Security-related Software Patches are not applied.

Overview

Finding ID	Version	Rule ID	IA Controls	Severity
V-3828	2.019	SV-29724r1_rule	VIVM-1	Medium

Description
Major software vendors release security patches and hot fixes to their products when security vulnerabilities are discovered. It is essential that these updates be applied in a timely manner to prevent unauthorized persons from exploiting identified vulnerabilities. The Severity code may be elevated to a Category I if patches deemed Critical have not been applied.

STIG	Date
Windows XP Security Technical Implementation Guide	2012-08-22

Details

Check Text ( C-35r1_chk )
Verify that the site is applying all security-related patches released by Microsoft. Determine the local site method for doing this (e.g., connection to a WSUS server, local procedure, etc.). Severity Override: If any of the patches not installed are Microsoft ‘Critical’, then the category code should be elevated to ‘1’. Note: If a penetration scan has been run on the network, it will report findings if security-related updates are not applied. Then, this check may be marked as “Not Applicable”. Some applications (such as DMS and GCSS) use a system release process to keep systems current. If this is the case, then these systems should be at the current release.

Check Text ( C-35r1_chk )

Verify that the site is applying all security-related patches released by Microsoft. Determine the local site method for doing this (e.g., connection to a WSUS server, local procedure, etc.).

Severity Override: If any of the patches not installed are Microsoft ‘Critical’, then the category code should be elevated to ‘1’.

Note: If a penetration scan has been run on the network, it will report findings if security-related updates are not applied. Then, this check may be marked as “Not Applicable”.

Some applications (such as DMS and GCSS) use a system release process to keep systems current. If this is the case, then these systems should be at the current release.

Fix Text (F-63r1_fix)
Apply all Microsoft security-related patches to the Windows system.