Microsoft Windows Server 2025

Windows Server 2025 must be configured to audit handle manipulation failures

STIG ID: WN25-AU-000583 | SRG: SRG-OS-000062-GPOS-00031 | Severity: Medium | CCI: CCI-000172 | Vulnerability ID: V-279918

Description

Maintaining an audit trail of system activity logs can help identify configuration errors, troubleshoot service disruptions, analyze compromises that have occurred, and detect attacks. Audit logs are necessary to provide a trail of evidence in case the system or network is compromised. Collecting this data is essential for analyzing the security of information assets and detecting signs of suspicious and unexpected behavior. Credential validation records events related to validation tests on credentials for a user account logon.

Check

C-84478r1181958_chk

Verify Audit Handle Manipulation auditing is enabled:

Computer Configuration >> Windows Settings >> Security Settings >> Advanced Audit Policy Configuration >> System Audit Policies >> Object Access >> Audit Handle Manipulation.

If "Audit Handle Manipulation" is not set to "Failure", this is a finding.

Fix

F-84383r1181959_fix

Configure the policy value for Computer Configuration >> Windows Settings >> Security Settings >> Advanced Audit Policy Configuration >> System Audit Policies >> Object Access >> "Audit Handle Manipulation" with "Failure" selected.