4.11.36.4.3.2 (L1) Ensure 'Do not allow drive redirection' is set to 'Enabled'

Information

This policy setting prevents users from sharing the local drives on their client computers to Remote Desktop Servers that they access. Mapped drives appear in the session folder tree in Windows Explorer in the following format:

\\TSClient\<driveletter>$

If local drives are shared they are left vulnerable to intruders who want to exploit the data that is stored on them.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

Data could be forwarded from the user's Remote Desktop Services session to the user's local computer without any direct user interaction. Malicious software already present on a compromised server would have direct and stealthy disk access to the user's local computer during the Remote Desktop session.

Solution

To establish the recommended configuration via configuration profiles, set the following Settings Catalog path to Enabled

Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Remote Desktop Services\Remote Desktop Session Host\Device and Resource Redirection\Do not allow drive redirection

Impact:

Drive redirection will not be possible. In most situations, traditional network drive mapping to file shares (including administrative shares) performed manually by the connected user will serve as a capable substitute to still allow file transfers when needed.

See Also

https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21719

Item Details

Category: CONFIGURATION MANAGEMENT

References: 800-53|CM-6, 800-53|CM-7, CSCv7|9.2

Plugin: Windows

Control ID: 7027e955c79a3bde5bfee2578e098950bd5bf130350ee92c3dbc986f41f65db2