5.5.1.3 Ensure password expiration warning days is 7 or more - users

Information

The PASS_WARN_AGE parameter in /etc/login.defs allows an administrator to notify users that their password will expire in a defined number of days. It is recommended that the PASS_WARN_AGE parameter be set to 7 or more days.

Rationale:

Providing an advance warning that a password will be expiring gives users time to think of a secure password. Users caught unaware may choose a simple password or write it down where it may be discovered.

Solution

Set the PASS_WARN_AGE parameter to 7 in /etc/login.defs :

PASS_WARN_AGE 7

Modify user parameters for all users with a password set to match:

# chage --warndays 7 <user>

See Also

https://workbench.cisecurity.org/files/3144

Item Details

Category: IDENTIFICATION AND AUTHENTICATION

References: 800-53|IA-5(1), CSCv6|16, CSCv7|4.4

Plugin: Unix

Control ID: 635b27a267591b5f1949a329c7810f98655388c6261ff4ee723b1c90bef035e3