TOSS 5 must enforce password complexity rules for the root account.

Severity
Group ID
Group Title
Version
Rule ID
Date
STIG Version
mediumV-282450SRG-OS-000072-GPOS-00040TOSS-05-000338SV-282450r1200330_rule2026-04-011

Description

Using a complex password helps to increase the time and resources required to compromise the password. Password complexity, or strength, is a measure of the effectiveness of a password in resisting attempts at guessing and brute-force attacks. Password complexity is one factor of several that determines how long it takes to crack a password. The more complex the password, the greater the number of possible combinations that must be tested before the password is compromised.

ℹ️ Check

Verify TOSS 5 enforces password complexity rules for the root account. Check if root user is required to use complex passwords using the following command: $ grep enforce_for_root /etc/security/pwquality.conf /etc/security/pwquality.conf/*.conf /etc/security/pwquality.conf:enforce_for_root If "enforce_for_root" is commented or missing, this is a finding.

✔️ Fix

Configure TOSS 5 to enforce password complexity on the root account. Add or update the following line in "/etc/security/pwquality.conf": enforce_for_root