SV-220836r958478: The Windows Defender SmartScreen for Explorer must be enabled. | Microsoft Windows 10 STIG SCAP Benchmark

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Assessment Title

Rule Text

The Windows Defender SmartScreen for Explorer must be enabled.

Description

Discussion Text

Windows Defender SmartScreen helps protect systems from programs downloaded from the internet that may be malicious. Enabling Windows Defender SmartScreen will warn or prevent users from running potentially malicious programs.

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

IA Controls

NIST SP 800-53

Not mappedCCI-000381V-63685SV-78175

References

DPMS Target Microsoft Windows 10 DISA DPMS Target Microsoft Windows 10 4072

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.windows10:def:220836
# The Windows Defender SmartScreen for Explorer must be enabled.
# Per-module read mechanism curated from static teardown of DISA's SCC tool
# (SCAP Compliance Checker) -- see the SCC Automation Reference above.

# Verifies 'Configure Windows SmartScreen' is set to '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\Windows\System').GetValueKind('EnableSmartScreen').ToString()]) -eq 'reg_dword') -and (((Get-ItemProperty -Path 'Registry::HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\System' -Name 'EnableSmartScreen' -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue) | Select-Object -ExpandProperty 'EnableSmartScreen') -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_windows_10 target this check assesses.

# OVAL Definition: oval:mil.disa.stig.windows10:def:220836
$registryPath = "HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\System"
$registryKey = "EnableSmartScreen"
$registryValue = 1

if (Test-Path $registryPath) {
    $regValue = Get-ItemProperty -Path $registryPath -Name $registryKey -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
    if ($regValue -and $regValue.$registryKey -eq $registryValue) {
        Write-Output "PASS"
        exit 0
    }
}

Write-Output "FAIL"
exit 1

Remediation

Configure the policy value for Computer Configuration >> Administrative Templates >> Windows Components >> File Explorer >> "Configure Windows Defender SmartScreen" to "Enabled" with "Warn and prevent bypass" selected. 

Windows 10 includes duplicate policies for this setting. It can also be configured under Computer Configuration >> Administrative Templates >> Windows Components >> Windows Defender SmartScreen >> Explorer.

v1607 LTSB:
Configure the policy value for Computer Configuration >> Administrative Templates >> Windows Components >> File Explorer >> "Configure Windows SmartScreen" to "Enabled". (Selection options are not available.)

v1507 LTSB:
Configure the policy value for Computer Configuration >> Administrative Templates >> Windows Components >> File Explorer >> "Configure Windows SmartScreen" to "Enabled" with "Require approval from an administrator before running downloaded unknown software" selected.