EIDAUTH-011: Self-Service Password Reset (SSPR) Configuration

Platform
Entra ID / M365
Category
Entra ID Authentication Methods & MFA
Severity
High
Zero Trust pillar
Identity (weight 3)
Golden fixtures
3
Branch coverage
Observed: fixtures prove the verdicts they exercise
Provenance
baseline

What it checks

SSPR allows users to reset their own passwords without helpdesk intervention, but must be properly configured to prevent account takeover. Misconfigured SSPR with weak verification methods or insufficient required methods enables attackers to reset passwords using compromised personal information. SSPR should require multiple strong verification methods and be enabled for all users.

Recommended value

SSPR enabled for all users with a minimum of two authentication methods required for reset

Remediation

Navigate to Entra ID > Protection > Password reset > Properties and enable SSPR for all users. Set the number of methods required to reset to 2. Under Authentication methods, ensure only strong methods such as mobile app notification, mobile app code, and email are allowed while disabling security questions.

Fixture-proven verdicts

Every verdict below is proven by a golden fixture in the module's gating test suite. This table derives from the last green run; it cannot be edited by hand.

Verdict scenarios for EIDAUTH-011
ScenarioExpected verdict
cleanPASS
known-badWARN
no-dataNot Assessed

Framework mappings

NIST SP 800-53
IA-5(1)
CIS M365 Benchmark
5.2.4