Unencrypted passwords must not be sent to third-party SMB Server.

Overview

Finding ID	Version	Rule ID	IA Controls	Severity
V-1141	WN08-SO-000030	SV-48043r1_rule	ECCT-1 ECCT-2	Medium

Description
Some non-Microsoft SMB servers only support unencrypted (plain text) password authentication. Sending plain text passwords across the network, when authenticating to an SMB server, reduces the overall security of the environment. Check with the vendor of the SMB server to see if there is a way to support encrypted password authentication.

STIG	Date
Windows 8 / 8.1 Security Technical Implementation Guide	2014-04-02

Details

Check Text ( C-44782r1_chk )
Analyze the system using the Security Configuration and Analysis snap-in. (See "Performing Analysis with the Security Configuration and Analysis Snap-in" in the STIG Overview document.) Expand the Security Configuration and Analysis tree view. Navigate to Local Policies -> Security Options. If the value for "Microsoft Network Client: Send unencrypted password to connect to third-party SMB servers" is not set to "Disabled", this is a finding. The policy referenced configures the following registry value: Registry Hive: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE Registry Path: \System\CurrentControlSet\Services\LanmanWorkstation\Parameters\ Value Name: EnablePlainTextPassword Value Type: REG_DWORD Value: 0

Check Text ( C-44782r1_chk )

Analyze the system using the Security Configuration and Analysis snap-in. (See "Performing Analysis with the Security Configuration and Analysis Snap-in" in the STIG Overview document.)
Expand the Security Configuration and Analysis tree view.
Navigate to Local Policies -> Security Options.

If the value for "Microsoft Network Client: Send unencrypted password to connect to third-party SMB servers" is not set to "Disabled", this is a finding.

The policy referenced configures the following registry value:

Registry Hive: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
Registry Path: \System\CurrentControlSet\Services\LanmanWorkstation\Parameters\

Value Name: EnablePlainTextPassword

Value Type: REG_DWORD
Value: 0

Fix Text (F-41181r1_fix)
Configure the policy value for Computer Configuration -> Windows Settings -> Security Settings -> Local Policies -> Security Options -> "Microsoft Network Client: Send unencrypted password to connect to third-party SMB servers" to "Disabled".