WINS lookups must be disabled on the Windows DNS Server.

Overview

Finding ID	Version	Rule ID	IA Controls	Severity
V-259377	WDNS-22-000049	SV-259377r961581_rule		Medium

Description
The major threat associated with DNS forged responses or failures is the integrity of the DNS data returned in the response. The principle of DNSSEC is to mitigate this threat by providing data origin authentication, establishing trust in the source. By requiring remote clients to obtain origin authentication and integrity verification assurances for the host/service name to network address resolution information obtained through the service, data origin is validated. A DNS server is an example of an information system providing name/address resolution service. Digital signatures and cryptographic keys are examples of additional artifacts. DNS resource records are examples of authoritative data. Applications other than the DNS, to map between host/service names and network addresses, must provide other means to assure the authenticity and integrity of response data. In the case of DNS, employ DNSSEC to provide an additional data origin and integrity artifacts along with the authoritative data the system returns in response to DNS name/address resolution queries. If/when WINS lookups are enabled, the validity of the data becomes questionable because the WINS data is provided to the requestor unsigned and invalidated. To ensure only the DNSSEC-signed data is being returned, WINS lookups must be disabled.

Description

The major threat associated with DNS forged responses or failures is the integrity of the DNS data returned in the response. The principle of DNSSEC is to mitigate this threat by providing data origin authentication, establishing trust in the source. By requiring remote clients to obtain origin authentication and integrity verification assurances for the host/service name to network address resolution information obtained through the service, data origin is validated. A DNS server is an example of an information system providing name/address resolution service. Digital signatures and cryptographic keys are examples of additional artifacts. DNS resource records are examples of authoritative data. Applications other than the DNS, to map between host/service names and network addresses, must provide other means to assure the authenticity and integrity of response data. In the case of DNS, employ DNSSEC to provide an additional data origin and integrity artifacts along with the authoritative data the system returns in response to DNS name/address resolution queries. If/when WINS lookups are enabled, the validity of the data becomes questionable because the WINS data is provided to the requestor unsigned and invalidated. To ensure only the DNSSEC-signed data is being returned, WINS lookups must be disabled.

STIG	Date
Microsoft Windows Server Domain Name System (DNS) Security Technical Implementation Guide	2024-06-14

Details

Check Text ( C-63116r939834_chk )
Log on to the DNS server using the Domain Admin or Enterprise Admin account or Local Administrator account. Press the Windows key + R and execute "dnsmgmt.msc". On the opened DNS Manager snap-in from the left pane, expand the server name for the DNS server and then expand "Forward Lookup Zones". From the expanded list, right-click each zone and then click "Properties". In the "Properties" dialog box for the zone, click the "WINS" tab. Verify the "Use WINS forward lookup" check box is not selected. If the "Use WINS forward lookup" check box is selected, this is a finding.

Check Text ( C-63116r939834_chk )

Log on to the DNS server using the Domain Admin or Enterprise Admin account or Local Administrator account.

Press the Windows key + R and execute "dnsmgmt.msc".

On the opened DNS Manager snap-in from the left pane, expand the server name for the DNS server and then expand "Forward Lookup Zones".

From the expanded list, right-click each zone and then click "Properties".

In the "Properties" dialog box for the zone, click the "WINS" tab.

Verify the "Use WINS forward lookup" check box is not selected.

If the "Use WINS forward lookup" check box is selected, this is a finding.

Fix Text (F-63024r939835_fix)
Log on to the DNS server using the Domain Admin or Enterprise Admin account or Local Administrator account. Press the Windows key + R and execute "dnsmgmt.msc". On the opened DNS Manager snap-in from the left pane, expand the server name for the DNS server and then expand "Forward Lookup Zones". From the expanded list, right-click each zone and then click "Properties". In the "Properties" dialog box for the zone, click the "WINS" tab. Uncheck the "Use WINS forward" lookup check box. Click "OK".

Fix Text (F-63024r939835_fix)

Log on to the DNS server using the Domain Admin or Enterprise Admin account or Local Administrator account.

Press the Windows key + R and execute "dnsmgmt.msc".

On the opened DNS Manager snap-in from the left pane, expand the server name for the DNS server and then expand "Forward Lookup Zones".

From the expanded list, right-click each zone and then click "Properties".

In the "Properties" dialog box for the zone, click the "WINS" tab.

Uncheck the "Use WINS forward" lookup check box.

Click "OK".