Profile Applicability:
 • Level 1

Description:
 Ensuring that the root account has a password set prevents unauthorized access to the highest-privilege account on the system, protecting system integrity and security.

Rationale:
 A root account without a password allows unrestricted access, posing a severe security risk. Setting a strong password enforces authentication and limits access to authorized users only.

Impact:
 Pros:

  • Protects critical system functions by securing the root account.

  • Supports compliance with security policies.

Cons:

  • If the password is forgotten, administrative access can be lost.

Default Value:
 By default, the root account password may be unset or locked depending on the system configuration.

Pre-requisites:

  • Physical or administrative access to the system to set the password.

Remediation:

Test Plan:

Using Linux command line:

  1. Check if the root account has a password set:
    sudo passwd -S root


  2. The output should indicate if the password is set (e.g., P for password set, L for locked).

Implementation Plan:

Using Linux command line:

  1. Set or reset the root password:
    sudo passwd root

  2. Follow prompts to enter a strong password.

Backout Plan:

Using Linux command line:

  1. If needed, lock the root account temporarily:
    sudo passwd -l root


  2. Verify lock status with passwd -S root.

References: