AIX must not have accounts configured with blank or null passwords.
Severity | Group ID | Group Title | Version | Rule ID | Date | STIG Version |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| high | V-215197 | SRG-OS-000480-GPOS-00229 | AIX7-00-001038 | SV-215197r991591_rule | 2026-02-06 | 3 |
Description
If an account is configured for password authentication but does not have an assigned password, it may be possible to log into the account without authentication. If the root user is configured without a password, the entire system may be compromised. For user accounts not using password authentication, the account must be configured with a password lock value instead of a blank or null value.
ℹ️ Check
Verify no interactive accounts have blank passwords by running the following command:
# pwdck -n ALL
If any interactive account with a blank password is found, this is a finding.
✔️ Fix
Configure a password for any interactive account with a blank password by running the following command:
# passwd [user_name]