Software certificate installation files must be removed from Windows Server 2016.

Overview

Finding ID	Version	Rule ID	IA Controls	Severity
V-224842	WN16-00-000270	SV-224842r569186_rule		Medium

Description
Use of software certificates and their accompanying installation files for end users to access resources is less secure than the use of hardware-based certificates.

STIG	Date
Microsoft Windows Server 2016 Security Technical Implementation Guide	2023-08-22

Details

Check Text ( C-26533r465428_chk )
Search all drives for .p12 and .pfx files. If any files with these extensions exist, this is a finding. This does not apply to server-based applications that have a requirement for .p12 certificate files or Adobe PreFlight certificate files. Some applications create files with extensions of .p12 that are not certificate installation files. Removal of non-certificate installation files from systems is not required. These must be documented with the ISSO.

Check Text ( C-26533r465428_chk )

Search all drives for *.p12 and *.pfx files.

If any files with these extensions exist, this is a finding.

This does not apply to server-based applications that have a requirement for .p12 certificate files or Adobe PreFlight certificate files. Some applications create files with extensions of .p12 that are not certificate installation files. Removal of non-certificate installation files from systems is not required. These must be documented with the ISSO.

Fix Text (F-26521r465429_fix)
Remove any certificate installation files (.p12 and .pfx) found on a system. Note: This does not apply to server-based applications that have a requirement for .p12 certificate files or Adobe PreFlight certificate files.