HighHOST-USR-002Identity and AuthenticationServer

Accounts Without a Password

Checks /etc/shadow for accounts whose password field is empty.

Why It Matters: An empty password field means the account can log in with no password at all on any service that allows password logins. The score uses a local attack vector: any local user can switch to the account (su) without a password, while the SSH daemon refuses empty passwords unless PermitEmptyPasswords is yes. If HOST-SSH-003 also fails, the same account is open from the network and should be treated as Critical.
How It Detects: Reads /etc/shadow (needs root) and lists entries whose second field is empty. Locked ('!' or '*') entries pass. Hashes are never copied into the report.
How to Fix: For each listed user either set a password (passwd <user>) or lock the account (passwd -l <user>).
How to Verify: awk -F: '$2==""' /etc/shadow should print nothing.
CVSS v3.1 Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Control Category: Identity and Authentication: CIS Controls v8 5, 6; NIST CSF 2.0 PR.AA
Fix Effort: Low
CIS Controls v8 Safeguard: 5.2
NIST CSF 2.0 Subcategory: PR.AA-01
CWE: CWE-258, CWE-521
NIST SP 800-53 Rev. 5: IA-5
Benchmark Topic: User accounts: password fields are not empty (topic only, no benchmark text)
References: shadow(5), Linux man-pages

Learn the theory behind this check: P7 Identity, Passwords and Privilege, P15 Access Control: Accounts, Sudo and Logins.

Source Code

The complete file that defines this check. Run it with openvapt scan --only HOST-USR-002, or read it offline with openvapt explain HOST-USR-002.

internal/checks/host/accounts.go · Lines 1-128View on GitHub at This Commit

1package host
2
3import (
"context"
"strings"
6
"github.com/openvapt/openvapt/internal/check"
"github.com/openvapt/openvapt/internal/sys"
9)
10
11func init() {
check.Register(&check.Check{
ID:        "HOST-USR-001",
Title:     "Extra Accounts With Root Privileges (UID 0)",
Domain:    check.DomainHost,
Severity:  check.High,
CVSS:      "CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H",
Summary:   "Checks /etc/passwd for accounts other than root that have user id 0.",
Rationale: "Any account with UID 0 is root, whatever its name. Extra UID 0 accounts are a classic backdoor and bypass sudo logging.",
Detection: "Reads /etc/passwd and lists every entry whose third field (UID) is 0, other than 'root'.",
Fix:       "Investigate who created each account. Remove it (userdel <name>) or give it a normal UID (usermod -u <new-uid> <name>). Grant admin rights through sudo instead.",
Verify:    "awk -F: '$3==0' /etc/passwd  should print only the root line.",
Refs:      []check.Ref{{Title: "passwd(5), Linux man-pages", URL: "https://man7.org/linux/man-pages/man5/passwd.5.html"}, refNIST80053},
Standards: check.Standards{CWE: []string{"CWE-250", "CWE-266"}, NIST: []string{"AC-2", "AC-6"}, CISTopic: "User accounts: root is the only UID 0 account"},
Run: func(ctx context.Context, s sys.System) []check.Result {
	r, err := s.ReadFile(ctx, "/etc/passwd")
	if err != nil {
		return []check.Result{check.ErrR("/etc/passwd", err)}
	}
	var extra []string
	if !r.Complete {
		return []check.Result{check.IncompleteR("/etc/passwd", "File was truncated while reading")}
	}
	for _, line := range strings.Split(string(r.Data), "\n") {
		f := strings.Split(line, ":")
		if len(f) >= 4 && f[2] == "0" && f[0] != "root" {
			extra = append(extra, f[0]+":x:0:"+f[3])
		}
	}
	if len(extra) > 0 {
		return []check.Result{check.FailR("/etc/passwd", "Accounts other than root have UID 0", extra...)}
	}
	return []check.Result{check.PassR("/etc/passwd", "Only root has UID 0")}
},
})
46
check.Register(&check.Check{
ID:        "HOST-USR-002",
Title:     "Accounts Without a Password",
Domain:    check.DomainHost,
Severity:  check.High,
CVSS:      "CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H",
Summary:   "Checks /etc/shadow for accounts whose password field is empty.",
Rationale: "An empty password field means the account can log in with no password at all on any service that allows password logins. The score uses a local attack vector: any local user can switch to the account (su) without a password, while the SSH daemon refuses empty passwords unless PermitEmptyPasswords is yes. If HOST-SSH-003 also fails, the same account is open from the network and should be treated as Critical.",
Detection: "Reads /etc/shadow (needs root) and lists entries whose second field is empty. Locked ('!' or '*') entries pass. Hashes are never copied into the report.",
Fix:       "For each listed user either set a password (passwd <user>) or lock the account (passwd -l <user>).",
Verify:    "awk -F: '$2==\"\"' /etc/shadow  should print nothing.",
Refs:      []check.Ref{{Title: "shadow(5), Linux man-pages", URL: "https://man7.org/linux/man-pages/man5/shadow.5.html"}},
Standards: check.Standards{CWE: []string{"CWE-258", "CWE-521"}, NIST: []string{"IA-5"}, CISTopic: "User accounts: password fields are not empty"},
Run: func(ctx context.Context, s sys.System) []check.Result {
	r, err := s.ReadFile(ctx, "/etc/shadow")
	if err != nil {
		return []check.Result{check.SkipR("/etc/shadow", "Not readable (run as root for this check)")}
	}
	var empty []string
	if !r.Complete {
		return []check.Result{check.IncompleteR("/etc/shadow", "File was truncated while reading")}
	}
	for _, line := range strings.Split(string(r.Data), "\n") {
		f := strings.Split(line, ":")
		if len(f) >= 2 && f[0] != "" && f[1] == "" {
			empty = append(empty, f[0])
		}
	}
	if len(empty) > 0 {
		return []check.Result{check.FailR("/etc/shadow", "Accounts have an empty password", empty...)}
	}
	return []check.Result{check.PassR("/etc/shadow", "Every account has a password or is locked")}
},
})
81
check.Register(&check.Check{
ID:        "HOST-USR-003",
Title:     "Sudo Rules Without Password (NOPASSWD)",
Domain:    check.DomainHost,
Severity:  check.High,
CVSS:      "CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H",
Summary:   "Checks sudoers files for rules that grant root without asking for a password.",
Rationale: "NOPASSWD means anyone who takes over that user (a stolen SSH key, a hijacked session, a web shell running as that user) becomes root instantly.",
Detection: "Reads /etc/sudoers and /etc/sudoers.d/* and lists active lines containing NOPASSWD.",
Fix:       "Edit with visudo and remove NOPASSWD, or restrict it to one specific, harmless command for automation accounts.",
Verify:    "grep -r NOPASSWD /etc/sudoers /etc/sudoers.d  should print nothing, or only narrowly scoped commands.",
Refs:      []check.Ref{{Title: "sudoers(5) manual", URL: "https://www.sudo.ws/docs/man/sudoers.man/"}},
Standards: check.Standards{CWE: []string{"CWE-306"}, NIST: []string{"AC-6", "IA-11"}, CISTopic: "Sudo: re-authentication for privilege escalation"},
Run: func(ctx context.Context, s sys.System) []check.Result {
	files := []string{"/etc/sudoers"}
	more, _ := s.Glob("/etc/sudoers.d/*")
	files = append(files, more...)
	var hits []string
	readable := false
	complete := true
	for _, f := range files {
		r, err := s.ReadFile(ctx, f)
		if err != nil {
			continue
		}
		readable = true
		complete = complete && r.Complete
		for _, line := range strings.Split(string(r.Data), "\n") {
			t := strings.TrimSpace(line)
			if !strings.HasPrefix(t, "#") && strings.Contains(t, "NOPASSWD") {
				hits = append(hits, f+": "+t)
			}
		}
	}
	if !readable {
		return []check.Result{check.SkipR("/etc/sudoers", "Not readable (run as root for this check)")}
	}
	if len(hits) > 0 {
		return []check.Result{check.FailR("/etc/sudoers", "Sudo rules grant root without a password", hits...)}
	}
	if !complete {
		return []check.Result{check.IncompleteR("/etc/sudoers", "One or more sudoers files were truncated")}
	}
	return []check.Result{check.PassR("/etc/sudoers", "No NOPASSWD sudo rules")}
},
})
128}

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APA 7

OpenVAPT. (2026). HOST-USR-002 Accounts Without a Password (Version 0.1.0-alpha.6). OpenVAPT Check Catalogue. Retrieved October 16, 2026, from https://openvapt.com/checks/HOST-USR-002.html

In text: (OpenVAPT, 2026). Accessed: the date shown is today's date from your own browser (the site's build date without JavaScript); change it to the day you read the page.

BibTeX

@misc{openvapt_host_usr_002,
  author       = {{OpenVAPT}},
  title        = {{HOST-USR-002 Accounts Without a Password}},
  year         = {2026},
  howpublished = {\url{https://openvapt.com/checks/HOST-USR-002.html}},
  note         = {OpenVAPT Check Catalogue, version 0.1.0-alpha.6. Accessed 16 October 2026}
}

Accessed: the date shown is today's date from your own browser (the site's build date without JavaScript); change it to the day you read the page.

Citing OpenVAPT does not mean OpenVAPT endorses, approves or has reviewed your work.

Cite This Work: OpenVAPT. (2026). OpenVAPT: An open academic vulnerability assessment tool (Version 0.1.0-alpha.6) [Computer software]. https://github.com/OpenVAPT/openvapt

1	package host
2
3	import (
4	"context"
5	"strings"
6
7	"github.com/openvapt/openvapt/internal/check"
8	"github.com/openvapt/openvapt/internal/sys"
9	)
10
11	func init() {
12	check.Register(&check.Check{
13	ID: "HOST-USR-001",
14	Title: "Extra Accounts With Root Privileges (UID 0)",
15	Domain: check.DomainHost,
16	Severity: check.High,
17	CVSS: "CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H",
18	Summary: "Checks /etc/passwd for accounts other than root that have user id 0.",
19	Rationale: "Any account with UID 0 is root, whatever its name. Extra UID 0 accounts are a classic backdoor and bypass sudo logging.",
20	Detection: "Reads /etc/passwd and lists every entry whose third field (UID) is 0, other than 'root'.",
21	Fix: "Investigate who created each account. Remove it (userdel <name>) or give it a normal UID (usermod -u <new-uid> <name>). Grant admin rights through sudo instead.",
22	Verify: "awk -F: '$3==0' /etc/passwd should print only the root line.",
23	Refs: []check.Ref{{Title: "passwd(5), Linux man-pages", URL: "https://man7.org/linux/man-pages/man5/passwd.5.html"}, refNIST80053},
24	Standards: check.Standards{CWE: []string{"CWE-250", "CWE-266"}, NIST: []string{"AC-2", "AC-6"}, CISTopic: "User accounts: root is the only UID 0 account"},
25	Run: func(ctx context.Context, s sys.System) []check.Result {
26	r, err := s.ReadFile(ctx, "/etc/passwd")
27	if err != nil {
28	return []check.Result{check.ErrR("/etc/passwd", err)}
29	}
30	var extra []string
31	if !r.Complete {
32	return []check.Result{check.IncompleteR("/etc/passwd", "File was truncated while reading")}
33	}
34	for _, line := range strings.Split(string(r.Data), "\n") {
35	f := strings.Split(line, ":")
36	if len(f) >= 4 && f[2] == "0" && f[0] != "root" {
37	extra = append(extra, f[0]+":x:0:"+f[3])
38	}
39	}
40	if len(extra) > 0 {
41	return []check.Result{check.FailR("/etc/passwd", "Accounts other than root have UID 0", extra...)}
42	}
43	return []check.Result{check.PassR("/etc/passwd", "Only root has UID 0")}
44	},
45	})
46
47	check.Register(&check.Check{
48	ID: "HOST-USR-002",
49	Title: "Accounts Without a Password",
50	Domain: check.DomainHost,
51	Severity: check.High,
52	CVSS: "CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H",
53	Summary: "Checks /etc/shadow for accounts whose password field is empty.",
54	Rationale: "An empty password field means the account can log in with no password at all on any service that allows password logins. The score uses a local attack vector: any local user can switch to the account (su) without a password, while the SSH daemon refuses empty passwords unless PermitEmptyPasswords is yes. If HOST-SSH-003 also fails, the same account is open from the network and should be treated as Critical.",
55	Detection: "Reads /etc/shadow (needs root) and lists entries whose second field is empty. Locked ('!' or '*') entries pass. Hashes are never copied into the report.",
56	Fix: "For each listed user either set a password (passwd <user>) or lock the account (passwd -l <user>).",
57	Verify: "awk -F: '$2==\"\"' /etc/shadow should print nothing.",
58	Refs: []check.Ref{{Title: "shadow(5), Linux man-pages", URL: "https://man7.org/linux/man-pages/man5/shadow.5.html"}},
59	Standards: check.Standards{CWE: []string{"CWE-258", "CWE-521"}, NIST: []string{"IA-5"}, CISTopic: "User accounts: password fields are not empty"},
60	Run: func(ctx context.Context, s sys.System) []check.Result {
61	r, err := s.ReadFile(ctx, "/etc/shadow")
62	if err != nil {
63	return []check.Result{check.SkipR("/etc/shadow", "Not readable (run as root for this check)")}
64	}
65	var empty []string
66	if !r.Complete {
67	return []check.Result{check.IncompleteR("/etc/shadow", "File was truncated while reading")}
68	}
69	for _, line := range strings.Split(string(r.Data), "\n") {
70	f := strings.Split(line, ":")
71	if len(f) >= 2 && f[0] != "" && f[1] == "" {
72	empty = append(empty, f[0])
73	}
74	}
75	if len(empty) > 0 {
76	return []check.Result{check.FailR("/etc/shadow", "Accounts have an empty password", empty...)}
77	}
78	return []check.Result{check.PassR("/etc/shadow", "Every account has a password or is locked")}
79	},
80	})
81
82	check.Register(&check.Check{
83	ID: "HOST-USR-003",
84	Title: "Sudo Rules Without Password (NOPASSWD)",
85	Domain: check.DomainHost,
86	Severity: check.High,
87	CVSS: "CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H",
88	Summary: "Checks sudoers files for rules that grant root without asking for a password.",
89	Rationale: "NOPASSWD means anyone who takes over that user (a stolen SSH key, a hijacked session, a web shell running as that user) becomes root instantly.",
90	Detection: "Reads /etc/sudoers and /etc/sudoers.d/* and lists active lines containing NOPASSWD.",
91	Fix: "Edit with visudo and remove NOPASSWD, or restrict it to one specific, harmless command for automation accounts.",
92	Verify: "grep -r NOPASSWD /etc/sudoers /etc/sudoers.d should print nothing, or only narrowly scoped commands.",
93	Refs: []check.Ref{{Title: "sudoers(5) manual", URL: "https://www.sudo.ws/docs/man/sudoers.man/"}},
94	Standards: check.Standards{CWE: []string{"CWE-306"}, NIST: []string{"AC-6", "IA-11"}, CISTopic: "Sudo: re-authentication for privilege escalation"},
95	Run: func(ctx context.Context, s sys.System) []check.Result {
96	files := []string{"/etc/sudoers"}
97	more, _ := s.Glob("/etc/sudoers.d/*")
98	files = append(files, more...)
99	var hits []string
100	readable := false
101	complete := true
102	for _, f := range files {
103	r, err := s.ReadFile(ctx, f)
104	if err != nil {
105	continue
106	}
107	readable = true
108	complete = complete && r.Complete
109	for _, line := range strings.Split(string(r.Data), "\n") {
110	t := strings.TrimSpace(line)
111	if !strings.HasPrefix(t, "#") && strings.Contains(t, "NOPASSWD") {
112	hits = append(hits, f+": "+t)
113	}
114	}
115	}
116	if !readable {
117	return []check.Result{check.SkipR("/etc/sudoers", "Not readable (run as root for this check)")}
118	}
119	if len(hits) > 0 {
120	return []check.Result{check.FailR("/etc/sudoers", "Sudo rules grant root without a password", hits...)}
121	}
122	if !complete {
123	return []check.Result{check.IncompleteR("/etc/sudoers", "One or more sudoers files were truncated")}
124	}
125	return []check.Result{check.PassR("/etc/sudoers", "No NOPASSWD sudo rules")}
126	},
127	})
128	}