Title

The dialog enabling users to grant permissions to execute signed content from an un-trusted authority must be locked. (Cat II impact)

Discussion

Java applets exist in both signed and unsigned forms. Although signed applets allow for authentication of the author in order to establish trust, even signed applets can potentially contain malware. Applet sources considered trusted will normally have their certificate information populated into the browser. This enables Java to validate applets against trusted sources automatically. Permitting users to grant execution permissions to Java applets signed by un-trusted authorities may result in malware executing on the system. This risks system confidentiality, integrity and availability. This option must be locked so the user cannot make changes. Ensuring users cannot change settings contributes to a more consistent security profile.

Check Content

Navigate to the 'deployment.properties' file for Java. For 32 bit systems: C:\Program Files\Java\jre6\lib\deployment.properties. For 64 bit systems you must check both the 64 bit and the 32 bit files: C:\Program Files\Java\jre6\lib\deployment.properties C:\Program Files (x86)\Java\jre6\lib\deployment.properties If the key 'deployment.security.askgrantdialog.notinca.locked' is not present, this is a finding.

Fix Text

Lock the 'Allow user to grant permissions to content from an un-trusted authority' feature. Navigate to the 'deployment.properties' file for Java. For 32 bit systems: C:\Program Files\Java\jre6\lib\deployment.properties. For 64 bit systems you must check both the 64 bit and the 32 bit files: C:\Program Files\Java\jre6\lib\deployment.properties C:\Program Files (x86)\Java\jre6\lib\deployment.properties Add the key 'deployment.security.askgrantdialog.notinca.locked' to the deployment.properties file.

Additional Identifiers

Rule ID: SV-43210r2_rule

Vulnerability ID: V-32829

Group Title:

Expert Comments

CCIs tied to check.

Controls tied to check. These are derived from the CCIs shown above.