Vulnerability Discussion

Passwords need to be protected at all times, and encryption is the standard method for protecting passwords. If passwords are not encrypted, they can be plainly read (i.e., clear text) and easily compromised.

Check

Verify that the shadow password suite configuration is set to encrypt passwords with a FIPS 140-3 approved cryptographic hashing algorithm by using the following command:

$ grep -i '^\s*encrypt_method' /etc/login.defs
ENCRYPT_METHOD SHA512

If "ENCRYPT_METHOD" does not equal SHA512 or greater, is commented out, or is missing, this is a finding.

Fix

Configure Ubuntu 22.04 LTS to encrypt all stored passwords.

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

ENCRYPT_METHOD SHA512