Vulnerability Discussion

Any password, no matter how complex, can eventually be cracked; therefore, passwords must be changed periodically. If the operating system does not limit the lifetime of passwords and force users to change their passwords, there is the risk that the operating system passwords could be compromised.

Setting the password maximum age ensures users are required to periodically change their passwords. Requiring shorter password lifetimes increases the risk of users writing down the password in a convenient location subject to physical compromise.

Check

Verify RHEL 10 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 is commented out, this is a finding.

Fix

Configure RHEL 10 to enforce a 60-day maximum password lifetime.

Add or modify the following line in the "/etc/login.defs" file:

PASS_MAX_DAYS 60