1.1.4.1.1 Ensure 'Add-on Management' is set to 'Enabled' - spdesign.exe

Warning! Audit Deprecated

This audit has been deprecated and will be removed in a future update.

View Next Audit Version

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).

Rationale:

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.

Impact:

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

Solution

To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to 'Enabled: check all applications':

Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\Microsoft Office 2016 (Machine)\Security Settings\IE Security\Add-on Management

Default Value:

Not Configured

See Also

https://workbench.cisecurity.org/files/4234