We're trying to deploy a tightened password policy on an AIX 5.3: Users are not allowed to reused last 24 passwords. So, I change histsize from the previous value from 5 to 24 in /etc/security/user,
default:
histsize = 24
I test successfully with my own non-superuser account, say named support001. But it doesn't work for 2 user accounts, say named user017 and user117.
What I have tried to troubleshoot:
- There is no stanza for these 2 accounts in /etc/security/user
run user checks, and add back 2 empty stanzas for these 2 accounts in /etc/security/user by vi
usrck -n user017 user117
run pwdck, no error is found.
pwdck -n user017 user117
check if there are double line spacing in any stanza in /etc/security/user /etc/security/passwd /etc/security/lastlog and /etc/security/group
e.g., I experienced that will cause error when reading the parms
user017:
someparm = 1
user117:
someparm = 1
user217:
Finally, I fallback the setting, and find that even the original value histsize = 5 is not working. Basically, users can reuse the last password just changed. Perhaps no one discovered it before.
What else should I do?