The Create symbolic links user right must only be assigned to the Administrators group.

Overview

Finding ID	Version	Rule ID	IA Controls	Severity
V-73753	WN16-UR-000120	SV-88417r1_rule		Medium

Description
Inappropriate granting of user rights can provide system, administrative, and other high-level capabilities. Accounts with the "Create symbolic links" user right can create pointers to other objects, which could expose the system to attack.

STIG	Date
Windows Server 2016 Security Technical Implementation Guide	2017-11-20

Details

Check Text ( C-73835r1_chk )
Verify the effective setting in Local Group Policy Editor. Run "gpedit.msc". Navigate to Local Computer Policy >> Computer Configuration >> Windows Settings >> Security Settings >> Local Policies >> User Rights Assignment. If any accounts or groups other than the following are granted the "Create symbolic links" user right, this is a finding. - Administrators Systems that have the Hyper-V role will also have "Virtual Machines" given this user right (this may be displayed as "NT Virtual Machine\Virtual Machines"). This is not a finding.

Check Text ( C-73835r1_chk )

Verify the effective setting in Local Group Policy Editor.

Run "gpedit.msc".

Navigate to Local Computer Policy >> Computer Configuration >> Windows Settings >> Security Settings >> Local Policies >> User Rights Assignment.

If any accounts or groups other than the following are granted the "Create symbolic links" user right, this is a finding.

- Administrators

Systems that have the Hyper-V role will also have "Virtual Machines" given this user right (this may be displayed as "NT Virtual Machine\Virtual Machines"). This is not a finding.

Fix Text (F-80203r1_fix)
Configure the policy value for Computer Configuration >> Windows Settings >> Security Settings >> Local Policies >> User Rights Assignment >> "Create symbolic links" to include only the following accounts or groups: - Administrators Systems that have the Hyper-V role will also have "Virtual Machines" given this user right. If this needs to be added manually, enter it as "NT Virtual Machine\Virtual Machines".

Fix Text (F-80203r1_fix)

Configure the policy value for Computer Configuration >> Windows Settings >> Security Settings >> Local Policies >> User Rights Assignment >> "Create symbolic links" to include only the following accounts or groups:

- Administrators

Systems that have the Hyper-V role will also have "Virtual Machines" given this user right. If this needs to be added manually, enter it as "NT Virtual Machine\Virtual Machines".