Warning Bar settings for VBA macros must be configured.

Overview

Finding ID	Version	Rule ID	IA Controls	Severity
V-17545	DTOO304	SV-53838r1_rule	ECSC-1	Medium

Description
When users open files containing VBA macros, applications open the files with the macros disabled and displays the Trust Bar with a warning that macros are present and have been disabled. Users may then enable these macros by clicking "Options" on the Trust Bar and selecting the option to enable them. Disabling or not configuring this setting may allow dangerous macros to become active on user computers or the network.

Description

When users open files containing VBA macros, applications open the files with the macros disabled and displays the Trust Bar with a warning that macros are present and have been disabled. Users may then enable these macros by clicking "Options" on the Trust Bar and selecting the option to enable them. Disabling or not configuring this setting may allow dangerous macros to become active on user computers or the network.

STIG	Date
Microsoft Excel 2013 STIG	2015-06-18

Details

Check Text ( C-47894r1_chk )
Verify the policy value for User Configuration -> Administrative Templates -> Microsoft Excel 2013 -> Excel Options -> Security -> Trust Center "VBA Macro Notification Settings" is set to "Enabled: Disable all with notification". Procedure: Use the Windows Registry Editor to navigate to the following key: HKCU\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Office\15.0\excel\security Criteria: If the value VBAWarnings is REG_DWORD = 2, this is not a finding.

Check Text ( C-47894r1_chk )

Verify the policy value for User Configuration -> Administrative Templates -> Microsoft Excel 2013 -> Excel Options -> Security -> Trust Center "VBA Macro Notification Settings" is set to "Enabled: Disable all with notification".

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

HKCU\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Office\15.0\excel\security

Criteria: If the value VBAWarnings is REG_DWORD = 2, this is not a finding.

Fix Text (F-46741r1_fix)
Set the policy value for User Configuration -> Administrative Templates -> Microsoft Excel 2013 -> Excel Options -> Security -> Trust Center "VBA Macro Notification Settings" to "Enabled: Disable all with notification".