The Deny log on through Remote Desktop Services user right on workstations must at a minimum be configured to prevent access from highly privileged domain accounts and local administrator accounts on domain systems and unauthenticated access on all systems.

Overview

Finding ID	Version	Rule ID	IA Controls	Severity
V-26486	WN08-UR-000021	SV-48524r2_rule	ECLP-1	Medium

Description
Inappropriate granting of user rights can provide system, administrative, and other high level capabilities. The "Deny log on through Remote Desktop Services" right defines the accounts that are prevented from logging on using Remote Desktop Services. If Remote Desktop Services is not used by the organization, the Everyone group must be assigned this right to prevent all access. In an Active Directory Domain, denying logons to the Enterprise Admins and Domain Admins groups on lower trust systems helps mitigate the risk of privilege escalation from credential theft attacks which could lead to the compromise of an entire domain. Local administrator accounts on domain-joined systems must also be assigned this right to decrease the risk of lateral movement resulting from credential theft attacks. The Guests group must be assigned this right to prevent unauthenticated access.

Description

Inappropriate granting of user rights can provide system, administrative, and other high level capabilities. The "Deny log on through Remote Desktop Services" right defines the accounts that are prevented from logging on using Remote Desktop Services. If Remote Desktop Services is not used by the organization, the Everyone group must be assigned this right to prevent all access. In an Active Directory Domain, denying logons to the Enterprise Admins and Domain Admins groups on lower trust systems helps mitigate the risk of privilege escalation from credential theft attacks which could lead to the compromise of an entire domain. Local administrator accounts on domain-joined systems must also be assigned this right to decrease the risk of lateral movement resulting from credential theft attacks. The Guests group must be assigned this right to prevent unauthenticated access.

STIG	Date
Windows 8 / 8.1 Security Technical Implementation Guide	2014-04-08

Details

Check Text ( None )
None

Fix Text (F-49697r3_fix)
Configure the policy value for Computer Configuration -> Windows Settings -> Security Settings -> Local Policies -> User Rights Assignment -> "Deny log on through Remote Desktop" to include the following. If Remote Desktop Services is not used by the organization, assign the Everyone group this right to prevent all access. Domain Systems Only: Enterprise Admins group Domain Admins group All Local Administrator Accounts: Windows 8 - use the DenyNetworkAccess group - see V-45589 Windows 8.1 - use "Local account" or "Local account and member of Administrators group" All Systems: Guests group Systems dedicated to the management of Active Directory (AD admin platforms, see V-36436 in the Active Directory Domain STIG) are exempt from denying the Enterprise Admins and Domain Admins groups. The related automated benchmarks will verify the group "DenyNetworkAccess" has been assigned this right on domain systems, and that it contains all local accounts that are also members of the Administrators group. Use of other methods may result in false positives requiring manual validation. Do not use the built-in Administrators group. This group must contain the appropriate accounts/groups responsible for administering the system. **Windows 8.1 added new built-in security groups for assigning permissions and rights to local accounts. Use these groups instead of creating a group for local administrator accounts to apply to this and other deny rights where required. Assign the group "Local account and member of Administrators group" or the more restrictive "Local account".

Fix Text (F-49697r3_fix)

Configure the policy value for Computer Configuration -> Windows Settings -> Security Settings -> Local Policies -> User Rights Assignment -> "Deny log on through Remote Desktop" to include the following.

If Remote Desktop Services is not used by the organization, assign the Everyone group this right to prevent all access.

Domain Systems Only:
Enterprise Admins group
Domain Admins group
*All Local Administrator Accounts:
Windows 8 - use the DenyNetworkAccess group - see V-45589
**Windows 8.1 - use "Local account" or "Local account and member of Administrators group"

All Systems:
Guests group

Systems dedicated to the management of Active Directory (AD admin platforms, see V-36436 in the Active Directory Domain STIG) are exempt from denying the Enterprise Admins and Domain Admins groups.

The related automated benchmarks will verify the group "DenyNetworkAccess" has been assigned this right on domain systems, and that it contains all local accounts that are also members of the Administrators group. Use of other methods may result in false positives requiring manual validation.

*Do not use the built-in Administrators group. This group must contain the appropriate accounts/groups responsible for administering the system.

**Windows 8.1 added new built-in security groups for assigning permissions and rights to local accounts. Use these groups instead of creating a group for local administrator accounts to apply to this and other deny rights where required. Assign the group "Local account and member of Administrators group" or the more restrictive "Local account".