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

Overview

Finding ID	Version	Rule ID	IA Controls	Severity
V-1141	3.034	SV-32296r2_rule		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 Server 2008 R2 Member Server Security Technical Implementation Guide	2019-03-13

Details

Check Text ( C-62029r1_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 "Microsoft Network Client: Send unencrypted password 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-62029r1_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 "Microsoft Network Client: Send unencrypted password 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-66927r1_fix)
Configure the policy value for Computer Configuration >> Windows Settings >> Security Settings >> Local Policies >> Security Options >> "Microsoft Network Client: Send unencrypted password to third-party SMB servers" to "Disabled".