Internet Explorer Processes for Zone Elevation must be enforced (Explorer).

Overview

Finding ID	Version	Rule ID	IA Controls	Severity
V-15569	DTBI612	SV-40687r1_rule	ECSC-1	Medium

Description
Internet Explorer places restrictions on each web page it opens that are dependent upon the location of the web page (such as Internet Zone, Intranet Zone, or Local Machine Zone). Web pages on a local computer have the fewest security restrictions and reside in the Local Machine Zone, which makes the Local Machine Security Zone a prime target for malicious attackers. If you enable this policy setting, any zone can be protected from zone elevation by Internet Explorer processes. This approach stops content running in one zone from gaining the elevated privileges of another zone. If you disable this policy setting, no zone receives such protection for Internet Explorer processes. Because of the severity and relative frequency of zone elevation attacks, this guide recommends configuring this setting as Enabled in all environments.

Description

Internet Explorer places restrictions on each web page it opens that are dependent upon the location of the web page (such as Internet Zone, Intranet Zone, or Local Machine Zone). Web pages on a local computer have the fewest security restrictions and reside in the Local Machine Zone, which makes the Local Machine Security Zone a prime target for malicious attackers. If you enable this policy setting, any zone can be protected from zone elevation by Internet Explorer processes. This approach stops content running in one zone from gaining the elevated privileges of another zone. If you disable this policy setting, no zone receives such protection for Internet Explorer processes. Because of the severity and relative frequency of zone elevation attacks, this guide recommends configuring this setting as Enabled in all environments.

STIG	Date
Microsoft Internet Explorer 9 Security Technical Implementation Guide	2013-04-01

Details

Check Text ( C-39417r2_chk )
The policy value for Computer Configuration -> Administrative Templates -> Windows Components -> Internet Explorer -> Security Features -> Protection From Zone Elevation -> "Internet Explorer Processes" must be “Enabled”. Procedure: Use the Windows Registry Editor to navigate to the following key: HKLM\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main\FeatureControl\FEATURE_ZONE_ELEVATION Criteria: If the value explorer.exe is REG_SZ = 1, this is not a finding.

Check Text ( C-39417r2_chk )

The policy value for Computer Configuration -> Administrative Templates -> Windows Components -> Internet Explorer -> Security Features -> Protection From Zone Elevation -> "Internet Explorer Processes" must be “Enabled”.

Procedure: Use the Windows Registry Editor to navigate to the following key:
HKLM\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main\FeatureControl\FEATURE_ZONE_ELEVATION

Criteria: If the value explorer.exe is REG_SZ = 1, this is not a finding.

Fix Text (F-34545r1_fix)
Set the policy value for Computer Configuration -> Administrative Templates -> Windows Components -> Internet Explorer -> Security Features -> Protection From Zone Elevation -> "Internet Explorer Processes" to “Enabled”.