STIGQter: STIG Summary: Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 Security Technical Implementation Guide Version: 2 Release: 9 Benchmark Date: 01 Jul 2026:

RHEL 9 must require the maximum number of repeating characters of the same character class be limited to four when passwords are changed.

DISA Rule

SV-258113r1045232_rule

Vulnerability Number

V-258113

Group Title

SRG-OS-000072-GPOS-00040

Rule Version

RHEL-09-611120

Severity

CAT II

CCI(s)

• CCI-004066 - For password-based authentication, enforce organization-defined composition and complexity rules.

Weight

10

Fix Recommendation

Configure RHEL 9 to require the change of the number of repeating characters of the same character class when passwords are changed by setting the "maxclassrepeat" option.

Add or update the following line in the "/etc/security/pwquality.conf" file or a configuration file in the "/etc/security/pwquality.conf.d/" directory to contain the "maxclassrepeat" parameter:

maxclassrepeat = 4

Check Contents

Verify that RHEL 9 requires that passwords can have a maximum of four repeating characters of the same character class.

$ grep maxclassrepeat /etc/security/pwquality.conf /etc/security/pwquality.conf.d/*.conf

maxclassrepeat = 4

If the value of "maxclassrepeat" is set to "0", more than "4", or is commented out, this is a finding.

Vulnerability Number

V-258113

Documentable

False

Rule Version

RHEL-09-611120

Severity Override Guidance

Verify that RHEL 9 requires that passwords can have a maximum of four repeating characters of the same character class.

$ grep maxclassrepeat /etc/security/pwquality.conf /etc/security/pwquality.conf.d/*.conf

maxclassrepeat = 4

If the value of "maxclassrepeat" is set to "0", more than "4", or is commented out, this is a finding.

Check Content Reference

M

Target Key

5551