Vulnerability Discussion

Any password, no matter how complex, can eventually be cracked. Therefore, passwords need to be changed periodically. If RHEL 8 does not limit the lifetime of passwords and force users to change their passwords, there is the risk that RHEL 8 passwords could be compromised.

Check

Verify that RHEL 8 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 commented out, this is a finding.

Fix

Configure RHEL 8 to enforce a 60-day maximum password lifetime.

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

PASS_MAX_DAYS 60