# Cis Ubuntu1204 V110 13 1

> Ensure Password Fields are Not Empty

- Skill: `cyberstrikeus/cis-ubuntu1204-v110-13-1` (Agent Skill)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add cyberstrikeus/cis-ubuntu1204-v110-13-1`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/cyberstrikeus/cis-ubuntu1204-v110-13-1/raw
- Safety review: PASS (external: skill-scanner PASS, skillspector CAUTION)
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Coding & Dev Tools
- Author: cyberstrikeus (https://skillmd.com/u/cyberstrikeus)
- Updated: 2026-09-17
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/cyberstrikeus/cis-ubuntu1204-v110-13-1

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# 13.1 Ensure Password Fields are Not Empty (Scored)

## Profile Applicability

- Level 1

## Description

An account with an empty password field means that anybody may log in as that user without providing a password.

## Rationale

All accounts must have passwords or be locked to prevent the account from being used by an unauthorized user.

## Audit Procedure

### Using Command Line

Run the following command and verify that no output is returned:

```bash
/bin/cat /etc/shadow | /usr/bin/awk -F: '($2 == "" ) { print $1 " does not have a password "}'
```

## Expected Result

No output should be returned. If any accounts are listed, they have empty password fields.

## Remediation

### Using Command Line

If any accounts in the `/etc/shadow` file do not have a password, run the following command to lock the account until it can be determined why it does not have a password:

```bash
/usr/bin/passwd -l <username>
```

Also, check to see if the account is logged in and investigate what it is being used for to determine if it needs to be forced off.

## Default Value

By default, all accounts created with `useradd` or `adduser` require a password to be set.

## References

- CIS Ubuntu 12.04 LTS Server Benchmark v1.1.0

## Profile

Level 1 - Scored