Open-restricted File Type Properties

Overview

Finding ID	Version	Rule ID	IA Controls	Severity
V-6879	DTGW005	SV-7146r2_rule	DCMC-1	Medium

Description

For some file types, providing the user an opportunity to cancel the opening of the file provides adequate protection for most environments. Files that are opened with applications that include internal controls on code execution are good candidates for this technique. The Open Confirmation property, enabled through the Confirm open after download setting, provides a notice to the user that allows them to open the file, save the file to disk, or cancel the file open task. The Always show extension setting adds additional value. This ensures that users can see the file type before attempting to open it. The Values of confirm after download and always show extension give the users additional information about a file so a decision can be made as to whether it should be opened. The command line tool, ’assoc’, can be used to determine if a given file type definition exists. For example, on typical Windows systems the command ’assoc.bat’ returns ’.bat=batfile’ indicating that the extension .bat is defined and that the properties are stored in the Windows Registry under the key batfile. Windows Explorer can be used to manually display and configure the Actions, Always Show Extension, and Open Confirmation properties. In Windows 2000 and XP use the File Types tab of the Tools | Folder Options dialog in Windows Explorer. It must be recognized that performing these changes does not eliminate the danger from malicious code. Such code could come from a number of sources and use trigger techniques other than the Windows file type open action. Thus the changes documented here are not a substitute for an anti-virus tool with current definitions. NOTE: The application of this change affects the behavior of all Windows applications that utilize the affected Registry settings.

STIG	Date
Desktop Applications General	2014-10-03

Details

Check Text ( C-3193r5_chk )

On Windows NT/2000/2003/XP-- Start the Windows Explorer application. On the Tools menu, select the Folder Options… item. On the Folder Options window, select the File Types tab. For each of the file types in the table below, select the Edit… button for Windows NT or the Advanced button for Windows 2000/2003/XP. On the Edit File Type window: a) Determine the value of the Confirm open after download option. b) Determine the value of the Always show extension option. On Windows 7/8/2008/2008R2-- Start the Windows Explorer application. Click on the drop-down arrow of the Organize option and select Folder and Search Options. In the Folder Options dialog box, click on the View TAB. a) Ensure the "Hide extensions for known file types" is not selected. File Type Extensions Adobe Acrobat Document PDF Microsoft PowerPoint Slide Show PPS LotusScript Library LSL Microsoft PowerPoint Template POT LotusScript Object LSO Microsoft Word Backup Document WBK Jscript JS,JSE HTML Applications HTA LotusScript Source LSS Microsoft Word Document DOC Microsoft Excel Backup File XLK Microsoft Word Template DOT Microsoft Excel OLE DB Query Files RQY MS-DOS Batch File BAT Microsoft Excel Web Query File IQY PostScript PS,EPS Microsoft Excel Template XLT Rich Text Format RTF Microsoft Excel Worksheet XLS,XLB WordPerfect Coach WCH VISIO VSS,VST,VSD,VSW Microsoft Access AD, ADP,MDB,MDE Shockwave DCR,DXR,DIR,SPL, SWF Flash FLS Shell Scrap Object SHS, SHB WordPerfect Macro WCM Windows Script Component WSC, SCT Windows Script File WSF Windows Script Host Settings File WSH VBScript VBE, VBS Microsoft PowerPoint Presentation PPT NOTE: The File Type strings (e.g., “LotusScript Library”) may vary according to the specific software release. The key element for the check is the Extension value. Criteria: If a file type is not defined, this is not a Finding. a) If the Confirm open after download option in Windows NT/2000/2003/XP is not enabled for each file type, then this is a Finding. In Windows 7/8/2008/2008R2, this is Not Applicable. b) If the Always show extension option in Windows NT/2000/2003/XP is not enabled for each file type, then this is a Finding. c) If the Hide extensions for know file types in Windows 7/8/2008/2008R2 is selected, then this is a Finding. *Note: this check does not apply to Windows Vista

Fix Text (F-6567r1_fix)
For each of the filetypes in question, verify the Confirm after download option and the always show extension option are checked.