SV-45218r1: Internet Explorer must be configured to disallow users to change policies. | Microsoft Internet Explorer 10 Security Technical Implementation Guide

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Assessment Title

Rule Text

Internet Explorer must be configured to disallow users to change policies.

Description

Discussion Text

Users who change their Internet Explorer security settings could enable the execution of dangerous types of code from the Internet and websites listed in the Restricted Sites zone in the browser. This setting prevents users from changing the Internet Explorer policies on the machine. Policy changes should be made by administrators only, so this setting should be enabled. If you enable this policy setting, you disable the Custom level button and Security level for this zone slider on the Security tab in the Internet Options dialog box. If this policy setting is disabled or not configured, users will be able to change the settings for security zones. It prevents users from changing security zone policy settings that are established by the administrator.

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

Additional Details

Third-Party Tools

Responsibility

System Administrator

References

DPMS Target IE Version 10 DISA DPMS Target IE Version 10 2351

Checks

OVAL

oval:mil.disa.fso.ie:var:26100 ← xccdf_mil.disa.stig_value_DoNotAllowUsersChangePolicies_LocalComputer_var

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.fso.ie:def:261
# Internet Explorer must be configured to disallow users to change policies.
# Per-module read mechanism curated from static teardown of DISA's SCC tool
# (SCAP Compliance Checker) -- see the SCC Automation Reference above.

# Computer Configuration\Network\Internet Explorer\Security Zones: Do Not Allow Users to Change Policies
# 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\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings').GetValueKind('Security_options_edit').ToString()]) -eq 'reg_dword') -and (((Get-ItemProperty -Path 'Registry::HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings' -Name 'Security_options_edit' -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue) | Select-Object -ExpandProperty 'Security_options_edit') -eq 1))
}

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 ms_ie10 target this check assesses.

# oval:mil.disa.fso.ie:def:261
$compliant = Test-Path -Path "HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings\Security_options_edit" -and ((Get-ItemProperty -Path "HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings" -Name Security_options_edit -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue).Security_options_edit -eq 1); if ($compliant) {Write-Output "PASS"; exit 0} else {Write-Output "FAIL"; exit 1}

Remediation

Set the policy value for Computer Configuration -> Administrative Templates -> Windows Components -> Internet Explorer "Security Zones: Do not allow users to change policies" to "Enabled".