TMA-MACOS-2.12.1
Ensure Users' Accounts Do Not Have a Password Hint
Description
Password hints help the user recall their passwords for various systems and/or accounts. In most cases, password hints are simple and closely related to the user's password. Audit: Counts users that have any password hint text.
How it is checked
Audit method: Shell command
out=$(/usr/bin/dscl . -list /Users hint 2>/dev/null) || exit 1
printf '%s\n' "$out" | /usr/bin/awk 'NF > 1 {n++} END {print n+0}'- Expected output
0
How it is fixed
Fix method: Guidance or infrastructure patch
Terminal: sudo /usr/bin/dscl . -list /Users hint . -delete /Users/<username> hint ; sudo /usr/bin/dscl . -list /Users hint . -delete /Users/firstuser hint ; sudo /usr/bin/dscl . -list /Users hint . -delete /Users/seconduser hint. GUI: System Settings > Touch ID & Passwords (or Login Password on non-Touch ID Macs) > Change > Change the password and ensure that no text is entered in the Password hint box.
Properties
- Operating systems
- macos-26
- Tags
- macossystem-settings
- Reference
- CIS Apple macOS 26 Tahoe Benchmark v1.1.0 - 2.12.1 Ensure Users' Accounts Do Not Have a Password Hint
Check this host
Run this on a machine you are allowed to audit. The scan is read-only.
tmaegis scan --target macos