Password Policy Auditor#

Audit your authentication system against modern security standards. Check password complexity rules, storage practices (bcrypt vs MD5), MFA adoption, account lockout policies, and compliance with NIST 800-63B, OWASP ASVS, and PCI-DSS — then generate a remediation plan.

Use when: "audit password policy", "is our auth secure", "password security review", "NIST compliance", "MFA audit", "authentication hardening", "are we storing passwords safely", or before security assessments.

Commands#

1. audit — Full Authentication Audit#

Step 1: Check Password Hashing

bash

# Find password hashing in code
rg "bcrypt|argon2|scrypt|pbkdf2|sha256|sha512|md5|hashlib" \
  --type-not binary -g '!node_modules' -g '!vendor' -g '!*.test.*' 2>/dev/null

# Check for plaintext password storage
rg -i "password.*=.*['\"]|password.*store|INSERT.*password" \
  --type-not binary -g '!node_modules' -g '!vendor' -g '!*.test.*' 2>/dev/null

Rate the hashing algorithm:

AlgorithmRatingNotesArgon2id🟢 BestMemory-hard, recommended by OWASPbcrypt🟢 GoodTime-tested, work factor ≥ 12scrypt🟢 GoodMemory-hard alternativePBKDF2🟡 AcceptableNeeds ≥ 600K iterations (OWASP 2023)SHA-256/512 + salt🔴 WeakToo fast for password hashingMD5🔴 CriticalBroken, must migrate immediatelyPlaintext🔴 CriticalUnacceptable in any context

Step 2: Check Password Policy Configuration

bash

# Find password validation rules
rg "password.*length|min.*password|password.*policy|password.*validation|password.*strength" \
  --type-not binary -g '!node_modules' -g '!vendor' 2>/dev/null

# Check for complexity requirements
rg "uppercase|lowercase|digit|special.*char|complexity" \
  --type-not binary -g '!node_modules' -g '!vendor' 2>/dev/null

Evaluate against NIST SP 800-63B (2024):

RequirementNIST RecommendationStatusMinimum length≥ 8 characters (15+ recommended)CheckMaximum length≥ 64 charactersCheckComplexity rulesNOT required (users pick bad passwords with forced complexity)CheckBreached password checkREQUIRED — check against known breach listsCheckPassword rotationNOT required (only on evidence of compromise)CheckPassword hintsNOT allowedCheckKnowledge-based authNOT recommended (mother's maiden name, etc.)Check

Step 3: Check Account Security Features

bash

# MFA implementation
rg "totp|2fa|mfa|authenticator|otp|two.factor" \
  --type-not binary -g '!node_modules' -g '!vendor' 2>/dev/null

# Account lockout
rg "lockout|lock.*account|failed.*attempt|max.*attempt|brute.force" \
  --type-not binary -g '!node_modules' -g '!vendor' 2>/dev/null

# Rate limiting on auth endpoints
rg "rate.limit|throttle|login.*limit" \
  --type-not binary -g '!node_modules' -g '!vendor' 2>/dev/null

# Session management
rg "session.*timeout|session.*expire|max.*session|concurrent.*session" \
  --type-not binary -g '!node_modules' -g '!vendor' 2>/dev/null

Step 4: Check for Breached Passwords

bash

# HaveIBeenPwned k-Anonymity API (safe, only sends hash prefix)
python3 -c "
import hashlib, requests
password = 'password123'
sha1 = hashlib.sha1(password.encode()).hexdigest().upper()
prefix, suffix = sha1[:5], sha1[5:]
resp = requests.get(f'https://api.pwnedpasswords.com/range/{prefix}')
for line in resp.text.splitlines():
    h, count = line.split(':')
    if h == suffix:
        print(f'🔴 Password found in {count} breaches!')
        break
else:
    print('✅ Password not found in known breaches')
"

Step 5: Generate Report

markdown

# Password Policy Audit Report

## Overall Score: 62/100 (⚠️ Needs Improvement)

## Password Storage
- Algorithm: bcrypt ✅
- Work factor: 10 (🟡 recommend ≥ 12)
- Salt: automatic (bcrypt built-in) ✅
- No plaintext storage found ✅

## Password Policy
| Rule | Current | NIST 800-63B | OWASP | Status |
|------|---------|-------------|--------|--------|
| Min length | 8 | ≥ 8 (15+ recommended) | ≥ 8 | 🟡 |
| Max length | 50 | ≥ 64 | ≥ 128 | ❌ Increase to 128 |
| Complexity | Required | Not required | Not required | 🟡 Remove |
| Breach check | ❌ None | Required | Required | ❌ Add HIBP check |
| Rotation | 90 days | Not required | Not required | 🟡 Remove forced rotation |

## Account Security
- MFA: Available but not enforced (23% adoption) ⚠️
- Account lockout: After 5 failures, 30 min lock ✅
- Rate limiting on /login: 10 req/min/IP ✅
- Session timeout: 24 hours (🟡 consider 8h for sensitive apps)
- Concurrent sessions: Unlimited (🟡 consider limiting)

## Critical Issues
1. 🔴 No breached password checking — users can set `password123`
2. 🔴 Max password length only 50 chars — blocks passphrase users
3. 🟡 bcrypt work factor 10 — increase to 12 (rehash on login)
4. 🟡 MFA not enforced for admin accounts

## Remediation Plan
1. Implement HIBP breach check on registration and password change
2. Increase max password length to 128
3. Remove complexity requirements (per NIST)
4. Remove forced 90-day rotation (per NIST)
5. Enforce MFA for all admin/privileged accounts
6. Increase bcrypt rounds to 12 (transparent rehash on next login)

2. compliance — Map to Specific Standard#

Generate compliance checklist for:

• NIST SP 800-63B — Digital Identity Guidelines
• OWASP ASVS v4 — Application Security Verification
• PCI-DSS v4 — Payment Card Industry
• SOC 2 — Service Organization Controls
• ISO 27001 — Information Security Management

3. migrate — Plan Password Hash Migration#

If using weak hashing (MD5, SHA-256), generate migration plan:

• Wrap existing hash with bcrypt (dual-hash during transition)
• Rehash on next successful login
• Force password reset for accounts not logged in within N months
• Preserve audit trail of migration status