RHEL 10 must ensure the password complexity module is enabled in the "password-auth" file.

Enabling Pluggable Authentication Module (PAM) password complexity permits enforcement of strong passwords and consequently makes the system less prone to dictionary attacks.

Satisfies: SRG-OS-000069-GPOS-00037, SRG-OS-000070-GPOS-00038

Verify RHEL 10 uses "pwquality" to enforce the password complexity rules in the "password-auth" file with the following command:

$ sudo grep pam_pwquality /etc/pam.d/password-auth password required pam_pwquality.so

If the command does not return a line containing the value "pam_pwquality.so", or the line is commented out, this is a finding.

If the system administrator can demonstrate that the required configuration is contained in a PAM configuration file included or substacked from the "system-auth" file, this is not a finding.

Configure RHEL 10 to use "pwquality" to enforce password complexity rules.

Add the following line to the "/etc/pam.d/password-auth" file (or modify the line to have the required value):

password required pam_pwquality.so