---
title: "HOST-PWD-003 Short Minimum Password Length"
canonical: https://openvapt.com/checks/HOST-PWD-003.html
html: https://openvapt.com/checks/HOST-PWD-003.html
site: OpenVAPT, https://openvapt.com/
license: OpenVAPT Source-Available Licence 1.3, https://openvapt.com/legal/licence-text.html
modified: 2026-10-14
version: 0.1.0-alpha.6
---

# HOST-PWD-003 Short Minimum Password Length

Checks that the password quality policy requires at least 15 characters.

- Domain: Server
- Severity: Low
- Control category: Identity and Authentication
- Fix effort: low
- CVSS v3.1 vector: `CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N`
- CIS Controls v8: 5.2
- NIST CSF 2.0: PR.AA-01
- CWE: CWE-521
- OWASP Top 10 2021: A07:2021
- NIST SP 800-53 Rev. 5: IA-5(1)
- Benchmark topic: Password creation requirements (topic only, no benchmark text)

## Why It Matters

Length is the single most effective property against guessing. NIST SP 800-63B-4 (2025) requires at least 15 characters for a password used as the only authentication factor, and recommends allowing long passphrases.

## How It Detects

Reads minlen from /etc/security/pwquality.conf and /etc/security/pwquality.conf.d/*.conf. A value of 15 or more passes; a value below 15, or no pwquality configuration, fails.

## How to Fix

Install libpam-pwquality (Debian/Ubuntu) or libpwquality (RHEL family) and set  minlen = 15  (or more) in /etc/security/pwquality.conf.

## How to Verify

```
grep -r '^minlen' /etc/security/pwquality.conf /etc/security/pwquality.conf.d/
```

## Learn the Theory

- [P7 Identity, Passwords and Privilege](https://openvapt.com/academy/p7.md)
- [P15 Access Control: Accounts, Sudo and Logins](https://openvapt.com/academy/p15.md)

## References

- [pwquality.conf(5), libpwquality, Debian trixie manual pages](https://manpages.debian.org/trixie/libpwquality-common/pwquality.conf.5.en.html)
- [NIST SP 800-63B-4, Digital Identity Guidelines: Authentication and Authenticator Management](https://pages.nist.gov/800-63-4/sp800-63b.html)

## Source Code

https://github.com/OpenVAPT/openvapt/blob/574f7f3333c44b75a3c649e2d93a76d507f75adf/internal/checks/host/passwords.go

Run it: `openvapt scan --only HOST-PWD-003`. Read it offline: `openvapt explain HOST-PWD-003`.

---

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