Enable IE Bind to Object functionality for instances of IE launched from Word.

Overview

Finding ID	Version	Rule ID	IA Controls	Severity
V-17174	DTOO111 - Word	SV-18187r1_rule	ECSC-1	Medium

Description
Internet Explorer performs a number of safety checks before initializing an ActiveX control. It will not initialize a control if the kill bit for the control is set in the registry, or if the security settings for the zone in which the control is located do not allow it to be initialized. This functionality can be controlled separately for instances of Internet Explorer spawned by 2007 Office applications (for example, if a user clicks a link in an Office document or selects a menu option that loads a Web page). A security risk could occur if potentially dangerous controls are allowed to load.

Description

Internet Explorer performs a number of safety checks before initializing an ActiveX control. It will not initialize a control if the kill bit for the control is set in the registry, or if the security settings for the zone in which the control is located do not allow it to be initialized. This functionality can be controlled separately for instances of Internet Explorer spawned by 2007 Office applications (for example, if a user clicks a link in an Office document or selects a menu option that loads a Web page). A security risk could occur if potentially dangerous controls are allowed to load.

STIG	Date
Microsoft Word 2007	2014-10-03

Details

Check Text ( C-17865r1_chk )
If Office 2007 PRE SP2: The policy value for Computer Configuration -> Administrative Templates -> Microsoft Office 2007 system (Machine) -> Security Settings -> IE Security “Bind to Object” will be set to “Enabled” and ‘winword.exe’ is checked. Procedure: Use the Windows Registry Editor to navigate to the following key: HKLM\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main\FeatureControl\FEATURE_SAFE_BINDTOOBJECT Criteria: If the value winword.exe is REG_DWORD = 1, this is not a finding. If Office 2007 SP2: The policy value for Computer Configuration -> Administrative Templates -> Microsoft Office 2007 system (Machine) -> Security Settings -> IE Security “Bind to Object” will be set to “Enabled” and ‘winword.exe’ is checked. Procedure: Use the Windows Registry Editor to navigate to the following key: HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main\FeatureControl\FEATURE_SAFE_BINDTOOBJECT Criteria: If the value winword.exe is REG_DWORD = 1, this is not a finding.

Check Text ( C-17865r1_chk )

If Office 2007 PRE SP2: The policy value for Computer Configuration -> Administrative Templates -> Microsoft Office 2007 system (Machine) -> Security Settings -> IE Security “Bind to Object” will be set to “Enabled” and ‘winword.exe’ is checked.

Procedure: Use the Windows Registry Editor to navigate to the following key:

HKLM\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main\FeatureControl\FEATURE_SAFE_BINDTOOBJECT

Criteria: If the value winword.exe is REG_DWORD = 1, this is not a finding.

If Office 2007 SP2: The policy value for Computer Configuration -> Administrative Templates -> Microsoft Office 2007 system (Machine) -> Security Settings -> IE Security “Bind to Object” will be set to “Enabled” and ‘winword.exe’ is checked.

Procedure: Use the Windows Registry Editor to navigate to the following key:

HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main\FeatureControl\FEATURE_SAFE_BINDTOOBJECT

Criteria: If the value winword.exe is REG_DWORD = 1, this is not a finding.

Fix Text (F-16963r1_fix)
The policy value for Computer Configuration -> Administrative Templates -> Microsoft Office 2007 system (Machine) -> Security Settings -> IE Security “Bind to Object” will be set to “Enabled” and ‘winword.exe’ is checked. Note: In Office SP2 adm use, filtering in GPEDIT.MSC should have deselected any checks in "Only show configured policy settings" box, and "Only show policy settings that can be fully managed" box, in order to view the hive within the GP Console for policy use.

Fix Text (F-16963r1_fix)

The policy value for Computer Configuration -> Administrative Templates -> Microsoft Office 2007 system (Machine) -> Security Settings -> IE Security “Bind to Object” will be set to “Enabled” and ‘winword.exe’ is checked.

Note: In Office SP2 adm use, filtering in GPEDIT.MSC should have deselected any checks in "Only show configured policy settings" box, and "Only show policy settings that can be fully managed" box, in order to view the hive within the GP Console for policy use.