The system must prevent the use of dictionary words for passwords.
Severity | Group ID | Group Title | Version | Rule ID | Date | STIG Version |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| medium | V-216103 | SRG-OS-000480 | SOL-11.1-040190 | SV-216103r959010_rule | 2026-02-19 | 3 |
Description
The use of common words in passwords simplifies password-cracking attacks.
ℹ️ Check
Check /etc/default/passwd for dictionary check configuration.
# grep ^DICTION /etc/default/passwd
If the DICTIONLIST or DICTIONDBDIR settings are not present and are not set to:
DICTIONLIST=/usr/share/lib/dict/words
DICTIONDBDIR=/var/passwd
this is a finding.
Determine if the target files exist.
# ls -l /usr/share/lib/dict/words /var/passwd
If the files defined by DICTIONLIST or DICTIONBDIR are not present or are empty, this is a finding.
✔️ Fix
The root role is required.
# pfedit /etc/default/passwd
Insert the lines:
DICTIONLIST=/usr/share/lib/dict/words
DICTIONDBDIR=/var/passwd
Generate the password dictionary by running the mkpwdict command.
# mkpwdict -s /usr/share/lib/dict/words