SV-254479r958450: Windows Server 2022 users must be required to enter a password to access private keys stored on the computer. | Microsoft Windows Server 2022 STIG SCAP Benchmark

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Assessment Title

Rule Text

Windows Server 2022 users must be required to enter a password to access private keys stored on the computer.

Description

Discussion Text

If the private key is discovered, an attacker can use the key to authenticate as an authorized user and gain access to the network infrastructure. The cornerstone of the PKI is the private key used to encrypt or digitally sign information. If the private key is stolen, this will lead to the compromise of the authentication and nonrepudiation gained through PKI because the attacker can use the private key to digitally sign documents and pretend to be the authorized user. Both the holders of a digital certificate and the issuing authority must protect the computers, storage devices, or whatever they use to keep the private keys.

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

IA Controls

NIST SP 800-53

Not mappedCCI-000186

References

DPMS Target Microsoft Windows Server 2022 DISA DPMS Target Microsoft Windows Server 2022 5485

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.windows2022:def:254479
# Windows Server 2022 users must be required to enter a password to access private keys stored on the computer.
# Per-module read mechanism curated from static teardown of DISA's SCC tool
# (SCAP Compliance Checker) -- see the SCC Automation Reference above.

# Users are required to enter a password to access private keys stored on the computer
# 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\Cryptography').GetValueKind('ForceKeyProtection').ToString()]) -eq 'reg_dword') -and (((Get-ItemProperty -Path 'Registry::HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Cryptography' -Name 'ForceKeyProtection' -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue) | Select-Object -ExpandProperty 'ForceKeyProtection') -eq 2))
}

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_2022 target this check assesses.

# OVAL Definition: oval:mil.disa.stig.windows2022:def:254479
$compliant = Test-Path "HKLM:SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Cryptography" -and (Get-ItemProperty -Path "HKLM:SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Cryptography" -Name ForceKeyProtection -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue).ForceKeyProtection -eq 2
if ($compliant) {Write-Output "PASS"; exit 0} else {Write-Output "FAIL"; exit 1}

Remediation

Configure the policy value for Computer Configuration >> Windows Settings >> Security Settings >> Local Policies >> Security Options >> System cryptography: Force strong key protection for user keys stored on the computer to "User must enter a password each time they use a key".