Title

Internet with Safe Zones for Picture Download must be disabled. (Cat II impact)

Discussion

Malicious e-mail senders can send HTML e-mail messages with embedded Web beacons, which are pictures and other content from external servers that can be used to track whether recipients open the messages. Viewing e-mail messages that contain Web beacons provides confirmation that the recipient's e-mail address is valid, which leaves the recipient vulnerable to additional spam and harmful e-mail. By default, Outlook does not download external content in HTML e-mail messages from untrusted senders via the Internet. If this configuration is changed, Outlook will display external content in all HTML e-mail messages received from the Internet, which could include Web beacons.

Check Content

The policy value for User Configuration -> Administrative Templates -> Microsoft Outlook 2010 -> Security -> Automatic Picture Download Settings “Include Internet in Safe Zones for Automatic Picture Download” must be set to “Disabled”. Procedure: Use the Windows Registry Editor to navigate to the following key: HKCU\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Office\14.0\outlook\options\mail Criteria: If the value Internet is REG_DWORD = 0, this is not a finding.

Fix Text

Set the policy value for User Configuration -> Administrative Templates -> Microsoft Outlook 2010 -> Security -> Automatic Picture Download Settings “Include Internet in Safe Zones for Automatic Picture Download” to “Disabled”.

Additional Identifiers

Rule ID: SV-33561r2_rule

Vulnerability ID: V-17630

Group Title: DTOO274 - Internet with Safe Zones

Expert Comments

CCIs tied to check.

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