Hyperlink warnings for Office must be configured for use.

Overview

Finding ID	Version	Rule ID	IA Controls	Severity
V-228558	DTOO194	SV-228558r508020_rule		Medium

Description
Unsafe hyperlinks are links that might pose a security risk if users click them. Clicking an unsafe link could compromise the security of sensitive information or harm the computer. Links that Office considers unsafe include links to executable files, TIFF files, and Microsoft Document Imaging (MDI) files. Other unsafe links are those using protocols considered to be unsafe, including msn, nntp, mms, outlook, and stssync.

Description

Unsafe hyperlinks are links that might pose a security risk if users click them. Clicking an unsafe link could compromise the security of sensitive information or harm the computer. Links that Office considers unsafe include links to executable files, TIFF files, and Microsoft Document Imaging (MDI) files. Other unsafe links are those using protocols considered to be unsafe, including msn, nntp, mms, outlook, and stssync.

STIG	Date
Microsoft Office System 2013 Security Technical Implementation Guide	2020-09-25

Details

Check Text ( C-30791r498952_chk )
Verify the policy value for User Configuration >> Administrative Templates >> Microsoft Office 2013 >> Security Settings "Suppress hyperlink warnings" is set to "Disabled". Use the Windows Registry Editor to navigate to the following HKCU\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Office\15.0\common\security Criteria: If the value 'DisableHyperLinkWarning' is REG_DWORD = 0, this is not a finding.

Fix Text (F-30776r498953_fix)
Set the policy value for User Configuration -> Administrative Templates -> Microsoft Office 2013 -> Security Settings "Suppress hyperlink warnings" to "Disabled".