Vulnerability Discussion

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.

Check

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

For server core installations, run the following command:

Secedit /Export /Areas User_Rights /cfg c:\path\filename.txt

Review the text file.

If any SIDs other than the following are granted the "SeCreateSymbolicLinkPrivilege" user right, this is a finding:

S-1-5-32-544 (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", SID S-1-5-83-0). This is not a finding.

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".