SV-213457r961092: Microsoft Defender AV must be configured block Office applications from creating child processes. | Microsoft Defender Antivirus STIG SCAP Benchmark

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Assessment Title

Rule Text

Microsoft Defender AV must be configured block Office applications from creating child processes.

Description

Discussion Text

Office apps, such as Word or Excel, will not be allowed to create child processes. This is a typical malware behavior, especially for macro-based attacks that attempt to use Office apps to launch or download malicious executables.

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

IA Controls

NIST SP 800-53

Not mappedCCI-001170SV-92663V-77967

References

DPMS Target Microsoft Defender Antivirus DISA DPMS Target Microsoft Defender Antivirus 3985

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.defenderantivirus:def:32
# Microsoft Defender AV must be configured block Office applications from creating child processes.
# Per-module read mechanism curated from static teardown of DISA's SCC tool
# (SCAP Compliance Checker) -- see the SCC Automation Reference above.

# Verify Windows 10 is release id 1709 or newer
# 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\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion').GetValueKind('ReleaseId').ToString()]) -eq 'reg_sz') -and (((Get-ItemProperty -Path 'Registry::HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion' -Name 'ReleaseId' -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue) | Select-Object -ExpandProperty 'ReleaseId') -ge '1709'))
}
# Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Microsoft Defender Antivirus\Microsoft Defender Exploit Guard\Attack Surface Reduction\Configure Attack Surface Reduction rules
# registry_object (registry_test)
function test_2 {
  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\Microsoft\Windows Defender\Windows Defender Exploit Guard\ASR\Rules').GetValueKind('D4F940AB-401B-4EFC-AADC-AD5F3C50688A').ToString()]) -eq 'reg_sz') -and (((Get-ItemProperty -Path 'Registry::HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows Defender\Windows Defender Exploit Guard\ASR\Rules' -Name 'D4F940AB-401B-4EFC-AADC-AD5F3C50688A' -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue) | Select-Object -ExpandProperty 'D4F940AB-401B-4EFC-AADC-AD5F3C50688A') -eq '1'))
}

if ((test_1 -or test_2)) {
  Write-Output "PASS"
} else {
  Write-Output "FAIL"
}

Remediation

Set the policy value for Computer Configuration >> Administrative Templates >> Windows Components >> Microsoft Defender Antivirus >> Windows Defender Exploit Guard >> Attack Surface Reduction >> "Configure Attack Surface Reduction rules" to "Enabled". 

Click "Show...". Set the Value name to "D4F940AB-401B-4EFC-AADC-AD5F3C50688A" and the Value to "1".