• Shadow-utils 4.19.0 released

    From LWN.net@86:200/23 to All on Thu Jan 1 06:40:08 2026

    Version
    4.19.0 of the shadow-utils
    project has been released. Notable changes in this release include
    disallowing
    some usernames that were previously accepted with the
    --badname option, and removing
    support for escaped newlines in configuration files. Possibly more
    interesting is the announcement that the project is deprecating a
    number of programs, hashing algorithms, and the ability to
    periodically expire passwords:

    Scientific research shows that periodic password expiration
    leads to predictable password patterns, and that even in a
    theoretical scenario where that wouldn't happen the gains in
    security are mathematically negligible (paper
    link).

    Modern security standards, such as NIST SP 800-63B-4 in the USA,
    prohibit periodic password expiration. [...]

    To align with these, we're deprecating the ability to
    periodically expire passwords. The specifics and long-term
    roadmap are currently being discussed, and we invite feedback
    from users, particularly from those in regulated environments.
    See #1432.

    The release announcement notes that the features will remain
    functional "for a significant period" to minimize
    disruption.

    https://lwn.net/Articles/1052435/
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