Early Launch Antimalware, Boot-Start Driver Initialization Policy must prevent boot drivers identified as bad.

Overview

Finding ID	Version	Rule ID	IA Controls	Severity
V-73521	WN16-CC-000140	SV-88173r1_rule		Medium

Description
Compromised boot drivers can introduce malware prior to protection mechanisms that load after initialization. The Early Launch Antimalware driver can limit allowed drivers based on classifications determined by the malware protection application. At a minimum, drivers determined to be bad must not be allowed.

STIG	Date
Windows Server 2016 Security Technical Implementation Guide	2020-06-16

Details

Check Text ( C-73593r1_chk )
The default behavior is for Early Launch Antimalware - Boot-Start Driver Initialization policy to enforce "Good, unknown and bad but critical" (preventing "bad"). If the registry value name below does not exist, this is not a finding. If it exists and is configured with a value of "0x00000007 (7)", this is a finding. Registry Hive: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE Registry Path: \SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Policies\EarlyLaunch\ Value Name: DriverLoadPolicy Value Type: REG_DWORD Value: 0x00000001 (1), 0x00000003 (3), or 0x00000008 (8) (or if the Value Name does not exist) Possible values for this setting are: 8 - Good only 1 - Good and unknown 3 - Good, unknown and bad but critical 7 - All (which includes "bad" and would be a finding)

Check Text ( C-73593r1_chk )

The default behavior is for Early Launch Antimalware - Boot-Start Driver Initialization policy to enforce "Good, unknown and bad but critical" (preventing "bad").

If the registry value name below does not exist, this is not a finding.

If it exists and is configured with a value of "0x00000007 (7)", this is a finding.

Registry Hive: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
Registry Path: \SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Policies\EarlyLaunch\

Value Name: DriverLoadPolicy

Value Type: REG_DWORD
Value: 0x00000001 (1), 0x00000003 (3), or 0x00000008 (8) (or if the Value Name does not exist)

Possible values for this setting are:
8 - Good only
1 - Good and unknown
3 - Good, unknown and bad but critical
7 - All (which includes "bad" and would be a finding)

Fix Text (F-79961r1_fix)
The default behavior is for Early Launch Antimalware - Boot-Start Driver Initialization policy to enforce "Good, unknown and bad but critical" (preventing "bad"). If this needs to be corrected or a more secure setting is desired, configure the policy value for Computer Configuration >> Administrative Templates >> System >> Early Launch Antimalware >> "Boot-Start Driver Initialization Policy" to "Not Configured" or "Enabled" with any option other than "All" selected.

Fix Text (F-79961r1_fix)

The default behavior is for Early Launch Antimalware - Boot-Start Driver Initialization policy to enforce "Good, unknown and bad but critical" (preventing "bad").

If this needs to be corrected or a more secure setting is desired, configure the policy value for Computer Configuration >> Administrative Templates >> System >> Early Launch Antimalware >> "Boot-Start Driver Initialization Policy" to "Not Configured" or "Enabled" with any option other than "All" selected.