Block pop-ups for links that invoke instances of IE from within Excel

Overview

Finding ID	Version	Rule ID	IA Controls	Severity
V-17184	DTOO129 - Excel	SV-18210r1_rule	ECSC-1	Medium

Description
The Pop-up Blocker feature in Internet Explorer can be used to block most unwanted pop-up and pop-under windows from appearing. This functionality can be controlled separately for instances of Internet Explorer spawned by 2007 Office applications (for example, if a user clicks a link in an Office document or selects a menu option that loads a Web page). If the Pop-up Blocker is disabled, disruptive and potentially dangerous pop-up windows could load and present a security risk.

Description

The Pop-up Blocker feature in Internet Explorer can be used to block most unwanted pop-up and pop-under windows from appearing. This functionality can be controlled separately for instances of Internet Explorer spawned by 2007 Office applications (for example, if a user clicks a link in an Office document or selects a menu option that loads a Web page). If the Pop-up Blocker is disabled, disruptive and potentially dangerous pop-up windows could load and present a security risk.

STIG	Date
Microsoft Excel 2007	2014-12-22

Details

Check Text ( C-17893r1_chk )
If Office 2007 PRE SP2: The policy value for Computer Configuration -> Administrative Templates -> Microsoft Office 2007 system (Machine) -> Security Settings -> IE Security “Block popups” will be set to “Enabled” and ‘excel.exe’ is checked. Procedure: Use the Windows Registry Editor to navigate to the following key: HKLM\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main\FeatureControl\FEATURE_WEBOC_POPUPMANAGEMENT Criteria: If the value excel.exe is REG_DWORD = 1, this is not a finding. If Office 2007 SP2: The policy value for Computer Configuration -> Administrative Templates -> Microsoft Office 2007 system (Machine) -> Security Settings -> IE Security “Block popups” will be set to “Enabled” and ‘excel.exe’ is checked. Procedure: Use the Windows Registry Editor to navigate to the following key: HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main\FeatureControl\FEATURE_WEBOC_POPUPMANAGEMENT Criteria: If the value excel.exe is REG_DWORD = 1, this is not a finding.

Check Text ( C-17893r1_chk )

If Office 2007 PRE SP2: The policy value for Computer Configuration -> Administrative Templates -> Microsoft Office 2007 system (Machine) -> Security Settings -> IE Security “Block popups” will be set to “Enabled” and ‘excel.exe’ is checked.

Procedure: Use the Windows Registry Editor to navigate to the following key:

HKLM\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main\FeatureControl\FEATURE_WEBOC_POPUPMANAGEMENT

Criteria: If the value excel.exe is REG_DWORD = 1, this is not a finding.

If Office 2007 SP2: The policy value for Computer Configuration -> Administrative Templates -> Microsoft Office 2007 system (Machine) -> Security Settings -> IE Security “Block popups” will be set to “Enabled” and ‘excel.exe’ is checked.

Procedure: Use the Windows Registry Editor to navigate to the following key:

HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main\FeatureControl\FEATURE_WEBOC_POPUPMANAGEMENT

Criteria: If the value excel.exe is REG_DWORD = 1, this is not a finding.

Fix Text (F-17055r1_fix)
The policy value for Computer Configuration -> Administrative Templates -> Microsoft Office 2007 system (Machine) -> Security Settings -> IE Security “Block popups” will be set to “Enabled” and ‘excel.exe’ is checked. Note: In Office SP2 adm use, filtering in GPEDIT.MSC should have deselected any checks in "Only show configured policy settings" box, and "Only show policy settings that can be fully managed" box, in order to view the hive within the GP Console for policy use.

Fix Text (F-17055r1_fix)

The policy value for Computer Configuration -> Administrative Templates -> Microsoft Office 2007 system (Machine) -> Security Settings -> IE Security “Block popups” will be set to “Enabled” and ‘excel.exe’ is checked.

Note: In Office SP2 adm use, filtering in GPEDIT.MSC should have deselected any checks in "Only show configured policy settings" box, and "Only show policy settings that can be fully managed" box, in order to view the hive within the GP Console for policy use.