SV-253411r1051054: The Windows Installer feature "Always install with elevated privileges" must be disabled. | Microsoft Windows 11 STIG SCAP Benchmark

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Assessment Title

Rule Text

The Windows Installer feature "Always install with elevated privileges" must be disabled.

Description

Discussion Text

Standard user accounts must not be granted elevated privileges. Enabling Windows Installer to elevate privileges when installing applications can allow malicious persons and applications to gain full control of a system.

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

IA Controls

NIST SP 800-53

Not mappedCCI-003980Not mappedCCI-001812

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:253411
# The Windows Installer feature "Always install with elevated privileges" must be disabled.
# Per-module read mechanism curated from static teardown of DISA's SCC tool
# (SCAP Compliance Checker) -- see the SCC Automation Reference above.

# 'Always install with elevated privileges' is set to '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\Installer').GetValueKind('AlwaysInstallElevated').ToString()]) -eq 'reg_dword') -and (((Get-ItemProperty -Path 'Registry::HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Installer' -Name 'AlwaysInstallElevated' -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue) | Select-Object -ExpandProperty 'AlwaysInstallElevated') -eq 0))
}

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_11 target this check assesses.

# OVAL Definition: oval:mil.disa.stig.windows11:def:253411
$regPath = "HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Installer"
$regKey = "AlwaysInstallElevated"
$regValue = 0
if (-not (Test-Path $regPath)) { exit 0 }
if (!(Get-ItemProperty -Path $regPath -Name $regKey -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue).$regKey -eq $regValue) { exit 1 }
exit 0

Remediation

Configure the policy value for Computer Configuration >> Administrative Templates >> Windows Components >> Windows Installer >> "Always install with elevated privileges" to "Disabled".