Save files default format as backward compatible, not as XML.

Overview

Finding ID	Version	Rule ID	IA Controls	Severity
V-17521	DTOO139 - Excel	SV-18606r1_rule	ECSC-1	Medium

Description
By default, Excel 2007 saves new workbooks in the Office Open XML format with an .xlsx extension. For users who run Excel 2000 with Service Pack 3, Excel 2002 with Service Pack 3, and Excel 2003 with at least Service Pack 1, Microsoft offers the Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack, which enables these versions of Excel to open and save .xlsx files. If some users in your organization cannot install the Compatibility Pack, or are running versions of Excel older than Excel 2000 with Service Pack 3, these users might not be able to access Excel files saved in the .xlsx format.

Description

By default, Excel 2007 saves new workbooks in the Office Open XML format with an .xlsx extension. For users who run Excel 2000 with Service Pack 3, Excel 2002 with Service Pack 3, and Excel 2003 with at least Service Pack 1, Microsoft offers the Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack, which enables these versions of Excel to open and save .xlsx files. If some users in your organization cannot install the Compatibility Pack, or are running versions of Excel older than Excel 2000 with Service Pack 3, these users might not be able to access Excel files saved in the .xlsx format.

STIG	Date
Microsoft Excel 2007	2015-10-02

Details

Check Text ( C-18847r1_chk )
The policy value for User Configuration -> Administrative Templates -> Microsoft Office Excel 2007 -> Excel Options -> Save "save excel files as" will be set to "Enabled (Excel 97-2003 Workbook(.xls)" or "Enabled (Excel Workbook .xlsx"). Procedure: Use the Windows Registry Editor to navigate to the following key: HKCU\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Office\12.0\Excel\Options Criteria: If the value DefaultFormat is REG_DWORD = 38 (hex) or 56 (Decimal) for Excel 97-2003 or If the value DefaultFormat is REG_DWORD = 33 (hex) or 51 (Decimal) for 2007 .xlsx , this is not a finding.

Check Text ( C-18847r1_chk )

The policy value for User Configuration -> Administrative Templates -> Microsoft Office Excel 2007 -> Excel Options -> Save "save excel files as" will be set to "Enabled (Excel 97-2003 Workbook(*.xls)" or "Enabled (Excel Workbook *.xlsx").

Procedure: Use the Windows Registry Editor to navigate to the following key: HKCU\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Office\12.0\Excel\Options

Criteria: If the value DefaultFormat is REG_DWORD = 38 (hex) or 56 (Decimal) for Excel 97-2003 or If the value DefaultFormat is REG_DWORD = 33 (hex) or 51 (Decimal) for 2007 .xlsx , this is not a finding.

Fix Text (F-17447r1_fix)
The policy value for User Configuration -> Administrative Templates -> Microsoft Office Excel 2007 -> Excel Options -> Save "save excel files as" will be set to "Enabled (Excel 97-2003 Workbook(.xls)" or "Enabled (Excel Workbook .xlsx").