SV-253409r1210297: Indexing of encrypted files must be turned off. | Microsoft Windows 11 STIG SCAP Benchmark

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Assessment Title

Rule Text

Indexing of encrypted files must be turned off.

Description

Discussion Text

Indexing of encrypted files may expose sensitive data. This setting prevents encrypted files from being indexed. Note: A different registry location is needed when systems are managed by Intune versus GPO.

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

IA Controls

NIST SP 800-53

Not mappedCCI-000381

References

DPMS Target Microsoft Windows 11 DISA DPMS Target Microsoft Windows 11 5471

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.windows11:def:253409
# Indexing of encrypted files must be turned off.
# Per-module read mechanism curated from static teardown of DISA's SCC tool
# (SCAP Compliance Checker) -- see the SCC Automation Reference above.

# AllowIndexingEncryptedStoresOrItems is disabled
# 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\Windows Search').GetValueKind('AllowIndexingEncryptedStoresOrItems').ToString()]) -eq 'reg_dword') -and (((Get-ItemProperty -Path 'Registry::HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Windows Search' -Name 'AllowIndexingEncryptedStoresOrItems' -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue) | Select-Object -ExpandProperty 'AllowIndexingEncryptedStoresOrItems') -eq 0)) -or (((@{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\Policymanager\current\device\search').GetValueKind('AllowIndexingEncryptedStoresOrItems').ToString()]) -eq 'reg_dword') -and (((Get-ItemProperty -Path 'Registry::HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Policymanager\current\device\search' -Name 'AllowIndexingEncryptedStoresOrItems' -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue) | Select-Object -ExpandProperty 'AllowIndexingEncryptedStoresOrItems') -eq 0)))
}

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

Remediation

For GPO-managed systems:

Configure the policy value for Computer Configuration >> Administrative Templates >> Windows Components >> Search >> "Allow indexing of encrypted files" to "Disabled".

For Intune-managed systems:

Revise the Intune policy to disable indexing of encrypted files.