User Account Control will only elevate UIAccess applications that are installed in secure locations

Overview

Finding ID	Version	Rule ID	IA Controls	Severity
V-14239	3.134	SV-32384r1_rule		Medium

Description
This check verifies whether Windows only allows applications installed in a secure location, such as the Program Files or the Windows\System32 folders, on the file system to run with elevated privileges.

STIG	Date
Windows Server 2008 R2 Domain Controller Security Technical Implementation Guide	2018-03-07

Details

Check Text ( C-32773r1_chk )
Analyze the system using the Security Configuration and Analysis snap-in. Expand the Security Configuration and Analysis tree view. Navigate to Local Policies -> Security Options. If the value for “User Account Control: Only elevate UIAccess applications that are installed in secure locations” is not set to “Enabled”, then this is a finding. The policy referenced configures the following registry value: Registry Hive: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE Registry Path: \Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System\ Value Name: EnableSecureUIAPaths Value Type: REG_DWORD Value: 1

Check Text ( C-32773r1_chk )

Analyze the system using the Security Configuration and Analysis snap-in.
Expand the Security Configuration and Analysis tree view.
Navigate to Local Policies -> Security Options.

If the value for “User Account Control: Only elevate UIAccess applications that are installed in secure locations” is not set to “Enabled”, then this is a finding.

The policy referenced configures the following registry value:

Registry Hive: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
Registry Path: \Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System\

Value Name: EnableSecureUIAPaths

Value Type: REG_DWORD
Value: 1

Fix Text (F-28845r1_fix)
Configure the policy value for Computer Configuration -> Windows Settings -> Security Settings -> Local Policies -> Security Options -> “User Account Control: Only elevate UIAccess applications that are installed in secure locations” to “Enabled”.