The SSH daemon must not allow authentication using an empty password.

From Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 Security Technical Implementation Guide

Associated with: CCI-000766

SV-50415r1_rule The SSH daemon must not allow authentication using an empty password.

Vulnerability discussion

Configuring this setting for the SSH daemon provides additional assurance that remote login via SSH will require a password, even in the event of misconfiguration elsewhere.

Check content

To determine how the SSH daemon's "PermitEmptyPasswords" option is set, run the following command: # grep -i PermitEmptyPasswords /etc/ssh/sshd_config If no line, a commented line, or a line indicating the value "no" is returned, then the required value is set. If the required value is not set, this is a finding.

Fix text

To explicitly disallow remote login from accounts with empty passwords, add or correct the following line in "/etc/ssh/sshd_config": PermitEmptyPasswords no Any accounts with empty passwords should be disabled immediately, and PAM configuration should prevent users from being able to assign themselves empty passwords.

Pro Tips

Lavender hyperlinks in small type off to the right (of CSS class id, if you view the page source) point to globally unique URIs for each document and item. Copy the link location and paste anywhere you need to talk unambiguously about these things.

You can obtain data about documents and items in other formats. Simply provide an HTTP header Accept: text/turtle or Accept: application/rdf+xml.