MS SQL Server 2016 Database Security Technical Implementation Guide

Overview

Version	Date	Finding Count (29)			Downloads
1	2018-03-09 2018-09-18 2018-09-18 2019-03-12 2019-12-12 2020-06-15 2020-09-23 2020-09-23 2020-09-23 2020-09-23 2021-12-10 2022-09-12 2022-09-12 2022-09-12 2023-03-08 2023-03-08 2023-09-18 2023-12-18	CAT I (High): 3	CAT II (Med): 23	CAT III (Low): 3	Excel	JSON	XML

STIG Description
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 email to the following address: disa.stig_spt@mail.mil.

Available Profiles

Classified	Public	Sensitive
I - Mission Critical Classified	I - Mission Critical Public	I - Mission Critical Sensitive	II - Mission Support Classified	II - Mission Support Public	II - Mission Support Sensitive	III - Administrative Classified	III - Administrative Public	III - Administrative Sensitive

Findings (MAC III - Administrative Public)

Finding ID	Severity	Title	Description
V-79065	High	SQL Server must enforce approved authorizations for logical access to information and system resources in accordance with applicable access control policies.	Authentication with a DoD-approved PKI certificate does not necessarily imply authorization to access SQL Server. To mitigate the risk of unauthorized access to sensitive information by entities...
V-79067	High	SQL Server must protect against a user falsely repudiating by ensuring only clearly unique Active Directory user accounts can connect to the database.	Non-repudiation of actions taken is required in order to maintain data integrity. Examples of particular actions taken by individuals include creating information, sending a message, approving...
V-79071	High	SQL Server must protect against a user falsely repudiating by ensuring databases are not in a trust relationship.	Non-repudiation of actions taken is required in order to maintain data integrity. Examples of particular actions taken by individuals include creating information, sending a message, approving...
V-79083	Medium	In the event of a system failure, hardware loss or disk failure, SQL Server must be able to restore necessary databases with least disruption to mission processes.	Failure to a known state can address safety or security in accordance with the mission/business needs of the organization. Failure to a known secure state helps prevent a loss of confidentiality,...
V-79081	Medium	The role(s)/group(s) used to modify database structure (including but not necessarily limited to tables, indexes, storage, etc.) and logic modules (stored procedures, functions, triggers, links to software external to SQL Server, etc.) must be restricted to authorized users.	If SQL Server were to allow any user to make changes to database structure or logic, then those changes might be implemented without undergoing the appropriate testing and approvals that are part...
V-79085	Medium	The Database Master Key encryption password must meet DOD password complexity requirements.	Weak passwords may be easily guessed. When passwords are used to encrypt keys used for encryption of sensitive data, then the confidentiality of all data encrypted using that key is at risk.
V-79089	Medium	The Certificate used for encryption must be backed up, stored offline and off-site.	Backup and recovery of the Certificate used for encryption is critical to the complete recovery of the database. Not having this key can lead to loss of data during recovery.
V-79061	Medium	SQL Server databases must integrate with an organization-level authentication/access mechanism providing account management and automation for all users, groups, roles, and any other principals.	Enterprise environments make account management for applications and databases challenging and complex. A manual process for account management functions adds the risk of a potential oversight or...
V-79063	Medium	SQL Server must integrate with an organization-level authentication/access mechanism providing account management and automation for all users, groups, roles, and any other principals.	Enterprise environments make account management for applications and databases challenging and complex. A manual process for account management functions adds the risk of a potential oversight or...
V-79087	Medium	The Database Master Key must be encrypted by the Service Master Key, where a Database Master Key is required and another encryption method has not been specified.	When not encrypted by the Service Master Key, system administrators or application administrators may access and use the Database Master Key to view sensitive data that they are not authorized to...
V-79093	Medium	Database contents must be protected from unauthorized and unintended information transfer by enforcement of a data-transfer policy.	Applications, including DBMSs, must prevent unauthorized and unintended information transfer via shared system resources. Data used for the development and testing of applications often involves...
V-79111	Medium	SQL Server must enforce access restrictions associated with changes to the configuration of the database(s).	Failure to provide logical access restrictions associated with changes to configuration may have significant effects on the overall security of the system. When dealing with access restrictions...
V-79113	Medium	SQL Server must use NSA-approved cryptography to protect classified information in accordance with the data owners requirements.	Use of weak or untested encryption algorithms undermines the purposes of utilizing encryption to protect data. The application must implement cryptographic modules adhering to the higher standards...
V-79115	Medium	SQL Server must implement cryptographic mechanisms to prevent unauthorized modification of organization-defined information at rest (to include, at a minimum, PII and classified information) on organization-defined information system components.	DBMSs handling data requiring "data at rest" protections must employ cryptographic mechanisms to prevent unauthorized disclosure and modification of the information at rest. These cryptographic...
V-79117	Medium	SQL Server must implement cryptographic mechanisms preventing the unauthorized disclosure of organization-defined information at rest on organization-defined information system components.	SQL Server’s handling data requiring "data at rest" protections must employ cryptographic mechanisms to prevent unauthorized disclosure and modification of the information at rest. These...
V-79095	Medium	SQL Server must check the validity of all data inputs except those specifically identified by the organization.	Invalid user input occurs when a user inserts data or characters into an application's data entry fields and the application is unprepared to process that data. This results in unanticipated...
V-79097	Medium	SQL Server must provide non-privileged users with error messages that provide information necessary for corrective actions without revealing information that could be exploited by adversaries.	Any DBMS or associated application providing too much information in error messages on the screen or printout risks compromising the data and security of the system. The structure and content of...
V-79079	Medium	Database objects (including but not limited to tables, indexes, storage, stored procedures, functions, triggers, links to software external to SQL Server, etc.) must be owned by database/DBMS principals authorized for ownership.	Within the database, object ownership implies full privileges to the owned object, including the privilege to assign access to the owned objects to other subjects. Database functions and...
V-79077	Medium	SQL Server must limit privileges to change software modules, to include stored procedures, functions, and triggers, and links to software external to SQL Server.	If the system were to allow any user to make changes to software libraries, then those changes might be implemented without undergoing the appropriate testing and approvals that are part of a...
V-79073	Medium	SQL Server must allow only the ISSM (or individuals or roles appointed by the ISSM) to select which auditable events are to be audited.	Without the capability to restrict which roles and individuals can select which events are audited, unauthorized personnel may be able to prevent or interfere with the auditing of critical...
V-79075	Medium	SQL Server must limit privileges to change software modules, to include stored procedures, functions, and triggers.	If the system were to allow any user to make changes to software libraries, then those changes might be implemented without undergoing the appropriate testing and approvals that are part of a...
V-79099	Medium	SQL Server must associate organization-defined types of security labels having organization-defined security label values with information in storage.	Without the association of security labels to information, there is no basis for SQL Server to make security-related access-control decisions. Security labels are abstractions representing the...
V-79103	Medium	SQL Server must associate organization-defined types of security labels having organization-defined security label values with information in transmission.	Without the association of security labels to information, there is no basis for SQL Server to make security-related access-control decisions. Security labels are abstractions representing the...
V-79101	Medium	SQL Server must associate organization-defined types of security labels having organization-defined security label values with information in process.	Without the association of security labels to information, there is no basis for SQL Server to make security-related access-control decisions. Security labels are abstractions representing the...
V-79107	Medium	Execution of stored procedures and functions that utilize execute as must be restricted to necessary cases only.	In certain situations, to provide required functionality, a DBMS needs to execute internal logic (stored procedures, functions, triggers, etc.) and/or external code modules with elevated...
V-79109	Medium	SQL Server must prohibit user installation of logic modules (stored procedures, functions, triggers, views, etc.) without explicit privileged status.	Allowing regular users to install software, without explicit privileges, creates the risk that untested or potentially malicious software will be installed on the system. Explicit privileges...
V-79069	Low	SQL Server must protect against a user falsely repudiating by use of system-versioned tables (Temporal Tables).	Non-repudiation of actions taken is required in order to maintain data integrity. Examples of particular actions taken by individuals include creating information, sending a message, approving...
V-79091	Low	SQL Server must isolate security functions from non-security functions.	An isolation boundary provides access control and protects the integrity of the hardware, software, and firmware that perform security functions. Security functions are the hardware, software,...
V-79105	Low	SQL Server must enforce discretionary access control policies, as defined by the data owner, over defined subjects and objects.	Discretionary Access Control (DAC) is based on the notion that individual users are "owners" of objects and therefore have discretion over who should be authorized to access the object and in...