Title

Data Execution Prevention must be enforced. (Cat II impact)

Discussion

Data Execution Prevention (DEP) is a set of hardware and software technologies performing additional checks on memory to help prevent malicious code from running on a system. The primary benefit of DEP is to help prevent code execution from data pages. Enabling this setting, turns off Data Execution Prevention. As a result, malicious code takes advantage of code injection or buffer overflow vulnerabilities possibly exploiting the computer.

Check Content

The policy value for User Configuration -> Administrative Templates -> Microsoft Word 2010 -> Word Options -> Security -> Trust Center "Turn off Data Execution Prevention" must be set to "Disabled". Procedure: Use the Windows Registry Editor to navigate to the following key: HKCU\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Office\14.0\word\security Criteria: If the value EnableDEP is REG_DWORD = 1, this is not a finding.

Fix Text

Set the policy value for User Configuration -> Administrative Templates -> Microsoft Word 2010 -> Word Options -> Security -> Trust Center "Turn off Data Execution Prevention" to "Disabled".

Additional Identifiers

Rule ID: SV-242287r961092_rule

Vulnerability ID: V-242287

Group Title: SRG-APP-000210

Expert Comments

CCIs tied to check.

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