SV-278040r1180826: Windows Server 2025 reversible password encryption must be disabled. | Microsoft Windows Server 2025 STIG SCAP Benchmark

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Assessment Title

Rule Text

Windows Server 2025 reversible password encryption must be disabled.

Description

Discussion Text

Storing passwords using reversible encryption is essentially the same as storing clear-text versions of the passwords, which are easily compromised. For this reason, this policy must never be enabled.

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

IA Controls

NIST SP 800-53

Not mappedCCI-004062

References

DPMS Target Microsoft Windows Server 2025 DISA DPMS Target Microsoft Windows Server 2025 5719

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.windows2025:def:278040
# Windows Server 2025 reversible password encryption 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.

# 'Store password using reversible encryption' is set to 'Disabled'
# passwordpolicy_object (passwordpolicy_test)
function test_1 {
  return (($__tmp = "$env:TEMP\scc_securitypolicy_$([guid]::NewGuid().Guid).cfg"; secedit /export /cfg $__tmp /areas SECURITYPOLICY /quiet | Out-Null; $__m = Select-String -Path $__tmp -Pattern '^ClearTextPassword\s*=\s*(\d+)'; Remove-Item $__tmp -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue; if ($__m) { $__m.Matches[0].Groups[1].Value.Trim() } else { '' }) -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_2025 target this check assesses.

# OVAL Definition: oval:mil.disa.stig.windows2025:def:278040
$passwordPolicy = Get-CimInstance -ClassName Win32_LocalUser -Filter "LocalAccount=True"
$compliant = $passwordPolicy.PasswordRequired | Where-Object { $_ -eq $true } | ForEach-Object {
    $policy = Get-CimInstance -ClassName Win32_PasswordPolicy -Filter "UserName=$($_.Name)"
    $policy.ReversiblePasswordEncrypted -eq $false
} -join ''
if ($compliant -eq "True") { Write-Output "PASS"; exit 0 } else { Write-Output "FAIL"; exit 1 }

Remediation

Configure the policy value for Computer Configuration >> Windows Settings >> Security Settings >> Account Policies >> Password Policy. Set "Store passwords using reversible encryption" to "Disabled".