macOS 26 - Tahoe
The macOS system must remove password hints from user accounts
STIG ID: APPL-26-003014 | SRG: SRG-OS-000079-GPOS-00047 | Severity: Medium | CCI: CCI-000206 | Vulnerability ID: V-277149
Description
User accounts must not contain password hints.
Password hints leak information about passwords in use and can lead to loss of confidentiality.
Check
C-81304r1148897_chk
Verify the macOS system is configured to remove password hints from user accounts with the following command:
HINT=$(/usr/bin/dscl . -list /Users hint | /usr/bin/awk '{ print $2 }')
if [ -z "$HINT" ]; then
echo "PASS"
else
echo "FAIL"
fi
If the result is not "PASS", this is a finding.
Fix
F-81209r1148898_fix
Configure the macOS system to remove password hints from user accounts with the following command:
for u in $(/usr/bin/dscl . -list /Users UniqueID | /usr/bin/awk '$2 > 500 {print $1}'); do
/usr/bin/dscl . -delete /Users/$u hint
done