SV-223035r960921: Internet Explorer Processes Restrict ActiveX Install must be enforced (iexplore). | Microsoft Internet Explorer 11 STIG SCAP Benchmark

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Assessment Title

Rule Text

Internet Explorer Processes Restrict ActiveX Install must be enforced (iexplore).

Description

Discussion Text

Users often choose to install software such as ActiveX controls that are not permitted by their organization's security policy. Such software can pose significant security and privacy risks to networks. This policy setting enables blocking of ActiveX control installation prompts for Internet Explorer processes. If you enable this policy setting, prompts for ActiveX control installations will be blocked for Internet Explorer processes. If you disable this policy setting, prompts for ActiveX control installations will not be blocked and these prompts will be displayed to users. If you do not configure this policy setting, the user's preference will be used to determine whether to block ActiveX control installations for Internet Explorer processes.

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

IA Controls

NIST SP 800-53

Not mappedCCI-001695SV-59417V-46553

References

DPMS Target Microsoft Internet Explorer 11 DISA DPMS Target Microsoft Internet Explorer 11 4095

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:536
# Internet Explorer Processes Restrict ActiveX Install must be enforced (iexplore).
# Per-module read mechanism curated from static teardown of DISA's SCC tool
# (SCAP Compliance Checker) -- see the SCC Automation Reference above.

# Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Internet Explorer\Security Features\Restrict ActiveX Install\Internet Explorer Processes must be Enabled
# 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\Internet Explorer\Main\FeatureControl\FEATURE_RESTRICT_ACTIVEXINSTALL').GetValueKind('iexplore.exe').ToString()]) -eq 'reg_sz') -and (((Get-ItemProperty -Path 'Registry::HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main\FeatureControl\FEATURE_RESTRICT_ACTIVEXINSTALL' -Name 'iexplore.exe' -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue) | Select-Object -ExpandProperty 'iexplore.exe') -eq 1))
}

if (-not (test_1)) {
  Write-Output "PASS"
} else {
  Write-Output "FAIL"
}

SCC Assessment

The automated check DISA's SCAP Compliance Checker runs to assess this control. Pick a release below to see exactly what it evaluates on the target system.

SCC version

Not available for this version yet.

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_ie11 target this check assesses.

# OVAL Definition: oval:mil.disa.fso.ie:def:536
$regPath = "HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main\FeatureControl\FEATURE_RESTRICT_ACTIVEXINSTALL"
if (Test-Path $regPath) { $regData = Get-ItemProperty $regPath -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue } else { $regData = "" }
if ($regData -and $regData.FeatureControl.iexplore_exe.DefaultValue -eq 1) { 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 Features -> Restrict ActiveX Install -> 'Internet Explorer Processes' to 'Enabled'.