Contents

Configuring password control 1

About password control 1

Password setting· 1

Password updating and expiration· 2

User login control 3

Password not displayed in any form·· 4

Logging· 5

Restrictions and guidelines: Password control configuration· 5

Password control tasks at a glance· 5

Enabling password control 5

Setting global password control parameters· 6

Setting user group password control parameters· 8

Setting local user password control parameters· 9

Setting super password control parameters· 9

Verifying and maintaining password control 10

Verifying password control configuration· 10

Displaying and clearing information about users in the password control blacklist 10

Clearing history password records· 10

Password control configuration examples· 10

Example: Configuring password control 10

 

Configuring password control

About password control

Password control allows you to implement the following features:

·     Manage login and super password setup, expirations, and updates for device management users.

·     Control user login status based on predefined policies.

For more information about local users, see "Configuring AAA." For information about super passwords, see RBAC configuration in Fundamentals Configuration Guide.

Password setting

Minimum password length

You can define the minimum length of user passwords. The system rejects the setting of a password that is shorter than the configured minimum length.

Password composition policy

A password can be a combination of characters from the following types:

·     Uppercase letters A to Z.

·     Lowercase letters a to z.

·     Digits 0 to 9.

·     Special characters in Table 1.

Table 1 Special Characters

Character name	Symbol	Character name	Symbol
Ampersand sign	&	Apostrophe	'
Asterisk	*	At sign	@
Back quote	`	Back slash	\
Blank space	N/A	Caret	^
Colon	:	Comma	,
Dollar sign	$	Dot	.
Equal sign	=	Exclamation point	!
Left angle bracket	<	Left brace	{
Left bracket	[	Left parenthesis	(
Minus sign	-	Percent sign	%
Plus sign	+	Pound sign	#
Quotation marks	"	Right angle bracket	>
Right brace	}	Right bracket	]
Right parenthesis	)	Semi-colon	;
Slash	/	Tilde	~
Underscore	_	Vertical bar	|

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Depending on the system's security requirements, you can set the minimum number of character types a password must contain and the minimum number of characters for each type, as shown in Table 2.

Table 2 Password composition policy

Password combination level	Minimum number of character types	Minimum number of characters for each type
Level 1	One	One
Level 2	Two	One
Level 3	Three	One
Level 4	Four	One

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In non-FIPS mode, all the combination levels are available for a password. In FIPS mode, only the level 4 combination is available for a password.

When a user sets or changes a password, the system checks if the password meets the combination requirement. If it does not, the operation fails.

Password complexity checking policy

A less complicated password is more likely to be cracked, such as a password containing the username or repeated characters. For higher security, you can configure a password complexity checking policy to ensure that all user passwords are relatively complicated. When a user configures a password, the system checks the complexity of the password. If the password is complexity-incompliant, the configuration will fail.

You can apply the following password complexity requirements:

·     A password cannot contain the username or the reverse of the username. For example, if the username is abc, a password such as abc982 or 2cba is not complex enough.

·     A character or number cannot be included three or more times consecutively. For example, password a111 is not complex enough.

Password updating and expiration

Password updating

This feature allows you to set the minimum interval at which users can change their passwords. A user can only change the password once within the specified interval.

The minimum interval does not apply to the following situations:

·     A user is prompted to change the password at the first login.

·     The password aging time expires.

Password expiration

Password expiration imposes a lifecycle on a user password. After the password expires, the user needs to change the password.

The system displays an error message for a login attempt with an expired password. The user is asked to provide a new password. The new password must be valid, and the user must enter exactly the same password when confirming it.

Web users, Telnet users, SSH users, and console users can change their own passwords. FTP users must have their passwords changed by the administrator.

Early notice on pending password expiration

When a user logs in, the system checks whether the password will expire in a time equal to or less than the specified notification period. If so, the system notifies the user when the password will expire and provides a choice for the user to change the password.

·     If the user sets a new valid password, the system records the new password and the setup time.

·     If the user does not or fails to change the password, the system allows the user to log in by using the current password until the password expires.

Web users, Telnet users, SSH users, and console users can change their own passwords. FTP users must have their passwords changed by the administrator.

Login with an expired password

You can allow a user to log in a certain number of times within a period of time after the password expires. For example, if you set the maximum number of logins with an expired password to 3 and the time period to 15 days, a user can log in three times within 15 days after the password expires.

Password history

This feature allows the system to store passwords that a user has used.

The history device management user passwords and history super passwords are stored in hashed form.

·     If you set a new password in hashed form, the system does not compare the new password with the current one or those stored in the history password records.

·     If you set a new password in plaintext form, make sure the new password is different from the current one and those stored in the password history. In addition, the new password must have a minimum of four characters different from the current password. Otherwise, the password change will fail.

You can set the maximum number of history password records for the system to maintain for each user. When the number of history password records exceeds the setting, the most recent record overwrites the earliest one.

Current login passwords are not stored in the password history for device management users. Device management users have their passwords saved in cipher text, which cannot be recovered to plaintext passwords.

User login control

First login

By default, if the global password control feature is enabled, users must change the password at first login before they can access the system. In this situation, password changes are not subject to the minimum password update interval. If it is not necessary for users to change the password at first login, disable the password change at first login feature.

Password control blacklist

The password control blacklist prevents abnormal users from logging in by recording the login failures and maintaining the status of blacklisted user accounts.

If an FTP, Web, or VTY user fails to log in, the system adds the user account and the user's IP address to the password control blacklist. If an AUX user fails to log in, the system adds the user account to the password control blacklist.

The device will create a blacklist entry for each IP address for a user account when a user uses the same user account to log in to the device from different IP addresses and fails the logins. When the maximum number of blacklist entries for the user account is reached, a blacklist entry for a new IP address of the user account will overwrite the earliest blacklist entry for the user account.

Login attempt limit

Limiting the number of consecutive login failures can effectively prevent password guessing.

If a user fails to log in, the system adds the user account and the user's IP address to the password control blacklist. When a user fails the maximum number of consecutive attempts, login attempt limit limits the user and user account in any of the following ways:

·     For an FTP, Web, or VTY user, the system prohibits the user from using the user account to log in through the user's IP address. For an AUX user, the system prohibits the user from logging in through the AUX user line. The locked user can use their own account to log in to the device only after the account is manually removed from the password control blacklist.

·     Allows the user to continue using the user account. The user's IP address and user account are removed from the password control blacklist when the user uses this account to successfully log in to the device.

·     Locks the user account and the user's IP address for a period of time.

The user can use the account to log in from the IP address when either of the following conditions exists:

¡     The locking timer expires.

¡     The account is manually removed from the password control blacklist before the locking timer expires.

 

	NOTE: The user account is locked only for the user at the locked IP address. A user from an unlocked IP address can still use this account, and the user at the locked IP address can use other unlocked user accounts.

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Maximum account idle time

You can set the maximum account idle time for user accounts. When an account is idle for this period of time since the last successful login, the account becomes invalid.

Login control with a weak password

The system checks for weak passwords for Telnet, SSH, HTTP, or HTTPS device management users. A password is weak if it does not meet the following requirements:

·     Password composition restriction.

·     Minimum password length restriction.

·     Password complexity checking policy.

By default, the system displays a message about a weak password but does not force the user to change it. To improve the device security, you can enable the mandatory weak password change feature, which forces the users to change the identified weak passwords. The users can log in to the device only after their passwords meet the password requirements.

First login with a default username and password

The device factory defaults contain a default username and password. If the device starts up with factory defaults, Telnet, SSH, HTTP, or HTTPS device management users must change the default password at first login before they can access the system.

Password not displayed in any form

For security purposes, nothing is displayed when a user enters a password.

Logging

The system generates a log each time a user changes its password successfully or is added to the password control blacklist because of login failures.

Restrictions and guidelines: Password control configuration

IMPORTANT: To successfully enable the global password control feature and allow device management users to log in to the device, make sure the device have sufficient storage space.

 

The password control features can be configured in several different views, and different views support different features. The settings configured in different views or for different objects have the following application ranges:

·     Settings for super passwords apply only to super passwords.

·     Settings in local user view apply only to the password of the local user.

·     Settings in user group view apply to the passwords of the local users in the user group if you do not configure password policies for these users in local user view.

·     Global settings in system view apply to the passwords of the local users in all user groups if you do not configure password policies for these users in both local user view and user group view.

For local user passwords, the settings with a smaller application scope have higher priority.

Password control tasks at a glance

To configure password control, perform the following tasks:

1.     Enabling password control

2.     (Optional.) Setting global password control parameters

3.     (Optional.) Setting user group password control parameters

4.     (Optional.) Setting local user password control parameters

5.     (Optional.) Setting super password control parameters

Enabling password control

About this task

For device management users, enabling global password control is a prerequisite for password control functions to take effect except the following functions:

·     Password composition policy.

·     Minimum password length.

·     Username checking.

For a specific password restriction setting (such as password expiration or password history management) to take effect, make sure you enable both the global password control feature and the specific password restriction.

For network access users, you must enable global password control for all password control configurations to take effect.

Restrictions and guidelines

After global password control is enabled, follow these restrictions and guidelines:

·     You cannot display the password and super password configurations for local users by using the corresponding display commands.

·     The password configured for local users must contain a minimum of four different characters.

·     To ensure correct function of password control, configure the device to use NTP to obtain the UTC time. After global password control is enabled, password control will record the UTC time when the password is set. The recorded UTC time might not be consistent with the actual UTC time due to power failure or device reboot. The inconsistency will cause the password expiration feature to malfunction. For information about NTP, see System Management Configuration Guide.

·     When global password control is enabled, the device automatically generates a .dat file and saves it in the storage medium. This file records authentication and login information for local users. Do not manually delete or edit this file.

Procedure

1.     Enter system view.

system-view

2.     Enable the global password control feature.

password-control enable [ network-class ]

By default, the global password control feature is disabled for device management and network access users.

3.     (Optional.) Enable a specific password control feature.

password-control { aging | composition | history | length } enable

By default, all four password control features are enabled.

Setting global password control parameters

Restrictions and guidelines

The global password control parameters in system view apply to all device management and network access local users.

You can configure all password control features for device management users. The password aging time, minimum password length, password complexity policy, password composition policy, and user login attempt limit can be configured in system view, user group view, and local user view.

You can configure only the following password control features for network access users:

·     Minimum password length.

·     Password complexity policy.

·     Password composition policy.

·     Minimum password update interval.

·     Maximum number of history password records for each user.

Where, the minimum password length, password complexity policy, and password composition policy can be configured in system view, user group view, and local user view.

The password settings with a smaller application scope have higher priority. For local users, password settings configured in local user view have the highest priority, and global settings in system view have the lowest priority.

The global password control feature enables the system to record history passwords. When the number of history password records of a user reaches the maximum number, the newest history record overwrites the earliest one. To delete the existing history password records, use one of the following methods:

·     Use the undo password-control enable command to disable the password control feature globally.

·     Use the reset password-control history-record command to clear the passwords manually.

The password-control login-attempt command takes effect immediately and can affect the users already in the password control blacklist. Other password control configurations do not take effect on users that have been logged in or passwords that have been configured.

Procedure

1.     Enter system view.

system-view

2.     Configure password settings.

¡     Set the minimum password length.

password-control length length

The default setting is 10 characters.

¡     Configure the password composition policy.

password-control composition type-number type-number [ type-length type-length ]

By default, a password must contain a minimum of two character types and a minimum of one character for each type.

¡     Configure the password complexity checking policy.

password-control complexity { same-character | user-name } check

By default, the username checking is enabled but repeated character checking is disabled.

By default, the system does not perform password complexity checking.

¡     Set the maximum number of history password records for each user.

password-control history max-record-number

The default setting is 4.

3.     Configure password updating and expiration.

¡     Set the minimum password update interval.

password-control update interval interval

The default setting is 24 hours.

¡     Set the password aging time.

password-control aging aging-time

The default setting is 90 days.

¡     Set the number of days during which a user is notified of the pending password expiration.

password-control alert-before-expire alert-time

The default setting is 7 days.

¡     Set the maximum number of days and maximum number of times that a user can log in after the password expires.

password-control expired-user-login delay delay times times

By default, a user can log in three times within 30 days after the password expires.

4.     Configure user login control.

¡     Enable the password control blacklist feature for all user line types.

password-control blacklist all-line

By default, the password control blacklist feature is disabled for all user line types. The password control blacklist feature is enabled only for FTP, Web, and VTY users when you enable the global password control feature.

¡     Set the maximum number of blacklist entries for a user account.

password-control per-user blacklist-limit max-number

By default, the maximum number of blacklist entries for a user account is 32.

¡     Configure the login attempt limit.

password-control login-attempt login-times [ exceed { lock | lock-time time | unlock } ]

By default, the maximum number of login attempts is 3 and a user failing to log in after the specified number of attempts must wait for 1 minute before trying again.

¡     Set the maximum account idle time.

password-control login idle-time idle-time

The default setting is 90 days.

¡     Set the user authentication timeout time.

password-control authentication-timeout timeout

The default setting is 600 seconds.

This command takes effect only on Telnet and terminal users.

¡     Disable password change at first login.

undo password-control change-password first-login enable

By default, the password change at first login feature is enabled.

Setting user group password control parameters

1.     Enter system view.

system-view

2.     Create a user group and enter its view.

user-group group-name

For information about how to configure a user group, see "Configuring AAA."

3.     Configure the password aging time for the user group.

password-control aging aging-time

By default, the password aging time of the user group equals the global password aging time.

4.     Configure the minimum password length for the user group.

password-control length length

By default, the minimum password length of the user group equals the global minimum password length.

5.     Configure the password composition policy for the user group.

password-control composition type-number type-number [ type-length type-length ]

By default, the password composition policy of the user group equals the global password composition policy.

6.     Configure the password complexity checking policy for the user group.

password-control complexity { same-character | user-name } check

By default, the password complexity checking policy of the user group equals the global password complexity checking policy.

7.     Configure the login attempt limit.

password-control login-attempt login-times [ exceed { lock | lock-time time | unlock } ]

By default, the login-attempt policy of the user group equals the global login-attempt policy.

Setting local user password control parameters

1.     Enter system view.

system-view

2.     Create a device management or network access user and enter its view.

¡     Create a device management user and enter its view.

local-user user-name class manage

¡     Create a network access user and enter its view.

local-user user-name class network

By default, no local user exists.

For information about how to configure a local user, see "Configuring AAA."

3.     Configure the password aging time for the local user.

password-control aging aging-time

By default, the setting equals that for the user group to which the local user belongs. If no aging time is configured for the user group, the global setting applies to the local user.

4.     Configure the minimum password length for the local user.

password-control length length

By default, the setting equals that for the user group to which the local user belongs. If no minimum password length is configured for the user group, the global setting applies to the local user.

5.     Configure the password composition policy for the local user.

password-control composition type-number type-number [ type-length type-length ]

By default, the settings equal those for the user group to which the local user belongs. If no password composition policy is configured for the user group, the global settings apply to the local user.

6.     Configure the password complexity checking policy for the local user.

password-control complexity { same-character | user-name } check

By default, the settings equal those for the user group to which the local user belongs. If no password complexity checking policy is configured for the user group, the global settings apply to the local user.

7.     Configure the login attempt limit.

password-control login-attempt login-times [ exceed { lock | lock-time time | unlock } ]

By default, the settings equal those for the user group to which the local user belongs. If no login-attempt policy is configured for the user group, the global settings apply to the local user.

Setting super password control parameters

1.     Enter system view.

system-view

2.     Set the password aging time for super passwords.

password-control super aging aging-time

The default setting is 90 days.

3.     Configure the minimum length for super passwords.

password-control super length length

The default setting is 10 characters.

4.     Configure the password composition policy for super passwords.

password-control super composition type-number type-number [ type-length type-length ]

By default, a super password must contain a minimum of two character types and a minimum of one character for each type.

Verifying and maintaining password control

Verifying password control configuration

To display password control configuration, execute the following command in any view:

display password-control [ super ]

Displaying and clearing information about users in the password control blacklist

To display information about users in the password control blacklist, execute the following command in any view:

display password-control blacklist [ user-name user-name | ip ipv4-address | ipv6 ipv6-address ]

To delete users from the password control blacklist, execute the following command in user view:

reset password-control blacklist [ user-name user-name ]

Clearing history password records

To clear history password records, execute the following command in any view:

reset password-control history-record [ super [ role role-name ] | network-class [ user-name user-name ] | user-name user-name ]

Password control configuration examples

Example: Configuring password control

Network configuration

Configure a global password control policy to meet the following requirements:

·     A user failing to provide the correct password in two successive login attempts is permanently prohibited from logging in.

·     A password must contain a minimum of 16 characters.

·     A password expires after 30 days.

·     The minimum password update interval is 36 hours.

·     A user can log in five times within 60 days after the password expires.

·     The maximum account idle time is 30 days.

·     A password cannot contain the username or the reverse of the username.

·     A minimum of three identical consecutive characters is not allowed in a password.

·     A password must contain a minimum of four character types and a minimum of four characters for each type.

Configure a super password control policy for user role network-operator to meet the following requirements:

·     A super password must contain a minimum of 24 characters.

·     A super password must contain a minimum of four character types and a minimum of five characters for each type.

Configure a password control policy for the local Telnet user test to meet the following requirements:

·     The password must contain a minimum of 24 characters.

·     The password must contain a minimum of four character types and a minimum of five characters for each type.

·     The password for the local user expires after 20 days.

Procedure

# Enable the password control feature globally.

<Sysname> system-view

[Sysname] password-control enable

# Allow a maximum of two consecutive login failures on a user account, and lock the user account and the user's IP address permanently if the limit is reached.

[Sysname] password-control login-attempt 2 exceed lock

# Set all passwords to expire after 30 days.

[Sysname] password-control aging 30

# Globally set the minimum password length to 16 characters.

[Sysname] password-control length 16

# Set the minimum password update interval to 36 hours.

[Sysname] password-control update-interval 36

# Specify that a user can log in five times within 60 days after the password expires.

[Sysname] password-control expired-user-login delay 60 times 5

# Set the maximum account idle time to 30 days.

[Sysname] password-control login idle-time 30

# Refuse any password that contains the username or the reverse of the username.

[Sysname] password-control complexity user-name check

# Refuse a password that contains a minimum of three identical consecutive characters.

[Sysname] password-control complexity same-character check

# Globally specify that all passwords must each contain a minimum of four character types and a minimum of four characters for each type.

[Sysname] password-control composition type-number 4 type-length 4

# Set the minimum super password length to 24 characters.

[Sysname] password-control super length 24

# Specify that a super password must contain a minimum of four character types and a minimum of five characters for each type.

[Sysname] password-control super composition type-number 4 type-length 5

# Configure a super password used for switching to user role network-operator as 123456789ABGFTweuix@#$%! in plain text.

[Sysname] super password role network-operator simple 123456789ABGFTweuix@#$%!

# Create a device management user named test.

[Sysname] local-user test class manage

# Set the service type of the user to Telnet.

[Sysname-luser-manage-test] service-type telnet

# Set the minimum password length to 24 for the local user.

[Sysname-luser-manage-test] password-control length 24

# Specify that the password of the local user must contain a minimum of four character types and a minimum of five characters for each type.

[Sysname-luser-manage-test] password-control composition type-number 4 type-length 5

# Set the password for the local user to expire after 20 days.

[Sysname-luser-manage-test] password-control aging 20

# Configure the password of the local user in interactive mode.

[Sysname-luser-manage-test] password

Password:

Confirm :

Updating user information. Please wait ......

[Sysname-luser-manage-test] quit

Verifying the configuration

# Display the global password control configuration.

<Sysname> display password-control

 Global password control configurations:

 Password control:                     Enabled (device management users)

                                       Disabled (network access users)

 Password aging:                       Enabled (30 days)

 Password length:                      Enabled (16 characters)

 Password composition:                 Enabled (4 types, 4 characters per type)

 Password history:                     Enabled (max history record:4)

 Early notice on password expiration:  7 days

 User authentication timeout:          600 seconds

 Maximum login attempts:               2

 Action for exceeding login attempts:  Lock

 Minimum interval between two updates: 36 hours

 User account idle time:               30 days

 Logins with aged password:            5 times in 60 days

 Password complexity:                  Enabled (username checking)

                                       Enabled (repeated characters checking)

 Password change:                      Enabled (first login)

                                       Disabled (mandatory weak password change)

 All line:                             Disabled (all line blacklist)

# Display the password control configuration for super passwords.

<Sysname> display password-control super

 Super password control configurations:

 Password aging:                       Enabled (90 days)

 Password length:                      Enabled (24 characters)

 Password composition:                 Enabled (4 types, 5 characters per type)

# Display the password control configuration for local user test.

<Sysname> display local-user user-name test class manage

Total 1 local users matched.

 

Device management user test:

 State:                    Active

 Service type:             Telnet

 User group:               system

 Bind attributes:

 Authorization attributes:

  Work directory:          flash:

  User role list:          network-operator

 Password control configurations:

  Password aging:          20 days

  Password length:         24 characters

  Password composition:    4 types, 5 characters per type