# Ensure Password Dictionary Check Is Enabled

- Source: https://support.icompaas.com/support/solutions/articles/62000235458-ensure-password-dictionary-check-is-enabled
- Section: [Solutions](https://support.icompaas.com/support/solutions) › [CIS Amazon Linux 2 Benchmark v3.0.0](https://support.icompaas.com/support/solutions/62000112696) › [CIS Amazon Linux 2 Benchmarks](https://support.icompaas.com/support/solutions/folders/62000169265)
- Last updated: 2026-05-29
- Publisher: iCompaas, Inc. (https://www.icompaas.com)

**Profile Applicability:** • Level 1

**Description:**  
 Enabling password dictionary checks helps prevent users from selecting common or easily guessable passwords by comparing user passwords against a dictionary of known weak passwords. This enhances password strength and overall system security.

**Rationale:** Using dictionary checks reduces the risk of successful password guessing or brute-force attacks by enforcing stronger password policies.

**Impact:** Pros:

-   Increases password complexity and security.  
    
-   Helps prevent use of weak or common passwords.  
    

Cons:

-   May increase authentication time slightly.  
    
-   Requires maintenance of an up-to-date dictionary list.  
    

**Default Value:** Password dictionary checks may not be enabled by default.

**Pre-requisites:**

-   Root or sudo privileges to configure password policies.  
    

**Remediation:**

### **Test Plan:**

**Using Linux command line:**

1.  Check PAM configuration files (e.g., /etc/pam.d/common-password or /etc/pam.d/system-auth) for dictionary checks:  
    
    grep -i pam\_pwquality /etc/pam.d/common-password  
    grep -i pam\_cracklib /etc/pam.d/common-password
    
      
    
2.  Verify presence of options like dictcheck=1 or usage of pam\_pwquality.so or pam\_cracklib.so.  
    

### **Implementation Plan:**

**Using Linux command line:**

1\. Edit PAM password configuration (example for pam\_pwquality):  

vi /etc/pam.d/common-password

2\. Ensure the following line includes dictionary check options:  

password requisite pam\_pwquality.so retry=3 dictcheck=1

3\. Save the file.  

### **Backout Plan:**

**Using Linux command line:**

1.  Revert changes to PAM configuration if necessary.  
    
2.  Test password changes to verify configuration behavior.  
    

**References:**

-   CIS Amazon Linux 2 Benchmark v3.0.0  
    
-   PAM pwquality Module Documentation  
    
-   [NIST SP 800-63B - Digital Identity Guidelines  
    ](https://pages.nist.gov/800-63-3/sp800-63b.html)

## Related compliance guidance

- [SOC 2 compliance: a practical implementation guide for cloud-native SaaS teams](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/soc-2-trust-services-criteria): Configuration checks like this one are the technical half of a SOC 2 / ISO 27001 programme — the guide shows where they fit, what else an auditor expects, and how to evidence them.
- [ISO/IEC 27001:2022 compliance: a practical implementation guide](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/iso-27001-2022): ISO 27001 Annex A.8 (technological controls) is where cloud hardening evidence lands; the guide shows how to run the ISMS around it.