SV-278255r1182223: The Windows Server 2025 "Load and unload device drivers" user right must only be assigned to the Administrators group. | Microsoft Windows Server 2025 STIG SCAP Benchmark

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Assessment Title

Rule Text

The Windows Server 2025 "Load and unload device drivers" user right must only be assigned to the Administrators group.

Description

Discussion Text

Inappropriately granting user rights provides system, administrative, and other high-level capabilities. The "Load and unload device drivers" user right allows a user to load device drivers dynamically on a system. This could be used by an attacker to install malicious code.

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

IA Controls

NIST SP 800-53

Not mappedCCI-002235

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:278255
# The Windows Server 2025 "Load and unload device drivers" user right must only be assigned to the Administrators group.
# Per-module read mechanism curated from static teardown of DISA's SCC tool
# (SCAP Compliance Checker) -- see the SCC Automation Reference above.

# Load and unload device drivers - Administrators
# userright_object (userright_test)
function test_1 {
  return ((($__tmp = "$env:TEMP\scc_userrights_$([guid]::NewGuid().Guid).cfg"; secedit /export /cfg $__tmp /areas USER_RIGHTS /quiet | Out-Null; $__m = Select-String -Path $__tmp -Pattern '^SeLoadDriverPrivilege\s*=\s*(.*)$'; Remove-Item $__tmp -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue; if ($__m -and $__m.Matches[0].Groups[1].Value.Trim().Length -gt 0) { (($__m.Matches[0].Groups[1].Value -split ',') | ForEach-Object { $__sid = $_.Trim().TrimStart('*'); try { (New-Object System.Security.Principal.SecurityIdentifier($__sid)).Translate([System.Security.Principal.NTAccount]).Value -replace '^[^\\]*\\', '' } catch { $__sid } }) -join ',' } else { '' }) -eq '') -or (($__tmp = "$env:TEMP\scc_userrights_$([guid]::NewGuid().Guid).cfg"; secedit /export /cfg $__tmp /areas USER_RIGHTS /quiet | Out-Null; $__m = Select-String -Path $__tmp -Pattern '^SeLoadDriverPrivilege\s*=\s*(.*)$'; Remove-Item $__tmp -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue; if ($__m -and $__m.Matches[0].Groups[1].Value.Trim().Length -gt 0) { (($__m.Matches[0].Groups[1].Value -split ',') | ForEach-Object { $__sid = $_.Trim().TrimStart('*'); try { (New-Object System.Security.Principal.SecurityIdentifier($__sid)).Translate([System.Security.Principal.NTAccount]).Value -replace '^[^\\]*\\', '' } catch { $__sid } }) -join ',' } else { '' }) -eq 'Administrators'))
}

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:278255
$userRight = Get-CimInstance -ClassName Win32_UserRight -Filter "UserRight='SeLoadDriverPrivilege'" -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
if ($userRight -and $userRight.UserName -match 'Administrators' -notmatch '[A-Za-z0-9_]+')
{
    Write-Output "PASS"
    Exit 0
}
Write-Output "FAIL"
Exit 1

Remediation

Configure the policy value for Computer Configuration >> Windows Settings >> Security Settings >> Local Policies >> User Rights Assignment >> Load and unload device drivers to include only the following accounts or groups:
- Administrators.