Unauthorized accounts must not have the Act as part of the operating system user right.

Overview

Finding ID	Version	Rule ID	IA Controls	Severity
WN12-UR-000003	WN12-UR-000003	WN12-UR-000003_rule		High

Description
Inappropriate granting of user rights can provide system, administrative, and other high-level capabilities. Accounts with the "Act as part of the operating system" user right can assume the identity of any user and gain access to resources that user is authorized to access. Any accounts with this right can take complete control of a system.

STIG	Date
Microsoft Windows Server 2012 Member Server Security Technical Implementation Guide	2013-07-25

Details

Check Text ( C-WN12-UR-000003_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 (to include administrators), are granted the "Act as part of the operating system" user right, this is a finding. Severity Override: If an application requires this user right, this can be downgraded to a CAT III if the following conditions are met: Vendor documentation must support the requirement for having the user right. The requirement must be documented with the IAO. The application account must meet requirements for application account passwords, such as length (V-36661) and required changes frequency (V-36662).

Check Text ( C-WN12-UR-000003_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 (to include administrators), are granted the "Act as part of the operating system" user right, this is a finding.

Severity Override: If an application requires this user right, this can be downgraded to a CAT III if the following conditions are met:
Vendor documentation must support the requirement for having the user right.
The requirement must be documented with the IAO.
The application account must meet requirements for application account passwords, such as length (V-36661) and required changes frequency (V-36662).

Fix Text (F-WN12-UR-000003_fix)
Configure the policy value for Computer Configuration -> Windows Settings -> Security Settings -> Local Policies -> User Rights Assignment -> "Act as part of the operating system" to be defined but containing no entries (blank).