The Windows DNS Server must be configured to enforce authorized access to the corresponding private key.

Overview

Finding ID	Version	Rule ID	IA Controls	Severity
V-259367	WDNS-22-000039	SV-259367r945276_rule		Medium

Description
The cornerstone of the PKI is the private key used to encrypt or digitally sign information. If the private key is stolen, this will lead to the compromise of the authentication and nonrepudiation gained through PKI because the attacker can use the private key to digitally sign documents and pretend to be the authorized user. Both the holders of a digital certificate and the issuing authority must protect the computers, storage devices, or whatever they use to keep the private keys. SIG(0) is used for server-to-server authentication for DNS transactions, and it uses PKI-based authentication. In cases where SIG(0) is being used instead of TSIG (which uses a shared key, not PKI-based authentication), this requirement is applicable.

Description

The cornerstone of the PKI is the private key used to encrypt or digitally sign information. If the private key is stolen, this will lead to the compromise of the authentication and nonrepudiation gained through PKI because the attacker can use the private key to digitally sign documents and pretend to be the authorized user. Both the holders of a digital certificate and the issuing authority must protect the computers, storage devices, or whatever they use to keep the private keys. SIG(0) is used for server-to-server authentication for DNS transactions, and it uses PKI-based authentication. In cases where SIG(0) is being used instead of TSIG (which uses a shared key, not PKI-based authentication), this requirement is applicable.

STIG	Date
Microsoft Windows Server Domain Name System (DNS) Security Technical Implementation Guide	2024-01-09

Details

Check Text ( C-63106r939804_chk )
Access Windows Explorer. Navigate to the following location: %ALLUSERSPROFILE%\Microsoft\Crypto Note: If the folder above does not exist, this check is not applicable. Verify the permissions on the keys folder, subfolders, and files are limited to SYSTEM and Administrators FULL CONTROL. If any other user or group has greater than READ privileges to the %ALLUSERSPROFILE%\Microsoft\Crypto folder, subfolders and files, this is a finding.

Check Text ( C-63106r939804_chk )

Access Windows Explorer.

Navigate to the following location:

%ALLUSERSPROFILE%\Microsoft\Crypto

Note: If the folder above does not exist, this check is not applicable.

Verify the permissions on the keys folder, subfolders, and files are limited to SYSTEM and Administrators FULL CONTROL.

If any other user or group has greater than READ privileges to the %ALLUSERSPROFILE%\Microsoft\Crypto folder, subfolders and files, this is a finding.

Fix Text (F-63014r939805_fix)
Access Windows Explorer. Navigate to the following location: %ALLUSERSPROFILE%\Microsoft\Crypto Modify permissions on the keys folder, subfolders, and files to be limited to SYSTEM and Administrators FULL CONTROL to limit all other users/groups to READ.