_pam_file_present
  when: '"pam" in ansible_facts.packages'
  tags:
  - CJIS-5.6.2.1.1
  - NIST-800-53-CM-6(a)
  - NIST-800-53-IA-5(1)(a)
  - NIST-800-53-IA-5(4)
  - NIST-800-53-IA-5(c)
  - PCI-DSS-Req-8.2.3
  - PCI-DSSv4-8.3
  - PCI-DSSv4-8.3.6
  - accounts_password_pam_minlen
  - low_complexity
  - low_disruption
  - medium_severity
  - no_reboot_needed
  - restrict_strategy

- name: Ensure PAM Enforces Password Requirements - Minimum Length - Check the proper
    remediation for the system
  block:

  - name: Ensure PAM Enforces Password Requirements - Minimum Length - Define the
      PAM file to be edited as a local fact
    ansible.builtin.set_fact:
      pam_file_path: /etc/pam.d/system-auth

  - name: Ensure PAM Enforces Password Requirements - Minimum Length - Check if system
      relies on authselect tool
    ansible.builtin.stat:
      path: /usr/bin/authselect
    register: result_authselect_present

  - name: Ensure PAM Enforces Password Requirements - Minimum Length - Ensure authselect
      custom profile is used if authselect is present
    block:

    - name: Ensure PAM Enforces Password Requirements - Minimum Length - Check integrity
        of authselect current profile
      ansible.builtin.command:
        cmd: authselect check
      register: result_authselect_check_cmd
      changed_when: false
      failed_when: false

    - name: Ensure PAM Enforces Password Requirements - Minimum Length - Informative
        message based on the authselect integrity check result
      ansible.builtin.assert:
        that:
        - result_authselect_check_cmd.rc == 0
        fail_msg:
        - authselect integrity check failed. Remediation aborted!
        - This remediation could not be applied because an authselect profile was
          not selected or the selected profile is not intact.
        - It is not recommended to manually edit the PAM files when authselect tool
          is available.
        - In cases where the default authselect profile does not cover a specific
          demand, a custom authselect profile is recommended.
        success_msg:
        - authselect integrity check passed

    - name: Ensure PAM Enforces Password Requirements - Minimum Length - Get authselect
        current profile
      ansible.builtin.shell:
        cmd: authselect current -r | awk '{ print $1 }'
      register: result_authselect_profile
      changed_when: false
      when:
      - result_authselect_check_cmd is success

    - name: Ensure PAM Enforces Password Requirements - Minimum Length - Define the
        current authselect profile as a local fact
      ansible.builtin.set_fact:
        authselect_current_profile: '{{ result_authselect_profile.stdout }}'
        authselect_custom_profile: '{{ result_authselect_profile.stdout }}'
      when:
      - result_authselect_profile is not skipped
      - result_authselect_profile.stdout is match("custom/")

    - name: Ensure PAM Enforces Password Requirements - Minimum Length - Define the
        new authselect custom profile as a local fact
      ansible.builtin.set_fact:
        authselect_current_profile: '{{ result_authselect_profile.stdout }}'
        authselect_custom_profile: custom/hardening
      when:
      - result_authselect_profile is not skipped
      - result_authselect_profile.stdout is not match("custom/")

    - name: Ensure PAM Enforces Password Requirements - Minimum Length - Get authselect
        current features to also enable them in the custom profile
      ansible.builtin.shell:
        cmd: authselect current | tail -n+3 | awk '{ print $2 }'
      register: result_authselect_features
      changed_when: false
      when:
      - result_authselect_profile is not skipped
      - authselect_current_profile is not match("custom/")

    - name: Ensure PAM Enforces Password Requirements - Minimum Length - Check if
        any custom profile with the same name was already created
      ansible.builtin.stat:
        path: /etc/authselect/{{ authselect_custom_profile }}
      register: result_authselect_custom_profile_present
      changed_when: false
      when:
      - authselect_current_profile is not match("custom/")

    - name: Ensure PAM Enforces Password Requirements - Minimum Length - Create an
        authselect custom profile based on the current profile
      ansible.builtin.command:
        cmd: authselect create-profile hardening -b {{ authselect_current_profile
          }}
      when:
      - result_authselect_check_cmd is success
      - authselect_current_profile is not match("custom/")
      - not result_authselect_custom_profile_present.stat.exists

    - name: Ensure PAM Enforces Password Requirements - Minimum Length - Ensure authselect
        changes are applied
      ansible.builtin.command:
        cmd: authselect apply-changes -b --backup=before-hardening-custom-profile
      when:
      - result_authselect_check_cmd is success
      - result_authselect_profile is not skipped
      - authselect_current_profile is not match("custom/")
      - authselect_custom_profile is not match(authselect_current_profile)

    - name: Ensure PAM Enforces Password Requirements - Minimum Length - Ensure the
        authselect custom profile is selected
      ansible.builtin.command:
        cmd: authselect select {{ authselect_custom_profile }}
      register: result_pam_authselect_select_profile
      when:
      - result_authselect_check_cmd is success
      - result_authselect_profile is not skipped
      - authselect_current_profile is not match("custom/")
      - authselect_custom_profile is not match(authselect_current_profile)

    - name: Ensure PAM Enforces Password Requirements - Minimum Length - Restore the
        authselect features in the custom profile
      ansible.builtin.command:
        cmd: authselect enable-feature {{ item }}
      loop: '{{ result_authselect_features.stdout_lines }}'
      register: result_pam_authselect_restore_features
      when:
      - result_authselect_profile is not skipped
      - result_authselect_features is not skipped
      - result_pam_authselect_select_profile is not skipped

    - name: Ensure PAM Enforces Password Requirements - Minimum Length - Ensure authselect
        changes are applied
      ansible.builtin.command:
        cmd: authselect apply-changes -b --backup=after-hardening-custom-profile
      when:
      - result_authselect_check_cmd is success
      - result_authselect_profile is not skipped
      - result_pam_authselect_restore_features is not skipped

    - name: Ensure PAM Enforces Password Requirements - Minimum Length - Change the
        PAM file to be edited according to the custom authselect profile
      ansible.builtin.set_fact:
        pam_file_path: /etc/authselect/{{ authselect_custom_profile }}/{{ pam_file_path
          | basename }}
    when:
    - result_authselect_present.stat.exists

  - name: Ensure PAM Enforces Password Requirements - Minimum Length - Define a fact
      for control already filtered in case filters are used
    ansible.builtin.set_fact:
      pam_module_control: ''

  - name: Ensure PAM Enforces Password Requirements - Minimum Length - Ensure the
      "minlen" option from "pam_pwquality.so" is not present in {{ pam_file_path }}
    ansible.builtin.replace:
      dest: '{{ pam_file_path }}'
      regexp: (.*password.*pam_pwquality.so.*)\bminlen\b=?[0-9a-zA-Z]*(.*)
      replace: \1\2
    register: result_pam_option_removal

  - name: Ensure PAM Enforces Password Requirements - Minimum Length - Ensure authselect
      changes are applied
    ansible.builtin.command:
      cmd: authselect apply-changes -b
    when:
    - result_authselect_present.stat.exists
    - result_pam_option_removal is changed
  when:
  - '"pam" in ansible_facts.packages'
  - result_pam_file_present.stat.exists
  tags:
  - CJIS-5.6.2.1.1
  - NIST-800-53-CM-6(a)
  - NIST-800-53-IA-5(1)(a)
  - NIST-800-53-IA-5(4)
  - NIST-800-53-IA-5(c)
  - PCI-DSS-Req-8.2.3
  - PCI-DSSv4-8.3
  - PCI-DSSv4-8.3.6
  - accounts_password_pam_minlen
  - low_complexity
  - low_disruption
  - medium_severity
  - no_reboot_needed
  - restrict_strategy

- name: Ensure PAM Enforces Password Requirements - Minimum Length - Ensure PAM variable
    minlen is set accordingly
  ansible.builtin.lineinfile:
    create: true
    dest: /etc/security/pwquality.conf
    regexp: ^#?\s*minlen
    line: minlen = {{ var_password_pam_minlen }}
  when: '"pam" in ansible_facts.packages'
  tags:
  - CJIS-5.6.2.1.1
  - NIST-800-53-CM-6(a)
  - NIST-800-53-IA-5(1)(a)
  - NIST-800-53-IA-5(4)
  - NIST-800-53-IA-5(c)
  - PCI-DSS-Req-8.2.3
  - PCI-DSSv4-8.3
  - PCI-DSSv4-8.3.6
  - accounts_password_pam_minlen
  - low_complexity
  - low_disruption
  - medium_severity
  - no_reboot_needed
  - restrict_strategy

Ensure PAM Enforces Password Requirements - Minimum Length

Description

Rationale

Remediation Templates

A Shell Script

An Ansible Snippet