Adobe Acrobat Reader DC Classic Track Security Technical Implementation Guide
V001.006R1 2019-07-26       U_Adobe_Acrobat_Reader_DC_Classic_V1R6_STIG_SCAP_1-2_Benchmark.xml
This Security Technical Implementation Guide is published as a tool to improve the security of Department of Defense (DoD) information systems. The requirements are derived from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) 800-53 and related documents. Comments or proposed revisions to this document should be sent via e-mail to the following address: [email protected]
Vuln Rule Version CCI Severity Title Description
SV-80219r1_rule ARDC-CL-000005 CCI-001166 MEDIUM Adobe Reader DC must enable Enhanced Security in a Standalone Application. PDFs have evolved from static pages to complex documents with features such as interactive forms, multimedia content, scripting, and other capabilities. These features leave PDFs vulnerable to malicious scripts or actions that can damage the computer or steal data. The Enhanced security feature protects the computer against these threats by blocking or selectively permitting actions for trusted locations and files. Enhanced Security determines if a PDF is viewed within a standalone application. A threat to users of Adobe Reader DC is opening a PDF file that contains malicious executable content. Enhanced Security “hardens” the application against risky actions: prevents cross domain access, prohibits script and data injection, blocks stream access to XObjects, silent printing, and execution of high privilege JavaScript. Satisfies: SRG-APP-000112, SRG-APP-000206, SRG-APP-000207, SRG-APP-000209, SRG-APP-000210
SV-80225r1_rule ARDC-CL-000010 CCI-001166 MEDIUM Adobe Reader DC must enable Enhanced Security in a Browser. PDFs have evolved from static pages to complex documents with features such as interactive forms, multimedia content, scripting, and other capabilities. These features leave PDFs vulnerable to malicious scripts or actions that can damage the computer or steal data. The Enhanced security feature protects the computer against these threats by blocking or selectively permitting actions for trusted locations and files. Enhanced Security determines if a PDF is viewed within a browser application. A threat to users of Adobe Reader DC is opening a PDF file that contains malicious executable content. Enhanced Security “hardens” the application against risky actions: prevents cross domain access, prohibits script and data injection, blocks stream access to XObjects, silent printing, and execution of high privilege JavaScript. Satisfies: SRG-APP-000112, SRG-APP-000206, SRG-APP-000207, SRG-APP-000209, SRG-APP-000210
SV-80227r1_rule ARDC-CL-000015 CCI-001166 MEDIUM Adobe Reader DC must enable Protected Mode. A threat to users of Adobe Reader DC is opening a PDF file that contains malicious executable content. Protected mode provides a sandbox capability that prevents malicious PDF files from launching arbitrary executable files, writing to system directories or the Windows registry. This isolation of the PDFs reduces the risk of security breaches in areas outside the sandbox. Satisfies: SRG-APP-000112, SRG-APP-000206, SRG-APP-000207, SRG-APP-000209, SRG-APP-000210
SV-80229r1_rule ARDC-CL-000020 CCI-001166 MEDIUM Adobe Reader DC must enable Protected View. A threat to users of Adobe Reader DC is opening a PDF file that contains malicious executable content. Protected view restricts Adobe Reader DC functionality, within a sandbox, when a PDF is opened from an untrusted source. This isolation of the PDFs reduces the risk of security breaches in areas outside the sandbox. Satisfies: SRG-APP-000112, SRG-APP-000206, SRG-APP-000207, SRG-APP-000209, SRG-APP-000210
SV-80257r2_rule ARDC-CL-000025 CCI-001166 MEDIUM Adobe Reader DC must Block Websites. Clicking any link to the Internet poses a potential security risk. Malicious websites can transfer harmful content or silently gather data. Acrobat Reader documents can connect to websites which can pose a potential threat to DoD systems and that functionality must be blocked. However, PDF document workflows that are trusted (e.g., DoD-created) can benefit from leveraging legitimate website access with minimal risk. Therefore, the ISSO may approve of website access and accept the risk if the access provides benefit and is a trusted site or the risk associated with accessing the site has been mitigated. Adobe Reader must block access to all websites that are not specifically allowed by ISSO risk acceptance. Satisfies: SRG-APP-000112, SRG-APP-000206, SRG-APP-000207, SRG-APP-000209, SRG-APP-000210
SV-80259r1_rule ARDC-CL-000030 CCI-001166 MEDIUM Adobe Reader DC must block access to Unknown Websites. Because Internet access is a potential security risk, clicking any unknown website link to the Internet poses a potential security risk. Malicious websites can transfer harmful content or silently gather data. Satisfies: SRG-APP-000112, SRG-APP-000206, SRG-APP-000207, SRG-APP-000209, SRG-APP-000210
SV-80261r1_rule ARDC-CL-000035 CCI-001166 MEDIUM Adobe Reader DC must prevent opening files other than PDF or FDF. Attachments represent a potential security risk because they can contain malicious content, open other dangerous files, or launch applications. Certainly file types such as .bin, .exe, .bat, and so on will be recognized as threats. This feature prevents users from opening or launching file types other than PDF or FDF and disables the menu option. Satisfies: SRG-APP-000112, SRG-APP-000206, SRG-APP-000207, SRG-APP-000209, SRG-APP-000210
SV-80265r1_rule ARDC-CL-000045 CCI-001166 MEDIUM Adobe Reader DC must block Flash Content. Flash content is commonly hosted on a web page, but it can also be embedded in PDF and other documents. Flash could be used to surreptitious install malware on the end-users computer. Flash Content restricts Adobe Reader DC not to play Flash content within a PDF. Satisfies: SRG-APP-000112, SRG-APP-000206, SRG-APP-000207, SRG-APP-000209, SRG-APP-000210
SV-80267r1_rule ARDC-CL-000050 CCI-001499 LOW Adobe Reader DC must disable the ability to change the Default Handler. Allowing user to make changes to an application case cause a security risk. When the Default PDF Handler is disabled, the end users will not be able to change the default PDF viewer.
SV-80269r2_rule ARDC-CL-000055 CCI-000381 LOW Adobe Reader DC must disable the Adobe Send and Track plugin for Outlook. When enabled, Adobe Send and Track button appears in Outlook. When an email is composed it enables the ability to send large files as public links through Outlook. The attached files can be uploaded to the Adobe Document Cloud and public links to the files are inserted in the email body.
SV-80271r1_rule ARDC-CL-000060 CCI-000381 MEDIUM Adobe Reader DC must disable all service access to Document Cloud Services. By default, Adobe online services are tightly integrated in Adobe Reader DC. With the integration of Adobe Document Cloud, disabling this feature prevents the risk of additional attack vectors. Within Adobe Reader DC, the Adobe Cloud resources require a paid subscription for each service.
SV-80273r1_rule ARDC-CL-000065 CCI-000381 MEDIUM Adobe Reader DC must disable Cloud Synchronization. By default, Adobe online services are tightly integrated in Adobe Reader DC. When the Adobe Cloud synchronization is disabled it prevents the synchronization of desktop preferences across devices on which the user is signed in with an Adobe ID (including phones).
SV-80275r1_rule ARDC-CL-000070 CCI-000381 LOW Adobe Reader DC must disable the Adobe Repair Installation. When Repair Installation is disabled the user does not have the option (Help Menu) or functional to repair an Adobe Reader DC install.
SV-80277r1_rule ARDC-CL-000075 CCI-000381 MEDIUM Adobe Reader DC must disable 3rd Party Web Connectors. When 3rd Party Web Connectors are disabled it prevents the configuration of Adobe Reader DC access to third party services for file storage.
SV-80279r1_rule ARDC-CL-000085 CCI-000381 LOW Adobe Reader DC must disable Adobe Send for Signature. The Adobe Document Cloud sign service allows users to send documents online for signature and sign from anywhere or any device. The signed documents are stored in the Adobe Cloud. The Adobe Document Cloud sign service is a paid subscription. When Adobe Send for Signature is disabled users will not be allowed to utilize the Adobe Document Cloud sign function.
SV-80281r1_rule ARDC-CL-000090 CCI-000381 MEDIUM Adobe Reader DC must disable access to Webmail. When Webmail is disabled the user cannot configure a webmail account to send an open PDF document as an attachment. Users should have the ability to send documents as Microsoft Outlook attachments. The difference is that Outlook must be configured by the administrator on the local machine.
SV-80283r1_rule ARDC-CL-000100 CCI-000381 MEDIUM Adobe Reader DC must disable Online SharePoint Access. Disabling SharePoint disables or removes the user’s ability to add a SharePoint account access controls the application's ability to detect that a file came from a SharePoint server, and disables the check-out prompt.
SV-80285r1_rule ARDC-CL-000115 CCI-000381 LOW Adobe Reader DC must disable the Adobe Welcome Screen. The Adobe Reader DC Welcome screen can be distracting and also has online links to the Adobe quick tips website, tutorials, blogs and community forums. When the Adobe Reader DC Welcome screen is disabled the Welcome screen will not be populated on application startup.
SV-80287r1_rule ARDC-CL-000120 CCI-000381 LOW Adobe Reader DC must disable Service Upgrades. By default, Adobe online services are tightly integrated into Adobe Reader DC. Disabling Service Upgrades disables both updates to the product's web-plugin components as well as all services without exception, including any online sign-in screen.
SV-80291r1_rule ARDC-CL-000315 CCI-001813 MEDIUM Adobe Reader DC must disable the ability to add Trusted Files and Folders. Privileged Locations allow the user to selectively trust files, folders, and hosts to bypass some security restrictions, such as enhanced security and protected view. By default, the user can create privileged locations through the GUI. Disabling Trusted Files and Folders disables and locks the end user's ability to add folders and files as a privileged location prevents them from assigning trust and thereby exempting that location from enhanced security restrictions.
SV-80293r2_rule ARDC-CL-000320 CCI-001813 MEDIUM Adobe Reader DC must disable the ability to specify Host-Based Privileged Locations. Privileged Locations allow the user to selectively trust files, folders, and hosts to bypass some security restrictions, such as enhanced security and protected view. By default, the user can create privileged locations through the GUI. Disabling Host-Based Privileged Locations disables and locks the end user's ability to add hosts as a privileged location prevents them from assigning trust and thereby exempting that location from enhanced security restrictions.
SV-80305r1_rule ARDC-CL-000080 CCI-000381 LOW Adobe Reader DC must disable Acrobat Upsell. Products that don’t provide the full set of features by default provide the user the opportunity to upgrade. Acrobat Upsell displays message which encourage the user to upgrade the product. For example, Reader users can purchase additional tools and features, and Acrobat Reader users can upgrade to Acrobat Professional.