SV-25259r2: Users must be prevented from connecting using Remote Desktop Services. | Windows 7 Security Technical Implementation Guide

Loading benchmark…

Assessment Title

Rule Text

Users must be prevented from connecting using Remote Desktop Services.

Description

Discussion Text

Allowing a remote desktop session to a workstation enables another avenue of access that could be exploited. The system must be configured to prevent users from connecting to a computer using Remote Desktop Services.

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

IA Controls

NIST SP 800-53

Not mappedCCI-002314CCE-9985-3

Additional Details

Responsibility

System Administrator

References

DPMS Target Windows 7 DISA DPMS Target Windows 7 1712

Checks

OVAL

oval:mil.disa.fso.windows:var:387300 ← xccdf_mil.disa.stig_value_allow_users_to_connect_remotely_using_remote_desktop_services_var

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.fso.windows:def:3873
# Users must be prevented from connecting using Remote Desktop Services.
# Per-module read mechanism curated from static teardown of DISA's SCC tool
# (SCAP Compliance Checker) -- see the SCC Automation Reference above.

# Verifies 'Allow users to connect remotely using Remote Desktop Services' 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 NT\Terminal Services').GetValueKind('fDenyTSConnections').ToString()]) -eq 'reg_dword') -and (((Get-ItemProperty -Path 'Registry::HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows NT\Terminal Services' -Name 'fDenyTSConnections' -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue) | Select-Object -ExpandProperty 'fDenyTSConnections') -eq 1))
}

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 windows_7 target this check assesses.

# OVAL Definition: oval:mil.disa.fso.windows:def:3873
$compliant = Test-Path -Path "HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows NT\Terminal Services\fDenyTSConnections" -and (Get-ItemProperty -Path "HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows NT\Terminal Services\fDenyTSConnections" -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue).fDenyTSConnections -eq 1
if ($compliant) { Write-Output "PASS"; Exit 0 } else { Write-Output "FAIL"; Exit 1 }

Remediation

Configure the policy value for Computer Configuration >> Administrative Templates >> Windows Components >> Remote Desktop Services >> Remote Desktop Session Host >> Connections "Allow users to connect remotely using Remote Desktop Services" to "Disabled".

				If Remote Desktop Services for remote administration is necessary, enabling this would not be a finding. Restricted Admin mode must be used.  This must be document with the ISSO.
				See Microsoft article KB2871997 for patches required to add this function to systems prior to Windows 8.1.

				Restricted Admin mode for Remote Desktop Connections can be implemented for each session using a command line switch to start the Remote Desktop Client or through a group policy to enable it for all sessions.

				The command line to do this is "mstsc /restrictedadmin".

				To enable this with group policy, configure the policy value for Computer Configuration >> Administrative Templates >> System >> Credentials Delegation >> "Restrict delegation of credentials to remote servers" to "Enabled".