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XCCDF
Microsoft SharePoint 2013 Security Technical Implementation Guide
Microsoft SharePoint 2013 Security Technical Implementation Guide
An XCCDF Benchmark
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37 rules organized in 37 groups
SRG-APP-000003
1 Rule
SharePoint must support the requirement to initiate a session lock after 15 minutes of system or application inactivity has transpired.
Medium Severity
A session time-out lock is a temporary action taken when a user stops work and moves away from the immediate physical vicinity of the information system but does not log out because of the temporary nature of the absence. Rather than relying on the user to manually lock their application session prior to vacating the vicinity, applications need to be able to identify when a user's application session has idled and take action to initiate the session lock. The session lock is implemented at the point where session activity can be determined and/or controlled. This is typically at the operating system level and results in a system lock, but it may be at the application level, where the application interface window is secured instead. The organization defines the period of inactivity that shall pass before a session lock is initiated, so this must be configurable.
SRG-APP-000516
1 Rule
SharePoint must maintain and support the use of security attributes with stored information.
Medium Severity
Security attributes are abstractions representing the basic properties or characteristics of an entity (e.g., subjects and objects) with respect to safeguarding information. These attributes are typically associated with internal data structures (e.g., records, buffers, files) within the information system and are used to enable the implementation of access control and flow control policies, reflect special dissemination, handling or distribution instructions, or support other aspects of the information security policy. One example includes marking data as classified or FOUO. These security attributes may be assigned manually or during data processing, but, either way, it is imperative these assignments are maintained while the data is in storage. If the security attributes are lost when the data is stored, there is the risk of a data compromise.
SRG-APP-000014
1 Rule
SharePoint must utilize approved cryptography to protect the confidentiality of remote access sessions.
High Severity
Remote access is any access to an organizational information system by a user (or an information system) communicating through an external, non-organization-controlled network (e.g., the Internet). Examples of remote access methods include dial-up, broadband, and wireless. Remote network access is accomplished by leveraging common communication protocols and establishing a remote connection. These connections will typically occur over either the public Internet or the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN). Since neither of these Internetworking mechanisms are private nor secure, if cryptography is not used, then the session data traversing the remote connection could be intercepted and compromised. Cryptography provides a means to secure the remote connection to prevent unauthorized access to the data traversing the remote access connection, thereby providing a degree of confidentiality. The encryption strength of mechanism is selected based on the security categorization of the information traversing the remote connection.
SRG-APP-000015
1 Rule
SharePoint must use cryptography to protect the integrity of the remote access session.
High Severity
Remote access is any access to an organizational information system by a user (or an information system) communicating through an external, non-organization-controlled network (e.g., the Internet). Examples of remote access methods include dial-up, broadband, and wireless. Remote network access is accomplished by leveraging common communication protocols and establishing a remote connection. These connections will typically occur over the public Internet, the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), or sometimes both. Since neither of these Internetworking mechanisms are private nor secure, if cryptography is not used, then the session data traversing the remote connection could be intercepted and potentially modified. Cryptography provides a means to secure the remote connection to prevent unauthorized access to the data traversing the remote access connection, thereby providing a degree of integrity. The encryption strength of a mechanism is selected based on the security categorization of the information traversing the remote connection.
SRG-APP-000016
1 Rule
SharePoint must ensure remote sessions for accessing security functions and security-relevant information are audited.
Medium Severity
Remote access is any access to an organizational information system by a user (or an information system) communicating through an external, non-organization-controlled network (e.g., the Internet). Examples of remote access methods include dial-up, broadband, and wireless. Remote network and system access is accomplished by leveraging common communication protocols to establish a remote connection. These connections will typically originate over either the public Internet or the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN). Neither of these Internetworking mechanisms is private or secure, and they do not, by default, restrict access to networked resources once connectivity is established. Numerous best practices are employed to protect remote connections, such as utilizing encryption to protect data sessions and firewalls to restrict and control network connectivity. In addition to these protections, auditing must also be utilized in order to track system activity, assist in diagnosing system issues and provide evidence needed for forensic investigations post security incident. When organizations define security-related application functions or security-related application information, it is incumbent upon the application providing access to that data to ensure auditing of remote connectivity to those resources occurs in support of organizational requirements. Remote access to security functions (e.g., user management, audit log management, etc.) and security-relevant information requires the activity be audited by the organization. Any application providing remote access must support organizational requirements to audit access or organization-defined security functions and security-relevant information.
SRG-APP-000039
1 Rule
SharePoint must enforce approved authorizations for controlling the flow of information between interconnected systems in accordance with applicable policy.
High Severity
Information flow control regulates where information is allowed to travel within an information system and between information systems (as opposed to who is allowed to access the information) and without explicit regard to subsequent accesses to that information. From an application perspective, flow control is established once application data flow modeling has been completed. Data flow modeling can be described as the process of identifying, modeling, and documenting how data moves around an information system. Data flow modeling examines processes (activities that transform data from one form to another), data stores (the holding areas for data), external entities (what sends data into a system or receives data from a system), and data flows (routes by which data can flow). Once the application data flows have been identified, corresponding flow controls can be applied at the appropriate points. A few examples of flow control restrictions include the following: keeping export-controlled information from being transmitted in the clear to the Internet and blocking information that is marked as classified but is being transported to an unapproved destination. Information flow control policies and enforcement mechanisms are commonly employed by organizations to control the flow of information between designated sources and destinations (e.g., networks, individuals, devices) within information systems and between interconnected systems. Flow control is based on the characteristics of the information and/or the information path. Application-specific examples of flow control enforcement can be found in information protection software (e.g., guards, proxies, gateways, and cross domain solutions) employing rule sets or establishing configuration settings restricting information system services or providing message-filtering capability based on content (e.g., using key word searches or document characteristics). Applications providing information flow control must be able to enforce approved authorizations for controlling the flow of information between interconnected systems in accordance with applicable policy. SharePoint Central Administrator is a powerful management tool used to administer the farm. This server should be installed on a trusted network segment. This server should be used to run required services rather than user-oriented web applications.
SRG-APP-000516
1 Rule
SharePoint must identify data type, specification, and usage when transferring information between different security domains so policy restrictions may be applied.
Medium Severity
Information flow control regulates where information is allowed to travel within an information system and between information systems (as opposed to who is allowed to access the information) and without explicit regard to subsequent accesses to that information. An example of flow control restrictions includes the following: keeping export-controlled information from being transmitted in the clear to the Internet. Information flow control policies and enforcement mechanisms are commonly employed by organizations to control the flow of information between designated sources and destinations (e.g., users, networks, devices) within information systems and between interconnected systems. Application-specific examples of flow control enforcement can be found in information protection software (e.g., guards, proxies, application layer gateways, and cross domain solutions) employing rule sets or establishing configuration settings restricting information system services or providing message-filtering capability based on content (e.g., using key word searches or document characteristics). Flow control is based on the characteristics of the information and/or the information path. Applications providing flow control must identify data type, specification, and usage when transferring information between different security domains so policy restrictions may be applied. A security domain is defined as a domain implementing a security policy and administered by a single authority. Data type, specification, and usage includes using file naming to reflect the type of data being transferred and limiting data transfer based on file type.
SRG-APP-000047
1 Rule
SharePoint must provide the ability to prohibit the transfer of unsanctioned information in accordance with security policy.
Medium Severity
The application enforces approved authorizations for controlling the flow of information within the system and between interconnected systems in accordance with applicable policy. Information flow control regulates where information is allowed to travel within an information system and between information systems (as opposed to who is allowed to access the information) and without explicit regard to subsequent accesses to that information. Specific examples of flow control enforcement can be found in boundary protection devices (e.g., proxies, gateways, guards, encrypted tunnels, firewalls, and routers) employing rule sets or establishing configuration settings restricting information system services, providing a packet-filtering capability based on header information or message-filtering capability based on content (e.g., using key word searches or document characteristics). Actions to support this requirement include, but are not limited to checking all transferred information for malware, implementing dirty word list searches on transferred information, and applying the same protection measures to metadata (e.g., security attributes) that is applied to the information payload.
SRG-APP-000068
1 Rule
SharePoint must display an approved system use notification message or banner before granting access to the system.
Medium Severity
Applications are required to display an approved system use notification message or banner before granting access to the system providing privacy and security notices consistent with applicable federal laws, Executive Orders, directives, policies, regulations, standards, and guidance and stating that: (i) users are accessing a U.S. Government information system; (ii) system usage may be monitored, recorded, and subject to audit; (iii) unauthorized use of the system is prohibited and subject to criminal and civil penalties; and (iv) the use of the system indicates consent to monitoring and recording. System use notification messages can be implemented in the form of warning banners displayed when individuals log on to the information system. System use notification is intended only for information system access including an interactive logon interface with a human user and is not intended to require notification when an interactive interface does not exist. Use this banner for desktops, laptops, and other devices accommodating banners of 1300 characters. The banner shall be implemented as a click-through banner at logon (to the extent permitted by the operating system), meaning it prevents further activity on the information system unless and until the user executes a positive action to manifest agreement by clicking on a box indicating "OK".
SRG-APP-000090
1 Rule
SharePoint must allow designated organizational personnel to select which auditable events are to be audited by specific components of the system.
Medium Severity
Audit records can be generated from various components within the information system, such as network interfaces, hard disks, modems, etc. From an application perspective, certain specific application functionalities may be audited as well. The list of audited events is the set of events for which audits are to be generated. This set of events is typically a subset of the list of all events for which the system is capable of generating audit records (i.e., auditable events, time stamps, source and destination addresses, user/process identifiers, event descriptions, success/fail indications, filenames involved, and access control or flow control rules invoked). Organizations may define the organizational personnel accountable for determining which application components shall provide auditable events.
SRG-APP-000516
1 Rule
SharePoint must reject or delay, as defined by the organization, network traffic generated above configurable traffic volume thresholds.
Medium Severity
It is critical when a system is at risk of failing to process audit logs as required; actions are automatically taken to mitigate the failure or risk of failure. One method used to thwart the auditing system is for an attacker to attempt to overwhelm the auditing system with large amounts of irrelevant data. The end result is audit logs that are either overwritten and activity thereby erased or disk space that is exhausted and any future activity is no longer logged. In many system configurations, the disk space allocated to the auditing system is separate from the disks allocated for the operating system; therefore, this may not result in a system outage.
SRG-APP-000112
1 Rule
SharePoint must prevent the execution of prohibited mobile code.
High Severity
Decisions regarding the utilization of mobile code within organizational information systems need to include evaluations that help determine the potential for the code to cause damage to the system if used maliciously. Mobile code technologies include, for example, Java, JavaScript, ActiveX, PDF, Postscript, Shockwave movies, Flash animations, and VBScript. Usage restrictions and implementation guidance apply to both the selection and use of mobile code installed on organizational servers and mobile code downloaded and executed on individual workstations. Applications can prevent the execution of prohibited mobile code by leveraging architectures that provide a virtual execution environment sometimes referred to as a "sandbox". The mobile code is executed within this isolated environment apart from the host's indigenous operating environment that allows for mobile code capability restrictions and helps to prevent malicious code from accessing system resources and data. Policy and procedures related to mobile code address preventing the introduction of unacceptable mobile code within the information system. The DoDI 8552.01 policy pertains to the use of mobile code technologies within DoD information systems. The application must prevent the execution of prohibited mobile code.
SRG-APP-000156
1 Rule
SharePoint must use replay-resistant authentication mechanisms for network access to privileged accounts.
Medium Severity
An authentication process resists replay attacks if it is impractical to achieve a successful authentication by recording and replaying a previous authentication message. Techniques used to address this include protocols using nonces (e.g., numbers generated for a specific one-time use) or challenges (e.g., TLS, WS_Security), and time synchronous or challenge-response one-time authenticators.
SRG-APP-000180
1 Rule
SharePoint must uniquely identify and authenticate non-organizational users (or processes acting on behalf of non-organizational users).
Medium Severity
Non-organizational users include all information system users other than organizational users, which include organizational employees or individuals the organization deems to have equivalent status of employees (e.g., contractors, guest researchers, individuals from allied nations). Non-organizational users must be uniquely identified and authenticated for all accesses other than those accesses explicitly identified and documented by the organization when related to the use of anonymous access, such as accessing a web server. Accordingly, a risk assessment is used in determining the authentication needs of the organization. Scalability, practicality, and security are simultaneously considered in balancing the need to ensure ease of use for access to federal information and information systems with the need to protect and adequately mitigate risk to organizational operations, organizational assets, individuals, other organizations, and the Nation.
SRG-APP-000179
1 Rule
SharePoint must implement required cryptographic protections using cryptographic modules complying with applicable federal laws, Executive Orders, directives, policies, regulations, standards, and guidance.
High Severity
Certain encryption types are no longer considered secure. This setting configures a minimum encryption type for SharePoint. Different versions of the Windows Server OS and versions of SharePoint will have different suites available.
SRG-APP-000514
1 Rule
SharePoint must employ NSA-approved cryptography to protect classified information.
High Severity
Certain encryption types are no longer considered secure. This setting configures a minimum encryption type for SharePoint. Different versions of the Windows Server OS and versions of SharePoint will have different suites available.
SRG-APP-000555
1 Rule
SharePoint must employ FIPS-validated cryptography to protect unclassified information when such information must be separated from individuals who have the necessary clearances yet lack the necessary access approvals.
High Severity
Certain encryption types are no longer considered secure. This setting configures a minimum encryption type for SharePoint. Different versions of the Windows Server OS and versions of SharePoint will have different suites available.
SRG-APP-000219
1 Rule
SharePoint must ensure authentication of both client and server during the entire session. An example of this is SSL Mutual Authentication.
High Severity
This control focuses on communications protection at the session, versus packet level. At the application layer, session IDs are tokens generated by web applications to uniquely identify an application user's session. Web applications utilize session tokens or session IDs in order to establish application user identity. Proper use of session IDs addresses man-in-the-middle attacks, including session hijacking or insertion of false information into a session. This control is only implemented where deemed necessary by the organization (e.g., sessions in service-oriented architectures providing web-based services).
SRG-APP-000220
1 Rule
SharePoint must terminate user sessions upon user logoff, and when idle time limit is exceeded.
High Severity
This requirement focuses on communications protection at the application session, versus network packet level. Session IDs are tokens generated by web applications to uniquely identify an application user's session. Applications will make application decisions and execute business logic based on the session ID. Unique session identifiers or IDs are the opposite of sequentially generated session IDs that can be easily guessed by an attacker. Unique session IDs help to reduce predictability of said identifiers. Unique session IDs address man-in-the-middle attacks, including session hijacking or insertion of false information into a session. If the attacker is unable to identify or guess the session information related to pending application traffic, they will have more difficulty in hijacking the session or otherwise manipulating valid sessions. When a user logs off, or when any other session termination event occurs, the application must terminate the user session to minimize the potential for an attacker to hijack that particular user session.
SRG-APP-000441
1 Rule
SharePoint must maintain the confidentiality of information during aggregation, packaging, and transformation in preparation for transmission. When transmitting data, applications need to leverage transmission protection mechanisms such as TLS, SSL VPNs, or IPSec.
High Severity
Preventing the disclosure of transmitted information requires that applications take measures to employ some form of cryptographic mechanism in order to protect the information during transmission. This is usually achieved through the use of Transport Layer Security (TLS), SSL VPN, or IPSec tunnel. Alternative physical protection measures include protected distribution systems. Protective Distribution Systems (PDS) are used to transmit unencrypted classified NSI through an area of lesser classification or control. Inasmuch as the classified NSI is unencrypted, the PDS must provide adequate electrical, electromagnetic, and physical safeguards to deter exploitation. Refer to NSTSSI No. 7003 for additional details on a PDS.
SRG-APP-000219
1 Rule
SharePoint must implement an information system isolation boundary that minimizes the number of nonsecurity functions included within the boundary containing security functions.
High Severity
The information system isolates security functions from nonsecurity functions by means of an isolation boundary (implemented via partitions and domains) controlling access to and protecting the integrity of, the hardware, software, and firmware that perform those security functions. The information system maintains a separate execution domain (e.g., address space) for each executing process.
SRG-APP-000238
1 Rule
SharePoint must implement security functions as a layered structure minimizing interactions between layers of the design and avoiding any dependence by lower layers on the functionality or correctness of higher layers.
Medium Severity
The information system isolates security functions from nonsecurity functions by means of an isolation boundary (implemented via partitions and domains) controlling access to, and protecting the integrity of, the hardware, software, and firmware that perform those security functions. The information system maintains a separate execution domain (e.g., address space) for each executing process.
SRG-APP-000440
1 Rule
SharePoint must employ cryptographic mechanisms preventing the unauthorized disclosure of information during transmission, unless the transmitted data is otherwise protected by alternative physical measures.
High Severity
Preventing the disclosure of transmitted information requires that applications take measures to employ some form of cryptographic mechanism in order to protect the information during transmission. This is usually achieved through the use of Transport Layer Security (TLS), SSL VPN, or IPSEC tunnel. Alternative physical protection measures include Protected Distribution Systems (PDS). PDS are used to transmit unencrypted classified NSI through an area of lesser classification or control. Inasmuch as the classified NSI is unencrypted, the PDS must provide adequate electrical, electromagnetic, and physical safeguards to deter exploitation. Refer to NSTSSI No. 7003 for additional details on a PDS.
SRG-APP-000340
1 Rule
SharePoint must prevent non-privileged users from circumventing malicious code protection capabilities.
High Severity
Malicious code protection software must be protected to prevent a non-privileged user or malicious piece of software from disabling the protection mechanism. A common tactic of malware is to identify the type of malicious code protection software running on the system and deactivate it. Malicious code includes viruses, worms, Trojan horses, and Spyware. Examples include the capability for non-administrative users to turn off or otherwise disable anti-virus.
SRG-APP-000179
1 Rule
SharePoint must use mechanisms for authentication to a cryptographic module that meet the requirements of applicable federal laws, Executive Orders, directives, policies, regulations, standards, and guidance for such authentication.
High Severity
Certain encryption types are no longer considered secure. This setting configures a minimum encryption type for SharePoint. Different versions of the Windows Server OS and versions of SharePoint will have different suites available.
SRG-APP-000212
1 Rule
The SharePoint Central Administration site must not be accessible from Extranet or Internet connections.
Medium Severity
SharePoint must prevent the presentation of information system management-related functionality at an interface utilized by general, (i.e., non-privileged), users. The Central Administrator is an application used to manage SharePoint system settings and the settings of the web applications running under SharePoint. The Central Administrator application should both be protected using a defense-in-depth approach. Regular users should not be able to access the Central Administrator as the first line of defense. The second line of defense is regular users do not have user ids defined in the Central Administration application.
SRG-APP-000039
1 Rule
For environments requiring an Internet-facing capability, the SharePoint application server upon which Central Administration is installed, must not be installed in the DMZ.
Medium Severity
Information flow control regulates where information is allowed to travel within an information system and between information systems (as opposed to who is allowed to access the information) and without explicit regard to subsequent accesses to the information. SharePoint installed Central Administrator is a powerful management tool used to administer the farm. This server should be installed on a trusted network segment. This server should also be used to run services rather than user-oriented web applications.
SRG-APP-000516
1 Rule
The SharePoint farm service account (database access account) must be configured with minimum privileges in Active Directory (AD).
Medium Severity
Separation of duties is a prevalent Information Technology control implemented at different layers of the information system including the operating system and in applications. It serves to eliminate or reduce the possibility that a single user may carry out a prohibited action. Separation of duties requires the person accountable for approving an action not be the same person who is tasked with implementing the action. This requirement is intended to limit exposure due to user accounts being used to operate from within a privileged account or role. Limiting the access and permissions of privileged accounts to the minimum required, reduces exposure if the account is compromised and provides forensic history of activity when operating from these accounts. This policy limits the Farm Account privileges in AD. However, default permissions for this account are configured by the SharePoint Products Configuration Wizard during product installation. This account is referred to during the installation as the "Database Access" account. By default, the account is used as the service account for the SharePoint Timer Service and the SharePoint Central Administration Web Site Application Pool. These settings should not be changed. Furthermore, this account should not be used as the service account for non-privileged services, applications, or application pools.
SRG-APP-000516
1 Rule
The SharePoint farm service account (database access account) must be configured with minimum privileges on the SQL server.
Medium Severity
Separation of duties is a prevalent Information Technology control implemented at different layers of the information system including the operating system and in applications. It serves to eliminate or reduce the possibility that a single user may carry out a prohibited action. Separation of duties requires the person accountable for approving an action not be the same person who is tasked with implementing the action. This requirement is intended to limit exposure due to user accounts being used to operate from within a privileged account or role. Limiting the access and permissions of privileged accounts to the minimum required, reduces exposure if the account is compromised and provides forensic history of activity when operating from these accounts. This policy limits the Farm Account privileges in AD. However, default permissions for this account are configured by the SharePoint Products Configuration Wizard during product installation. This account is referred to during the installation as the "Database Access" account. By default, the account is used as the service account for the SharePoint Timer Service and the SharePoint Central Administration Web Site Application Pool. These settings should not be changed. Furthermore, this account should not be used as the service account for non-privileged services, applications, or application pools.
SRG-APP-000516
1 Rule
The SharePoint setup account must be configured with the minimum privileges in Active Directory.
Medium Severity
Separation of duties is a prevalent Information Technology control implemented at different layers of the information system including the operating system and in applications. It serves to eliminate or reduce the possibility that a single user may carry out a prohibited action. Separation of duties requires the person accountable for approving an action not be the same person who is tasked with implementing the action. This requirement is intended to limit exposure due to user accounts being used to operate from within a privileged account or role. Limiting the access and permissions of privileged accounts to the minimum required, reduces exposure if the account is compromised and provides forensic history of activity when operating from these accounts. This policy limits the setup account privileges in AD. However, default permissions for this account are configured by the SharePoint Products Configuration Wizard during product installation. This account is referred to during the installation as the "Database Access" account. By default, the account is used as the service account for the SharePoint Timer Service and the SharePoint Central Administration Web Site Application Pool. These settings should not be changed. Furthermore, this account should not be used as the service account for non-privileged services, applications, or application pools.
SRG-APP-000516
1 Rule
The SharePoint setup account must be configured with the minimum privileges on the SQL server.
Medium Severity
Separation of duties is a prevalent Information Technology control implemented at different layers of the information system including the operating system and in applications. It serves to eliminate or reduce the possibility that a single user may carry out a prohibited action. Separation of duties requires the person accountable for approving an action not be the same person who is tasked with implementing the action. This requirement is intended to limit exposure due to user accounts being used to operate from within a privileged account or role. Limiting the access and permissions of privileged accounts to the minimum required, reduces exposure if the account is compromised and provides forensic history of activity when operating from these accounts. This policy limits the Farm Account privileges in AD. However, default permissions for this account are configured by the SharePoint Products Configuration Wizard during product installation. This account is referred to during the installation as the "Database Access" account. By default, the account is used as the service account for the SharePoint Timer Service and the SharePoint Central Administration Web Site Application Pool. These settings should not be changed. Furthermore, this account should not be used as the service account for non-privileged services, applications, or application pools.
SRG-APP-000516
1 Rule
A secondary SharePoint site collection administrator must be defined when creating a new site collection.
Low Severity
If a site reaches its maximum size, users will be denied access until an administrator fixes the problem. Having a secondary administrator reduces the risk of having a Denial-of-Service on a site. If the site reaches its maximum size, the secondary administrator can fix the problem if the primary administrator is not available. In some situations, having a secondary site administrator could be inappropriate for reasons of control or confidentiality.
SRG-APP-000142
1 Rule
When configuring SharePoint Central Administration, the port number selected must comply with DoD Ports and Protocol Management (PPSM) program requirements.
Medium Severity
During the installation of Microsoft SharePoint, the Central Administration Web site is established on a randomly-assigned TCP port by default. Allowing a randomly-assigned default may result in use of a port which violates DoD policy or conflicts with ports already in use. Use of certain well-known ports may also result in slow operational response or expose the application to known denial of service attacks.
SRG-APP-000516
1 Rule
SharePoint-specific malware (i.e. anti-virus) protection software must be integrated and configured.
Medium Severity
Configuring anti-virus settings ensures documents will be scanned for viruses upon download from and upload to the SharePoint server. Anti-virus settings are not configured by default, therefore leaving the documents downloaded from or uploaded to SharePoint open to potential viruses.
SRG-APP-000516
1 Rule
SharePoint server access to the Online Web Part Gallery must be configured for limited access.
Medium Severity
Web Part galleries are groupings of Web Parts. There are four Web Part galleries: Closed Web Parts, Site Name Gallery, Server Gallery, and Online Gallery. The Online Gallery is a collection of Microsoft MSNBC Web Parts located on the Internet. Allowing users to access the Online Web Part Gallery causes a significant performance hit on the server, due to the server attempting to connect to the MSNBC online gallery. This could result in a Denial-of-Service. The Online Gallery could contain Web Parts from unknown third parties, which could increase the risk of a malicious code execution attack. Preventing users from accessing the Online Web Part Gallery decreases the system's attack surface.
SRG-APP-000516
1 Rule
The SharePoint farm service account (database access account) must be configured with the minimum privileges for the local server.
Medium Severity
Separation of duties is a prevalent Information Technology control implemented at different layers of the information system including the operating system and in applications. It serves to eliminate or reduce the possibility that a single user may carry out a prohibited action. Separation of duties requires the person accountable for approving an action not be the same person who is tasked with implementing the action. This requirement is intended to limit exposure due to user accounts being used to operate from within a privileged account or role. Limiting the access and permissions of privileged accounts to the minimum required, reduces exposure if the account is compromised and provides forensic history of activity when operating from these accounts. This policy limits the Farm Account privileges in AD. However, default permissions for this account are configured by the SharePoint Products Configuration Wizard during product installation. This account is referred to during the installation as the “Database Access” account. By default, the account is used as the service account for the SharePoint Timer Service and the SharePoint Central Administration Web Site Application Pool. These settings should not be changed. Furthermore, this account should not be used as the service account for non-privileged services, applications, or application pools.
SRG-APP-000204
1 Rule
SharePoint must validate the integrity of security attributes exchanged between systems.
Medium Severity
When data is exchanged between information systems, the security attributes associated with said data need to be maintained. Security attributes are an abstraction representing the basic properties or characteristics of an entity with respect to safeguarding information, typically associated with internal data structures (e.g., records, buffers, files) within the information system and used to enable the implementation of access control and flow control policies, reflect special dissemination, handling or distribution instructions, or support other aspects of the information security policy. Security attributes may be explicitly or implicitly associated with the information contained within the information system.