SV-25269r2: User-installed gadgets must be turned off. | Windows 7 Security Technical Implementation Guide

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Assessment Title

Rule Text

User-installed gadgets must be turned off.

Description

Discussion Text

Uncontrolled installation of applications can introduce various issues, including system instability, and allow access to sensitive information. Installation of applications must be controlled by the enterprise. This setting prevents user-installed gadgets from running.

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

IA Controls

NIST SP 800-53

Not mappedCCI-001812CCE-10586-6

Additional Details

Responsibility

System Administrator

References

DPMS Target Windows 7 DISA DPMS Target Windows 7 1712

Checks

OVAL

oval:mil.disa.fso.windows:var:383300 ← xccdf_mil.disa.stig_value_turn_off_user_installed_windows_sidebar_gadgets_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:3833
# User-installed gadgets must be turned off.
# Per-module read mechanism curated from static teardown of DISA's SCC tool
# (SCAP Compliance Checker) -- see the SCC Automation Reference above.

# Verifies 'Turn off user-installed desktop gadgets' is set to 'Enabled'
# 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\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Windows\Sidebar').GetValueKind('TurnOffUserInstalledGadgets').ToString()]) -eq 'reg_dword') -and (((Get-ItemProperty -Path 'Registry::HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Windows\Sidebar' -Name 'TurnOffUserInstalledGadgets' -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue) | Select-Object -ExpandProperty 'TurnOffUserInstalledGadgets') -eq 1))
}
# Verifies 'Turn off desktop gadgets' is set to 'Enabled'
# registry_object (registry_test)
function test_2 {
  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\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Windows\Sidebar').GetValueKind('TurnOffSidebar').ToString()]) -eq 'reg_dword') -and (((Get-ItemProperty -Path 'Registry::HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Windows\Sidebar' -Name 'TurnOffSidebar' -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue) | Select-Object -ExpandProperty 'TurnOffSidebar') -eq 1))
}

if ((test_1 -or test_2)) {
  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:3833
$compliant = (Get-ItemProperty -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Windows\Sidebar' -Name 'TurnOffUserInstalledGadgets' -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue).TurnOffUserInstalledGadgets -eq 1 -or (Get-ItemProperty -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Windows\Sidebar' -Name 'TurnOffSidebar' -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue).TurnOffSidebar -eq 1
if ($compliant) { Write-Output "PASS"; Exit 0 } else { Write-Output "FAIL"; Exit 1 }

Remediation

Configure the policy value for Computer Configuration -> Administrative Templates -> Windows Components -> Desktop Gadgets - > "Turn Off user-installed desktop gadgets" to "Enabled".

				To turn off Desktop Gadgets completely, configure the policy value for Computer Configuration -> Administrative Templates -> Windows Components -> Desktop Gadgets -> "Turn off desktop gadgets" to "Enabled".