Title

SQL Server must prevent unauthorized and unintended information transfer via Instant File Initialization (IFI). (Cat II impact)

Discussion

The purpose of this control is to prevent information, including encrypted representations of information, produced by the actions of a prior user/role (or the actions of a process acting on behalf of a prior user/role) from being available to any current user/role (or current process) that obtains access to a shared system resource (e.g., registers, main memory, secondary storage) after the resource has been released back to the information system. Control of information in shared resources is also referred to as object reuse.

Check Content

Review the system documentation to determine if Instant File Initialization (IFI) is required. If IFI is documented as required, this is not a finding. Review system configuration to determine whether IFI support has been enabled (by default in SQL Server 2016). Start >> Control Panel >> Administrative Tools >> Local Security Policy >> Local Policies >> User Rights Assignment If the SQL Service SID (Default instance: NT SERVICE\MSSQLSERVER. Named instance: NT SERVICE\MSSQL$InstanceName) has been granted "Perform volume maintenance tasks" Local Rights Assignment and if it is not documented in the system documentation, this is a finding.

Fix Text

If IFI is not documented as being required, disable instant file initialization for the instance of SQL Server by removing the SQL Service SID and/or service account from the "Perform volume maintenance tasks" Local Rights Assignment.

Additional Identifiers

Rule ID: SV-213976r917655_rule

Vulnerability ID: V-213976

Group Title: SRG-APP-000243-DB-000373

Expert Comments

CCIs tied to check.

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