The Symantec Endpoint Protection client Outlook Auto-Protect actions for when Malware has been detected must be configured to Clean Risk as first action.

Overview

Finding ID	Version	Rule ID	IA Controls	Severity
V-42733	DTASEP078	SV-55461r1_rule		Medium

Description
Email has become one of the most frequently used methods of spreading malware, through embedded HTML code and attachments. User awareness and training, warning users to not open suspicious emails or email attachments and to not click hyperlinks, etc. from unknown or known senders, will not fully protect from email-borne malware. Mass mailing worms are similar to email-borne viruses but are self-contained rather than being designed to infect an existing file. Protecting from email-borne viruses and mass mailing worms by scanning email upon delivery mitigates the risk of infection via email.

Description

Email has become one of the most frequently used methods of spreading malware, through embedded HTML code and attachments. User awareness and training, warning users to not open suspicious emails or email attachments and to not click hyperlinks, etc. from unknown or known senders, will not fully protect from email-borne malware. Mass mailing worms are similar to email-borne viruses but are self-contained rather than being designed to infect an existing file. Protecting from email-borne viruses and mass mailing worms by scanning email upon delivery mitigates the risk of infection via email.

STIG	Date
Symantec Endpoint Protection 12.1 Managed Client Antivirus	2014-10-01

Details

Check Text ( C-49005r1_chk )
Server check: From the Symantec Endpoint Protection Management Server, Symantec Endpoint Protection Management Console: Select Policies -> Double-click the applied policy -> Under Windows Settings, Email Scans -> Select Microsoft Outlook Auto-Protect -> Select the Actions tab -> Under Actions -> Select Malware -> Observe the First action and the If first action fails boxes -> Ensure First action is set to "Clean Risk". Criteria: If First action is not set to "Clean Risk", this is a finding. On the client machine, use the Windows Registry Editor to navigate to the following key: 32 bit: HKLM\SOFTWARE\Symantec\Symantec Endpoint Protection\AV\Storages\MicrosoftExchangeClient\RealTimeScan\Malware 64 bit: HKLM\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Symantec\Symantec Endpoint Protection\AV\Storages\MicrosoftExchangeClient\RealTimeScan\Malware Criteria: If the value of "FirstAction" is 5, this is not a finding.

Check Text ( C-49005r1_chk )

Server check: From the Symantec Endpoint Protection Management Server, Symantec Endpoint Protection Management Console: Select Policies -> Double-click the applied policy -> Under Windows Settings, Email Scans -> Select Microsoft Outlook Auto-Protect -> Select the Actions tab -> Under Actions -> Select Malware -> Observe the First action and the If first action fails boxes -> Ensure First action is set to "Clean Risk".

Criteria: If First action is not set to "Clean Risk", this is a finding.

On the client machine, use the Windows Registry Editor to navigate to the following key:
32 bit:
HKLM\SOFTWARE\Symantec\Symantec Endpoint Protection\AV\Storages\MicrosoftExchangeClient\RealTimeScan\Malware
64 bit:
HKLM\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Symantec\Symantec Endpoint Protection\AV\Storages\MicrosoftExchangeClient\RealTimeScan\Malware

Criteria: If the value of "FirstAction" is 5, this is not a finding.

Fix Text (F-48319r1_fix)
From the Symantec Endpoint Protection Management Server, Symantec Endpoint Protection Management Console: Select Policies -> Double-click the applied policy -> Under Windows Settings, Email Scans -> Select Microsoft Outlook Auto-Protect -> Select the Actions tab -> Under Actions -> Select Malware -> Observe the First action and the If first action fails boxes -> Set First action to "Clean Risk".