Exchange Mailbox databases must reside on a dedicated partition.

Overview

Finding ID	Version	Rule ID	IA Controls	Severity
V-259669	EX19-MB-000105	SV-259669r961095_rule		Medium

Description
In the same way that added security layers can provide a cumulative positive effect on security posture, multiple applications can provide a cumulative negative effect. A vulnerability and subsequent exploit to one application can lead to an exploit of other applications sharing the same security context. For example, an exploit to a web server process that leads to unauthorized administrative access to the host system can most likely lead to a compromise of all applications hosted by the same system. Email services should be installed to a discrete set of directories on a partition that does not host other applications. Email services should never be installed on a Domain Controller/Directory Services server.

Description

In the same way that added security layers can provide a cumulative positive effect on security posture, multiple applications can provide a cumulative negative effect. A vulnerability and subsequent exploit to one application can lead to an exploit of other applications sharing the same security context. For example, an exploit to a web server process that leads to unauthorized administrative access to the host system can most likely lead to a compromise of all applications hosted by the same system. Email services should be installed to a discrete set of directories on a partition that does not host other applications. Email services should never be installed on a Domain Controller/Directory Services server.

STIG	Date
Microsoft Exchange 2019 Mailbox Server Security Technical Implementation Guide	2024-06-10

Details

Check Text ( C-63408r942319_chk )
Review the Email Domain Security Plan (EDSP) or document that contains this information. Determine the location where the Exchange Mailbox databases reside. Open the Exchange Management Shell and enter the following command: Get-MailboxDatabase \| Select-Object -Property Name, Identity, EdbFilePath Open Windows Explorer, navigate to the mailbox databases, and verify they are on a dedicated partition. If the mailbox databases are not on a dedicated partition, this is a finding.

Check Text ( C-63408r942319_chk )

Review the Email Domain Security Plan (EDSP) or document that contains this information.

Determine the location where the Exchange Mailbox databases reside.

Open the Exchange Management Shell and enter the following command:

Get-MailboxDatabase | Select-Object -Property Name, Identity, EdbFilePath

Open Windows Explorer, navigate to the mailbox databases, and verify they are on a dedicated partition.

If the mailbox databases are not on a dedicated partition, this is a finding.

Fix Text (F-63316r945442_fix)
Update the EDSP to specify the location where the Exchange Mailbox databases reside or verify that this information is documented by the organization. Configure the mailbox databases on a dedicated partition. Ensure the drive that its being moved to has enough space for the database and logs (if not moving the logs to their own partition). Consult the EDSP and ensure that this is done within a maintenance window as this will incur downtime for any users connected to this mailbox database. Ensure backups are not running at the time this needs to be done. If this server is in a Database Availability Group, this cannot be done until all replicated copies of that database are removed first. Then the move operation can be performed. Once completed, replicated copies can be recreated appropriately. In an Exchange Management Shell, run the following (assuming copies of the database is removed if replicated or if it is a single copy database): Move-DatabasePath -Identity "" -EdbFilePath ":\PathToDatabase\" -LogFolderPath ":\LogFolderPath\" Example: Move-DatabasePath -Identity "Database1" -EdbFilePath "D:\MailboxDBs\Database1.edb" -LogFolderPath "D:\MailboxDBLogs\"

Fix Text (F-63316r945442_fix)

Update the EDSP to specify the location where the Exchange Mailbox databases reside or verify that this information is documented by the organization.

Configure the mailbox databases on a dedicated partition.

Ensure the drive that its being moved to has enough space for the database and logs (if not moving the logs to their own partition). Consult the EDSP and ensure that this is done within a maintenance window as this will incur downtime for any users connected to this mailbox database. Ensure backups are not running at the time this needs to be done. If this server is in a Database Availability Group, this cannot be done until all replicated copies of that database are removed first. Then the move operation can be performed. Once completed, replicated copies can be recreated appropriately.

In an Exchange Management Shell, run the following (assuming copies of the database is removed if replicated or if it is a single copy database):

Move-DatabasePath -Identity "" -EdbFilePath ":\PathToDatabase\" -LogFolderPath ":\LogFolderPath\"

Example:
Move-DatabasePath -Identity "Database1" -EdbFilePath "D:\MailboxDBs\Database1.edb" -LogFolderPath "D:\MailboxDBLogs\"