Microsoft SCOM Security Technical Implementation Guide

19procedures

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Severity
CurrentPublished Wed Apr 02 2025
Objective ID
Severity
Discussion
V-237423
medium
When people leave their roles, their group memberships are often times not updated.
V-237424
high
The Microsoft SCOM privileged Run As accounts are used to execute work flow tasks on target endpoints. A SCOM Run As account creates an interactive log on session to perform its tasks. The interactive session could allow an attacker to harvest and reuse these credentials. The SCOM less-secure distribution option configures a Run As account to run on every SCOM agent within the environment, making it easier for an attacker to compromise a critical account.

The use of the SCOM "More Secure" option restricts Run As accounts to specific systems. This restricts a compromised account to a specific set of systems limiting the ability of an attacker to move laterally within the network. A less secure distribution means that if any server running a SCOM agent is compromised, then the accounts credentials may be reused by an attacker.
V-237425
high
The Microsoft SCOM privileged Run As accounts are used to execute work flow tasks on target endpoints. A SCOM Run As account must only have the level of privileges required to perform the defined SCOM actions. An account with full administrative (SUDO) privileges could be used to breach security boundaries and compromise the endpoint.
V-237426
medium
The SCOM agent action account is the account agent used to perform tasks on an individual machine. By default, the action agent account is the local system account, but this can be configured to run as a service account. In that scenario, the account will be running locally in memory and could be used by an attacker to laterally move throughout an environment. Using the local system account limits the ability to laterally traverse within the environment if a specific endpoint is compromised.
V-237427
medium
The Microsoft SCOM privileged Run As accounts are used to execute work flow tasks on target endpoints. Run As Accounts are interactive logon sessions on a system. An attacker who has compromised one of those systems could potentially reuse the credentials of a Run As account on another system.
V-237428
low
The Microsoft SCOM management servers are considered high value IT resources where compromise would cause a significant impact to the organization. The Operations Manager console contains APIs that an attacker can use to decrypt Run As accounts or install malicious management packs. If a SCOM console sits on a Tier 2 device, an attacker could use the administrator's alternate credentials to exploit SCOM. A Privileged Admin Workstation (PAW) device provides configuration and installation requirements for dedicated Windows workstations used exclusively for remote administrative management of designated high-value IT resources.
V-237429
high
The Microsoft SCOM privileged Run As accounts are used to execute work flow tasks on target endpoints. A SCOM Run As account must only have the level of privileges required to perform the defined SCOM actions. An account with full administrative at the domain or enterprise level could be used to breach security boundaries and compromise the endpoint.
V-237430
high
Microsoft SCOM's SQL management requires a Run as solution because the local system account will not have the required permissions to monitor SQL.

If the Run As account is created with elevated database privileges on the SQL endpoint, this can be used to modify SQL databases, breach security boundaries, or otherwise compromise the endpoint.
V-237431
medium
Protection of log data includes assuring log data is not accidentally lost or deleted. Regularly backing up audit records to a different system or onto separate media than the system being audited helps to assure, in the event of a catastrophic system failure, the audit records will be retained.
V-237432
high
Network devices running older but supported operating systems lack modern security features that mitigate attack surfaces. Attackers face a higher level of complexity to overcome during a compromise attempt.
V-237433
low
SCOM's configuration information is stored within unsealed management packs. Even without SQL backups, a catastrophic failure to SCOM can be recovered from quickly if the unsealed management packs have been backed up.

Satisfies: SRG-APP-000516-NDM-000340, SRG-APP-000516-NDM-000341
V-237434
low
Web certificates should always be signed by a trusted signer and never self-signed.
V-237435
low
SNMP Versions 1 and 2 do not use a FIPS-validated Keyed-Hash message Authentication Code (HMAC). SCOM has the capability of monitoring all versions of SNMP. As such, SNMP 1 and 2 monitoring should only be done if the device being monitored does not support SNMP V3.
V-237436
medium
During the initial installation, SCOM grants the Builtin\Administrators group administrator rights to the application. This configuration will allow any local administrator to the SCOM server to have full administrative rights into SCOM.
V-237437
medium
SCOM servers with default well-known operating system groups defined the SCOM Administrators Global Group may allow a local administrator access to privileged SCOM access.
V-237438
high
HTTP sessions are sent in clear text and can allow a man in the middle to recon the environment. The web console itself does not allow for administrative actions, so most of the risk associated with http authentication is inherently mitigated. However, this would allow an attacker to intercept SCOM web-console traffic for reconnaissance purposes.
V-237439
high
Unapproved mechanisms used for authentication to the cryptographic module are not validated and therefore cannot be relied on to provide confidentiality or integrity, and DoD data may be compromised. FIPS 140-2 is the current standard for validating that mechanisms used to access cryptographic modules utilize authentication that meets DoD requirements. However, authentication algorithms must configure security processes to use only FIPS-approved and NIST-recommended authentication algorithms.

SCOM is FIPS-compliant out of the box with the exception of the Web Console.
V-237440
medium
To prevent a DDoS, a firewall that inspects and drops packets must be configured.
V-272361
high
Security flaws with software applications are discovered daily. Vendors are constantly updating and patching their products to address newly discovered security vulnerabilities. Organizations (including any contractor to the organization) are required to promptly install security-relevant software updates (e.g., patches, service packs, and hot fixes). Flaws discovered during security assessments, continuous monitoring, incident response activities, or information system error handling must also be addressed expeditiously.

Organization-defined time periods for updating security-relevant software may vary based on a variety of factors including, for example, the security category of the information system or the criticality of the update (i.e., severity of the vulnerability related to the discovered flaw).

This requirement will apply to software patch management solutions used to install patches across the enclave and to applications themselves that are not part of that patch management solution. For example, many browsers today provide the capability to install their own patch software. Patch criticality, as well as system criticality will vary. Therefore, the tactical situations regarding the patch management process will also vary. This means that the time period used must be a configurable parameter. Time frames for application of security-relevant software updates may be dependent upon the Information Assurance Vulnerability Management (IAVM) process.

The application will be configured to check for and install security-relevant software updates within an identified time period from the availability of the update. The specific time period will be defined by an authoritative source (e.g., IAVM, CTOs, DTMs, and STIGs).