SV-224915r958478: WDigest Authentication must be disabled on Windows Server 2016. | Microsoft Windows Server 2016 STIG SCAP Benchmark

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Assessment Title

Rule Text

WDigest Authentication must be disabled on Windows Server 2016.

Description

Discussion Text

When the WDigest Authentication protocol is enabled, plain-text passwords are stored in the Local Security Authority Subsystem Service (LSASS), exposing them to theft. WDigest is disabled by default in Windows Server 2016. This setting ensures this is enforced.

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

IA Controls

NIST SP 800-53

Not mappedCCI-000381V-73497SV-88149

References

DPMS Target Microsoft Windows Server 2016 DISA DPMS Target Microsoft Windows Server 2016 4205

Checks

DISA STIG (Manual Reference)

If the following registry value does not exist or is not configured as specified, this is a finding.

Registry Hive:  HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
Registry Path:  \SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\SecurityProviders\Wdigest\

Value Name:  UseLogonCredential

Type:  REG_DWORD
Value:  0x00000000 (0)

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.windows:def:148
# WDigest Authentication must be disabled on Windows Server 2016.
# Per-module read mechanism curated from static teardown of DISA's SCC tool
# (SCAP Compliance Checker) -- see the SCC Automation Reference above.

# Verifies the WDigest Authentication 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\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\SecurityProviders\Wdigest').GetValueKind('UseLogonCredential').ToString()]) -eq 'reg_dword') -and (((Get-ItemProperty -Path 'Registry::HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\SecurityProviders\Wdigest' -Name 'UseLogonCredential' -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue) | Select-Object -ExpandProperty 'UseLogonCredential') -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_server_2016 target this check assesses.

# OVAL Definition: oval:mil.disa.stig.windows:def:148
if (!(Test-Path 'HKLM:\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\SecurityProviders\Wdigest\UseLogonCredential') -or ((Get-ItemProperty -Path 'HKLM:\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\SecurityProviders\Wdigest\UseLogonCredential').UseLogonCredential -eq 0)) {Write-Output "PASS"; Exit 0} else {Write-Output "FAIL"; Exit 1}

Remediation

Configure the policy value for Computer Configuration >> Administrative Templates >> MS Security Guide >> "WDigest Authentication (disabling may require KB2871997)" to "Disabled".

This policy setting requires the installation of the SecGuide custom templates included with the STIG package. "SecGuide.admx" and " SecGuide.adml" must be copied to the \Windows\PolicyDefinitions and \Windows\PolicyDefinitions\en-US directories respectively.