The Create symbolic links user right must only be assigned to the Administrators group.

Overview

Finding ID	Version	Rule ID	IA Controls	Severity
V-225555	WN12-UR-000015	SV-225555r852273_rule		Medium

Description
Inappropriate granting of user rights can provide system, administrative, and other high-level capabilities. Accounts with the "Create symbolic links" user right can create pointers to other objects, which could potentially expose the system to attack.

STIG	Date
Microsoft Windows Server 2012/2012 R2 Member Server Security Technical Implementation Guide	2022-09-06

Details

Check Text ( C-27254r472007_chk )
Verify the effective setting in Local Group Policy Editor. Run "gpedit.msc". Navigate to Local Computer Policy >> Computer Configuration >> Windows Settings >> Security Settings >> Local Policies >> User Rights Assignment. If any accounts or groups other than the following are granted the "Create symbolic links" user right, this is a finding: Administrators Systems that have the Hyper-V role will also have "Virtual Machines" given this user right (this may be displayed as "NT Virtual Machine\Virtual Machines"). This is not a finding.

Check Text ( C-27254r472007_chk )

Verify the effective setting in Local Group Policy Editor.

Run "gpedit.msc".

Navigate to Local Computer Policy >> Computer Configuration >> Windows Settings >> Security Settings >> Local Policies >> User Rights Assignment.

If any accounts or groups other than the following are granted the "Create symbolic links" user right, this is a finding:

Administrators

Systems that have the Hyper-V role will also have "Virtual Machines" given this user right (this may be displayed as "NT Virtual Machine\Virtual Machines"). This is not a finding.

Fix Text (F-27242r472008_fix)
Configure the policy value for Computer Configuration >> Windows Settings >> Security Settings >> Local Policies >> User Rights Assignment >> "Create symbolic links" to only include the following accounts or groups: Administrators Systems that have the Hyper-V role will also have "Virtual Machines" given this user right. If this needs to be added manually, enter it as "NT Virtual Machine\Virtual Machines".

Fix Text (F-27242r472008_fix)

Configure the policy value for Computer Configuration >> Windows Settings >> Security Settings >> Local Policies >> User Rights Assignment >> "Create symbolic links" to only include the following accounts or groups:

Administrators

Systems that have the Hyper-V role will also have "Virtual Machines" given this user right. If this needs to be added manually, enter it as "NT Virtual Machine\Virtual Machines".