SV-14873r3: IPv6 must be disabled until a deliberate transition strategy has been implemented. Use of IPv6 transition technologies must be disabled. | Windows Vista Security Technical Implementation Guide

Loading benchmark…

Assessment Title

Rule Text

IPv6 must be disabled until a deliberate transition strategy has been implemented. Use of IPv6 transition technologies must be disabled.

Description

Discussion Text

Any nodes’ interface with IPv6 enabled by default presents a potential risk of traffic being transmitted or received without proper risk mitigation strategy and is therefore, a serious security concern.

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

IA Controls

NIST SP 800-53

Not mappedCCI-000366

Additional Details

Responsibility

Information Assurance Officer

References

DPMS Target Windows Vista DISA DPMS Target Windows Vista 1029

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:124
# IPv6 must be disabled until a deliberate transition strategy has been implemented.  Use of IPv6 transition technologies 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.

# IPv6 Transition
# 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\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip6\Parameters').GetValueKind('DisabledComponents').ToString()]) -eq 'reg_dword') -and (((Get-ItemProperty -Path 'Registry::HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip6\Parameters' -Name 'DisabledComponents' -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue) | Select-Object -ExpandProperty 'DisabledComponents') -eq 4294967295))
}
# IPv6 Transition
# 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\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip6\Parameters').GetValueKind('DisabledComponents').ToString()]) -eq 'reg_dword') -and (((Get-ItemProperty -Path 'Registry::HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip6\Parameters' -Name 'DisabledComponents' -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue) | Select-Object -ExpandProperty 'DisabledComponents') -eq 255))
}

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_vista target this check assesses.

# OVAL Definition: oval:mil.disa.fso.windows:def:124
$compliant = $true
if (-not (Test-Path -Path "HKLM:\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip6\Parameters\DisabledComponents")) {$compliant = $false} else {
    if ((Get-ItemProperty -Path "HKLM:\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip6\Parameters\DisabledComponents").DisabledComponents -ne 4294967295 -and
        (Get-ItemProperty -Path "HKLM:\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip6\Parameters\DisabledComponents").DisabledComponents -ne 255) {
        $compliant = $false
    }
}
if ($compliant) {Write-Output "PASS"; Exit 0} else {Write-Output "FAIL"; Exit 1}

Remediation

Add the following registry values to the system.

To disable IPv6 on all interfaces:

Registry Hive:  HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
Registry Path:  \SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip6\Parameters\

Value Name:  DisabledComponents

Type:  REG_DWORD
Value:  0xff or 0xffffffff

To disable all IPv6 tunneling interfaces:

Registry Hive:  HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
Registry Path:  \SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip6\Parameters\

Value Name:  DisabledComponents

Type:  REG_DWORD
Value:  0x1

Microsoft updated article 929852 with regard to disabling all IPv6 components, changing the value to 0xff.   A value of 0xffffffff results in a 5-second delay in system startup.  However, either value can be used to disable all IPv6 components.