SV-221581r615937: Browser history must be saved. | Google Chrome Current Windows Security Technical Implementation Guide

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Assessment Title

Rule Text

Browser history must be saved.

Description

Discussion Text

This policy disables saving browser history in Google Chrome and prevents users from changing this setting. If this setting is enabled, browsing history is not saved. If this setting is disabled or not set, browsing history is saved.

How this relates to the STIG checklist: STIG vs SCAP benchmark.

IA Controls

NIST SP 800-53

Not mappedCCI-001199SV-57627V-44793

References

DPMS Target Google Chrome Current Windows DISA DPMS Target Google Chrome Current Windows 4081

Checks

DISA STIG (Manual Reference)

Universal method:        
   1. In the omnibox (address bar) type chrome://policy        
   2. If the policy 'SavingBrowserHistoryDisabled' is not shown or is not set to false, then this is a finding.

Windows method:
   1. Start regedit
   2. Navigate to HKLM\Software\Policies\Google\Chrome\
   3. If the SavingBrowserHistoryDisabled value name does not exist or its value data is not set to 0, then this is a finding.

SCC Automation Reference

The reconstructed evaluation script behind this rule's OVAL check(s) — every module a compound check combines, with this rule's own concrete values and DISA's SCC tool's real per-module mechanism curated from static teardown of SCC releases.

# Windows PowerShell
# Reconstructed from oval:mil.disa.stig.chrome:def:240039
# Browser history must be saved.
# Per-module read mechanism curated from static teardown of DISA's SCC tool
# (SCAP Compliance Checker) -- see the SCC Automation Reference above.

# Registry check
# registry_object (registry_test)
function test_1 {
  return (((@{String='reg_sz';ExpandString='reg_expand_sz';Binary='reg_binary';DWord='reg_dword';MultiString='reg_multi_sz';QWord='reg_qword';None='reg_none'}[(Get-Item -Path 'Registry::HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Policies\Google\Chrome').GetValueKind('SavingBrowserHistoryDisabled').ToString()]) -eq 'reg_dword') -and (((Get-ItemProperty -Path 'Registry::HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Policies\Google\Chrome' -Name 'SavingBrowserHistoryDisabled' -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue) | Select-Object -ExpandProperty 'SavingBrowserHistoryDisabled') -eq '0'))
}

if (test_1) {
  Write-Output "PASS"
} else {
  Write-Output "FAIL"
}

Assessment Script Powered by AISyntax-verified

A standalone PowerShell script to assess this control automatically. Review before running it in your environment.

Syntax-checked as valid PowerShell. Not executed here — running it for real needs the actual google_chrome_windows target this check assesses.

# OVAL Definition: oval:mil.disa.stig.chrome:def:240039
$registryPath = "HKLM:\Software\Policies\Google\Chrome"
if (Test-Path $registryPath -PathType Container) {
    $regValue = Get-ItemProperty -Path "$registryPath\SavingBrowserHistoryDisabled" -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
    if ($regValue -and $regValue.Value -eq 0) {
        Write-Output "PASS"; Exit 0
    }
}
Write-Output "FAIL"; Exit 1

Remediation

Windows group policy:
   1. Open the group policy editor tool with gpedit.msc   
   2. Navigate to Policy Path: Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\Google\Google Chrome\
    Policy Name: Disable saving browser history
    Policy State: Disabled
    Policy Value:  N/A