STIGQter: STIG Summary: Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10 Security Technical Implementation Guide Version: 1 Release: 2 Benchmark Date: 01 Jul 2026:

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

DISA Rule

SV-281215r1166597_rule

Vulnerability Number

V-281215

Group Title

SRG-OS-000069-GPOS-00037

Rule Version

RHEL-10-600630

Severity

CAT II

CCI(s)

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

Weight

10

Fix Recommendation

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

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

password required pam_pwquality.so

Check Contents

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

$ sudo grep pam_pwquality /etc/pam.d/system-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.

Vulnerability Number

V-281215

Documentable

False

Rule Version

RHEL-10-600630

Severity Override Guidance

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

$ sudo grep pam_pwquality /etc/pam.d/system-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.

Check Content Reference

M

Target Key

5733