cis-ubuntu1204-v110-13-1

name	cis-ubuntu1204-v110-13-1
description	Ensure Password Fields are Not Empty
category	cis-os-hardening
version	1.1.0
author	cyberstrike-official
tags	["cis","ubuntu",12.04,"linux","user-management","password","shadow","authentication"]
cis_id	13.1
cis_benchmark	CIS Ubuntu 12.04 LTS Server Benchmark v1.1.0
tech_stack	["ubuntu","linux"]
cwe_ids	[]
chains_with	[]
prerequisites	[]
severity_boost	{}

13.1 Ensure Password Fields are Not Empty (Scored)

Profile Applicability

• Level 1

Description

An account with an empty password field means that anybody may log in as that user without providing a password.

Rationale

All accounts must have passwords or be locked to prevent the account from being used by an unauthorized user.

Audit Procedure

Using Command Line

Run the following command and verify that no output is returned:

/bin/cat /etc/shadow | /usr/bin/awk -F: '($2 == "" ) { print $1 " does not have a password "}'

Expected Result

No output should be returned. If any accounts are listed, they have empty password fields.

Remediation

Using Command Line

If any accounts in the /etc/shadow file do not have a password, run the following command to lock the account until it can be determined why it does not have a password:

/usr/bin/passwd -l <username>

Also, check to see if the account is logged in and investigate what it is being used for to determine if it needs to be forced off.

Default Value

By default, all accounts created with useradd or adduser require a password to be set.

References

• CIS Ubuntu 12.04 LTS Server Benchmark v1.1.0

Profile

Level 1 - Scored