RHEL 8 user account passwords must have a 60-day maximum password lifetime restriction.
Severity | Group ID | Group Title | Version | Rule ID | Date | STIG Version |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| medium | V-230366 | SRG-OS-000076-GPOS-00044 | RHEL-08-020200 | SV-230366r1038967_rule | 2026-02-05 | 2 |
Description
Any password, no matter how complex, can eventually be cracked. Therefore, passwords need to be changed periodically. If RHEL 8 does not limit the lifetime of passwords and force users to change their passwords, there is the risk that RHEL 8 passwords could be compromised.
ℹ️ Check
Verify that RHEL 8 enforces a 60-day maximum password lifetime for new user accounts by running the following command:
$ sudo grep -i pass_max_days /etc/login.defs
PASS_MAX_DAYS 60
If the "PASS_MAX_DAYS" parameter value is greater than "60", or commented out, this is a finding.
✔️ Fix
Configure RHEL 8 to enforce a 60-day maximum password lifetime.
Add, or modify the following line in the "/etc/login.defs" file:
PASS_MAX_DAYS 60