Word must be configured to warn when opening a document with custom XML markup.

Overview

Finding ID	Version	Rule ID	IA Controls	Severity
V-41147	DTOO426	SV-53598r1_rule		Medium

Description
This policy setting specifies how Word behaves when opening a document that contains custom XML markup. Versions of Word that are distributed by Microsoft after January 10, 2010 no longer read the custom XML markup that may be contained within (.docx, .docm, .dotx, .dotm or .xml files. The new versions of Word 2007, Word 2010, and Word 2013 can still open these files, but any custom XML markup is removed. Configuring this setting will prompt the user with a warning, notifying of the lost of the XML markup. While this is the default setting, explicitly configuring the setting will ensure users are prompted.

Description

This policy setting specifies how Word behaves when opening a document that contains custom XML markup. Versions of Word that are distributed by Microsoft after January 10, 2010 no longer read the custom XML markup that may be contained within (.docx, .docm, .dotx, .dotm or .xml files. The new versions of Word 2007, Word 2010, and Word 2013 can still open these files, but any custom XML markup is removed. Configuring this setting will prompt the user with a warning, notifying of the lost of the XML markup. While this is the default setting, explicitly configuring the setting will ensure users are prompted.

STIG	Date
Microsoft Word 2013 STIG	2016-12-20

Details

Check Text ( C-47743r1_chk )
Verify the policy value for User Configuration -> Administrative Templates -> Microsoft Word 2013 -> Word Options -> Advanced -> "Custom markup warning" is set to "Enabled: Prompt". Procedure: Use the Windows Registry Editor to navigate to the following key: HKCU\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Office\15.0\word\options Criteria: If the value custommarkupwarning is REG_DWORD = 1, this is not a finding.

Check Text ( C-47743r1_chk )

Verify the policy value for User Configuration -> Administrative Templates -> Microsoft Word 2013 -> Word Options -> Advanced -> "Custom markup warning" is set to "Enabled: Prompt".

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

HKCU\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Office\15.0\word\options

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

Fix Text (F-46523r1_fix)
Set the policy value for User Configuration -> Administrative Templates -> Microsoft Word 2013 -> Word Options -> Advanced -> "Custom markup warning" to "Enabled: Prompt".