Original bug report from Factory
https://bugzilla.suse.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1187537

This issue is to investivate what should be SLES and Leap default, and when do we introduce the change. Please be aware that this is risky without proper integration testing with SUSE's layered products (SUMA/salt). Our openQA test suites also depend on password login for root (e.g. s390x testing).

the openSUSE openssh package recently dropped a patch to be in line with upstream regarding root's ability to login using password (i.e. denied)

the openssh change said:

• Drop openssh-7.7p1-allow_root_password_login.patch to prevent login
  as root via password by default (is also upstream default). Comment
  indicates that this was a temporary meassure that we now had for
  five years, time to get rid of it (bsc#1173067)

If the installation is done over ssh (as is apparently done on all our s390 tests), we see the installation passing (e.g. installation-images had been adjusted to permit root login again), but after reboot, it is no longer possible to connect to the just installed system, as openssh denies logins for root

A sample test run:
https://openqa.opensuse.org/tests/1797534#step/reconnect_mgmt_console/10