Internet with Safe Zones for Picture Download must be disabled.

Overview

Finding ID	Version	Rule ID	IA Controls	Severity
V-228462	DTOO274	SV-228462r508021_rule		Medium

Description
This policy setting controls whether pictures and external content in HTML e-mail messages from untrusted senders on the Internet are downloaded without Outlook users explicitly choosing to do so. If you enable this policy setting, Outlook will automatically download external content in all e-mail messages sent over the Internet and users will not be able to change the setting. If you disable or do not configure this policy setting, Outlook does not consider the Internet a safe zone, which means that Outlook will not automatically download content from external servers unless the sender is included in the Safe Senders list. Recipients can choose to download external content from untrusted senders on a message-by-message basis.

Description

This policy setting controls whether pictures and external content in HTML e-mail messages from untrusted senders on the Internet are downloaded without Outlook users explicitly choosing to do so. If you enable this policy setting, Outlook will automatically download external content in all e-mail messages sent over the Internet and users will not be able to change the setting. If you disable or do not configure this policy setting, Outlook does not consider the Internet a safe zone, which means that Outlook will not automatically download content from external servers unless the sender is included in the Safe Senders list. Recipients can choose to download external content from untrusted senders on a message-by-message basis.

STIG	Date
Microsoft Outlook 2016 Security Technical Implementation Guide	2022-03-11

Details

Check Text ( C-30695r497708_chk )
Verify the policy value for User Configuration -> Administrative Templates -> Microsoft Outlook 2016 -> Security -> Automatic Picture Download Settings "Include Internet in Safe Zones for Automatic Picture Download" is set to "Disabled". Procedure: Use the Windows Registry Editor to navigate to the following key: HKCU\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Office\16.0\outlook\options\mail Criteria: If the value Internet is REG_DWORD = 0, this is not a finding.

Check Text ( C-30695r497708_chk )

Verify the policy value for User Configuration -> Administrative Templates -> Microsoft Outlook 2016 -> Security -> Automatic Picture Download Settings "Include Internet in Safe Zones for Automatic Picture Download" is set to "Disabled".

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

HKCU\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Office\16.0\outlook\options\mail

Criteria: If the value Internet is REG_DWORD = 0, this is not a finding.

Fix Text (F-30680r497709_fix)
Set the policy value for User Configuration -> Administrative Templates -> Microsoft Outlook 2016 -> Security -> Automatic Picture Download Settings "Include Internet in Safe Zones for Automatic Picture Download" to "Disabled".