Early Launch Antimalware, Boot-Start Driver Initialization Policy must prevent boot drivers.

Overview

Finding ID	Version	Rule ID	IA Controls	Severity
V-253372	WN11-CC-000085	SV-253372r829200_rule		Medium

Description
The default behavior is for Early Launch Antimalware - Boot-Start Driver Initialization policy is to enforce "Good, unknown and bad but critical" (preventing "bad"). By being launched first by the kernel, ELAM ( Early Launch Antimalware) is ensured to be launched before any third-party software, and is therefore able to detect malware in the boot process and prevent it from initializing.

STIG	Date
Microsoft Windows 11 Security Technical Implementation Guide	2023-04-26

Details

Check Text ( C-56825r829198_chk )
The default behavior is for Early Launch Antimalware - Boot-Start Driver Initialization policy is to enforce "Good, unknown and bad but critical" (preventing "bad"). If the registry value name below does not exist, this is a finding. If it exists and is configured with a value of "7", this is a finding. Registry Hive: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE Registry Path: \SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Policies\EarlyLaunch\ Value Name: DriverLoadPolicy Value Type: REG_DWORD Value: 1, 3, or 8 Possible values for this setting are: 8 - Good only 1 - Good and unknown 3 - Good, unknown and bad but critical 7 - All (which includes "Bad" and would be a finding)

Check Text ( C-56825r829198_chk )

The default behavior is for Early Launch Antimalware - Boot-Start Driver Initialization policy is to enforce "Good, unknown and bad but critical" (preventing "bad").

If the registry value name below does not exist, this is a finding.

If it exists and is configured with a value of "7", this is a finding.

Registry Hive: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
Registry Path: \SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Policies\EarlyLaunch\

Value Name: DriverLoadPolicy

Value Type: REG_DWORD
Value: 1, 3, or 8

Possible values for this setting are:
8 - Good only
1 - Good and unknown
3 - Good, unknown and bad but critical
7 - All (which includes "Bad" and would be a finding)

Fix Text (F-56775r829199_fix)
Ensure that Early Launch Antimalware - Boot-Start Driver Initialization policy is set to enforce "Good, unknown and bad but critical" (preventing "bad"). To correct this, configure the policy value for Computer Configuration >> Administrative Templates >> System >> Early Launch Antimalware >> "Boot-Start Driver Initialization Policy" to "Enabled with "Good, unknown and bad but critical" selected.

Fix Text (F-56775r829199_fix)

Ensure that Early Launch Antimalware - Boot-Start Driver Initialization policy is set to enforce "Good, unknown and bad but critical" (preventing "bad").

To correct this, configure the policy value for Computer Configuration >> Administrative Templates >> System >> Early Launch Antimalware >> "Boot-Start Driver Initialization Policy" to "Enabled with "Good, unknown and bad but critical" selected.