Links that invoke instances of Internet Explorer from within an Office product must be blocked.

Overview

Finding ID	Version	Rule ID	IA Controls	Severity
V-17184	DTOO129	SV-53683r1_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 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 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 2013 STIG	2015-07-24

Details

Check Text ( None )
None

Fix Text (F-46608r1_fix)
Set the policy value for Computer Configuration -> Administrative Templates -> Microsoft Office 2013 (Machine) -> Security Settings -> IE Security "Block popups" to "Enabled" and select 'excel.exe'.