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User accounts with delegated authority must be removed from Windows built-in administrative groups or remove the delegated authority from the accounts.

Overview

Finding IDVersionRule IDIA ControlsSeverity
V-243488AD.0260SV-243488r959010_ruleCCI-000366low
Description
In AD it is possible to delegate account and other AD object ownership and administration tasks. (This is commonly done for help desk or other user support staff.) This is done to avoid the need to assign users to Windows groups with more widely ranging privileges. If a user with delegated authority to user accounts in a specific OU is also a member of the Administrators group, that user has the ability to reconfigure a wide range of domain security settings and change user accounts outside of the OU to which s/he is a delegated authority. A lack of specific baseline documentation of accounts with delegated privileges makes it impossible to determine if the configured privileges are consistent with the intended security policy.
STIGDate
Active Directory Domain Security Technical Implementation Guide2026-02-11

Related Frameworks

1 mapping across 5 frameworks
SCF0 mappings

No source states a mapping between these directly.

Also reachable in 3 hops (8) derived by us, not asserted by any source

Each of these is a route we composed by chaining published mappings. No publisher states a relationship between the two endpoints.

CFG-01Configuration Management Program
1.00
END-01Endpoint Device Management (EDM)
1.00
END-04Malicious Code Protection (Anti-Malware)
1.00
END-06Endpoint File Integrity Monitoring (FIM)
1.00
MON-01Continuous Monitoring
1.00
MON-01.7File Integrity Monitoring (FIM)
1.00
CFG-02Secure Baseline Configurations
0.50
CFG-02.7Approved Configuration Deviations
0.50
NIST 800-530 mappings

No source states a mapping between these directly.

Also reachable in 2 hops (100) derived by us, not asserted by any source

Each of these is a route we composed by chaining published mappings. No publisher states a relationship between the two endpoints.

AC-12Session Termination
1.00
AC-16(1)Dynamic Attribute Association
1.00
AC-17(1)Monitoring and Control
1.00
AC-2Account Management
1.00
AC-2(1)Automated System Account Management
1.00
AC-2(11)Usage Conditions
1.00
AC-2(3)Disable Accounts
1.00
AC-2(4)Automated Audit Actions
1.00
AC-24(1)Transmit Access Authorization Information
1.00
AC-25Reference Monitor
1.00

+90 more (top 10 by confidence shown)

NIST 800-1710 mappings

No source states a mapping between these directly.

Also reachable in 3 hops (2) derived by us, not asserted by any source

Each of these is a route we composed by chaining published mappings. No publisher states a relationship between the two endpoints.

3.4.1
1.00
3.4.2
1.00
CCI1 mapping
CCI-000366
1.00
NIST CSF 2.00 mappings

No source states a mapping between these directly.

Also reachable in 3 hops (5) derived by us, not asserted by any source

Each of these is a route we composed by chaining published mappings. No publisher states a relationship between the two endpoints.

DE.CM-09
1.00
PR.PS-01
1.00
PR.DS-10
0.50
PR.PSPlatform Security
0.50
PR.PS-05
0.50

Who does this work

10 NICE work roles and 9 EC-Council certifications.

This is an inference across published mappings, not a single claim by anyone. This check maps to a control, which maps to a Cybersecurity Framework outcome, which NIST assigns to the work roles below. EC-Council separately maps its certifications to those same roles.

A certification prepares someone for a role. It is not evidence that a holder is qualified, and neither NIST nor EC-Council has stated that any certification here addresses this check.

Work-role assignments published by NIST (NICE Framework Components 2.2.0 and the CSF 2.0 OLIR crosswalk). Certification mappings published by EC-Council.

Details

Check Text (C-243488r959010_chk)

1. Interview the IAM or site representative and obtain the list of accounts that have been delegated AD object ownership or update permissions and that are not members of Windows built-in administrative groups. (This includes accounts for help desk or support personnel who are not Administrators, but have authority in AD to maintain user accounts or printers.) 2. If accounts with delegated authority are defined and there is no list, then this is a finding. 3. Count the number of accounts on the list. 4. If the number of accounts with delegated authority is greater than 10, review the site documentation that justifies this number. Validate that the IAM explicitly acknowledges the need to have a high number of privileged users. 5. If the number of accounts with delegated authority is greater than 10 and there is no statement in the documentation that justifies the number, then this is a finding.

Fix Text (F-46720r723554_fix)

1. Remove user accounts with delegated authority from Windows built-in administrative groups or remove the delegated authority from the accounts. 2. Document all user accounts with delegated AD object ownership or update authority. 3. Annotate the account list with a statement such as, "The high number of privileged accounts is required to address site operational requirements." 4. Reduce the number of user accounts with delegated AD object ownership or update authority.