Details

If a user or root used the same password continuously or was allowed to change it back shortly after being forced to change it to something else, it would provide a potential intruder with the opportunity to keep guessing at one user’s password until it was guessed correctly.

Solution

From the vSphere Client, select the ESXi host and go to Configure >> System >> Advanced System Settings.

Select the ‘Security.PasswordHistory’ value and configure it to ‘5’.

or

From a PowerCLI command prompt while connected to the ESXi host, run the following command:

Get-VMHost | Get-AdvancedSetting -Name Security.PasswordHistory | Set-AdvancedSetting -Value 5

Supportive Information

The following resource is also helpful.

• https://dl.dod.cyber.mil/wp-content/uploads/stigs/zip/U_VMW_vSphere_6-7_STIG.zip

This security hardening control applies to the following category of controls within NIST 800-53: Identification and Authentication.This control applies to the following type of system VMware.

References

• 800-53|IA-5(1)(e)
• CAT|II
• CCI|CCI-000200
• Rule-ID|SV-239287r674790_rule
• STIG-ID|ESXI-67-000032
• STIG-Legacy|SV-104097
• STIG-Legacy|V-94011
• Vuln-ID|V-239287

Source

• Tenable.com/audits