Password = wordlist word (Windows)

Module: Password Strength

Supported Platforms: Windows 2000, Windows 2003, Windows 2008, Windows Vista, Windows XP

This check iterates through all user accounts and reports when a password matches a word in the word list (e.g., golf -> golf). The word files list lets you enable and disable the word files that are used for this check. For shorter run times, in the Percent of words per policy run text box, type a number less than 100. This defines the percentage of words that are examined during each run. Each run starts at the place in the word list where the previous run ended. This check is currently not supported on Itanium based and 64-bit server systems.

The following table lists the error messages for the check.

Table: Error messages for Password = wordlist word

Message String ID and Category

Platform and Message Numeric ID

Message Title and Description

Additional Information

String ID: ESM_GUESSPASS

Category: Policy Compliance

  • Windows 2000 (105337)

  • Windows 2003 (205337)

  • Windows 2008 (248337)

  • Windows Vista (228337)

  • Windows XP (200337)

Title: Guessed user password

Description:Symantec ESM guessed the account password. An intruder can also guess this password while trying to break into your system. Immediately assign a secure password to this account. Instruct the user to log on using the secure password and then to change the password again. A secure password should have six to eight characters with at least one non-alphabetic character. A secure password should not match an account or host name, and should not be found in any dictionary.

Severity: red-4

Correctable: true

Snapshot Updatable: false

Template Updatable: false

Information Field Format: [%s]

String ID: ESM_NOWORDFILES

Category: Policy Compliance

  • Windows 2000 (105339)

  • Windows 2003 (205339)

  • Windows 2008 (248339)

  • Windows Vista (228339)

  • Windows XP (200339)

Title: No word files specified

Description:"Password = wordlist word" was enabled but no word files were specified. Change your policy so that at least one word file is enabled.

Severity: red-4

Correctable: false

Snapshot Updatable: false

Template Updatable: false

Information Field Format: [%s]

String ID: ESM_DISABLED_GUESSPASS

Category: Policy Compliance

  • Windows 2000 (105342)

  • Windows 2003 (205342)

  • Windows 2008 (248342)

  • Windows Vista (228342)

  • Windows XP (200342)

Title: Guessed user password on disabled account

Description:Symantec ESM guessed the password of this disabled account. This can be a security problem if the account is re-activated. Assign a secure password to this account or remove it. A secure password should have six to eight characters with at least one non-alphabetic character. A secure password should not match an account or host name, and should not be found in any dictionary.

Severity: green-0

Correctable: false

Snapshot Updatable: false

Template Updatable: false

Information Field Format: [%s]