Title

User Account Control must virtualize file and registry write failures to per-user locations. (Cat II impact)

Discussion

User Account Control (UAC) is a security mechanism for limiting the elevation of privileges, including administrative accounts, unless authorized. This setting configures non-UAC compliant applications to run in virtualized file and registry entries in per-user locations, allowing them to run.

Check Content

Analyze the system using the Security Configuration and Analysis snap-in. (See "Performing Analysis with the Security Configuration and Analysis Snap-in" in the STIG Overview document.) Expand the Security Configuration and Analysis tree view. Navigate to Local Policies -> Security Options. If the value for "User Account Control: Virtualize file and registry write failures to per-user locations" is not set to "Enabled", this is a finding. The policy referenced configures the following registry value: Registry Hive: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE Registry Path: \Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System\ Value Name: EnableVirtualization Value Type: REG_DWORD Value: 1

Fix Text

Configure the policy value for Computer Configuration -> Windows Settings -> Security Settings -> Local Policies -> Security Options -> "User Account Control: Virtualize file and registry write failures to per-user locations" to "Enabled".

Additional Identifiers

Rule ID: SV-48201r2_rule

Vulnerability ID: V-14242

Group Title: UAC - Non UAC Compliant Application Virtualization

Expert Comments

CCIs tied to check.

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