NixOS must prevent the use of dictionary words for passwords.
Severity | Group ID | Group Title | Version | Rule ID | Date | STIG Version |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| medium | V-268169 | SRG-OS-000480-GPOS-00225 | ANIX-00-001860 | SV-268169r1131144_rule | 2025-08-19 | 1 |
| Description |
|---|
| If the operating system allows the user to select passwords based on dictionary words, then this increases the chances of password compromise by increasing the opportunity for successful guesses and brute-force attacks. |
| ℹ️ Check |
|---|
| Verify NixOS prevents the use of dictionary words for passwords with the following command: $ grep dictcheck /etc/security/pwquality.conf dictcheck=1 If the value of "ocredit" is a positive number or is commented out, this is a finding. |
| ✔️ Fix |
|---|
| Configure NixOS to check password change attempts against a dictionary. Add the following Nix code to the NixOS Configuration, usually located in /etc/nixos/configuration.nix or /etc/nixos/flake.nix: environment.etc."/security/pwquality.conf".text = '' dictcheck=1 ''; Rebuild and switch to the new NixOS configuration: $ sudo nixos-rebuild switch |