---
title: "HOST-PWD-005 Forced Periodic Password Rotation Configured"
canonical: https://openvapt.com/checks/HOST-PWD-005.html
html: https://openvapt.com/checks/HOST-PWD-005.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-005 Forced Periodic Password Rotation Configured

Reports whether new accounts are forced to change passwords on a short fixed schedule.

- Domain: Server
- Severity: Info
- 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:N/I:N/A:N`
- CIS Controls v8: 5.2
- NIST CSF 2.0: PR.AA-01
- CWE: CWE-262
- NIST SP 800-53 Rev. 5: IA-5(1)
- Benchmark topic: Password expiration (topic only, no benchmark text)

## Why It Matters

NIST SP 800-63B-4 (section 3.1.1.2) says verifiers should not require periodic password changes, and should force a change only on evidence of compromise. Frequent forced rotation pushes users toward predictable variations. CIS Controls v8 safeguard 5.2 asks for unique passwords with a minimum length (8 characters where multi-factor authentication is used, 14 where it is not) and does not ask for periodic changes. This finding is informational: a short PASS_MAX_DAYS is not a vulnerability, but it is worth reviewing against current guidance.

## How It Detects

Reads PASS_MAX_DAYS from /etc/login.defs. A value below 365 days is reported. Unset, 99999 (no expiry) or 365 and above passes.

## How to Fix

Prefer long passphrases, a breached-password blocklist and multi-factor authentication over forced rotation. If policy allows, set  PASS_MAX_DAYS 365  or  99999  in /etc/login.defs and change passwords when compromise is suspected.

## How to Verify

```
grep '^PASS_MAX_DAYS' /etc/login.defs
```

## 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

- [login.defs(5), Linux man-pages](https://man7.org/linux/man-pages/man5/login.defs.5.html)
- [NIST SP 800-63B-4, Digital Identity Guidelines: Authentication and Authenticator Management](https://pages.nist.gov/800-63-4/sp800-63b.html)
- [CIS Critical Security Controls v8, Control 5 (Account Management)](https://www.cisecurity.org/controls/account-management)

## Source Code

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

Run it: `openvapt scan --only HOST-PWD-005`. Read it offline: `openvapt explain HOST-PWD-005`.

---

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