1.2.5.1.1 (L1) Ensure 'Add-on Management' is set to 'Enabled'

Information

This policy setting manages Internet Explorer add-ons - which add-ins are always enabled, always disabled (blocked), or configurable by the user.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled: groove.exe, excel.exe, mspub.exe, powerpnt.exe, pptview.exe, visio.exe, winproj.exe, winword.exe, outlook.exe, spDesign.exe, exprwd.exe, msaccess.exe, onent.exe, mse7.exe

Internet Explorer add-ons are pieces of code that run in Internet Explorer to provide additional functionality. Rogue add-ons may contain viruses or other malicious code.

Disabling or not configuring this setting could allow malicious code or users to become active on user computers or the network. For example, a malicious user can monitor and then use keystrokes that a user types into Internet Explorer. Even legitimate add-ons may demand resources that compromise the performance of Internet Explorer and the operating systems of user computers.

Solution

To establish the recommended state via configuration profiles, set the following Settings Catalog path to `Enabled: check all applications':

Microsoft Office 2016 (Machine)\Security Settings\IE Security\Add-on Management

Impact:

Some legitimate programs, including ones from Microsoft, use add-ons to display documents, audio, and video in Internet Explorer. The organization's policy should incorporate approved, commonly used add-ons to avoid limiting important user functionality.

See Also

https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/15808

Item Details

Category: CONFIGURATION MANAGEMENT, SYSTEM AND COMMUNICATIONS PROTECTION

References: 800-53|CM-10, 800-53|CM-11, 800-53|SC-18

Plugin: Windows

Control ID: 4ac244fc50cd43556c98fcbad8635f86be195cb5c856116fc1b1b3423dc1eb17