Microsoft Defender AV must block abuse of exploited vulnerable signed drivers.
Overview
| Finding ID | Version | Rule ID | IA Controls | Severity |
| V-278655 | WNDF-AV-000051 | SV-278655r1192816_rule | CCI-001170 | medium |
| Description | ||||
| This policy setting prevents an application from writing a vulnerable signed driver to disk. Vulnerable signed drivers can be exploited by local applications that have sufficient privileges to gain access to the kernel. Vulnerable signed drivers enable attackers to disable or circumvent security solutions, eventually leading to system compromise. The Block abuse of exploited vulnerable signed drivers rule does not block a driver already existing on the system from being loaded. | ||||
| STIG | Date | |||
| Microsoft Defender Antivirus Security Technical Implementation Guide | 2026-05-08 | |||
Related Frameworks
1 mapping across 3 frameworks
Related Frameworks
SCF0 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.
- DISA STIG Benchmark (XCCDF)V2R9intersects(normalised)
- DISA CCI List2025-01-23equal to(normalised)
- SCF Secure Traceability Relationship Mapping (STRM)2026.2intersects
- DISA STIG Benchmark (XCCDF)V2R9intersects(normalised)
- DISA CCI List2025-01-23equal to(normalised)
- SCF Secure Traceability Relationship Mapping (STRM)2026.2intersects
NIST 800-530 mappings
No source states a mapping between these directly.
Also reachable in 2 hops (3) 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.
- DISA STIG Benchmark (XCCDF)V2R9intersects(normalised)
- DISA STIG Benchmark (XCCDF)V2R1our copyintersects(normalised)
- DISA STIG Benchmark (XCCDF)V2R1intersects(normalised)
- DISA CCI List2025-01-23equal to(normalised)
- DISA STIG Benchmark (XCCDF)V2R9intersects(normalised)
- DISA STIG Benchmark (XCCDF)V2R1our copyintersects(normalised)
- DISA STIG Benchmark (XCCDF)V2R1intersects(normalised)
- DISA CCI List2025-01-23equal to(normalised)
- DISA STIG Benchmark (XCCDF)V2R9intersects(normalised)
- DISA CCI List2025-01-23equal to(normalised)
CCI1 mapping
CCI-001170
1.00
- DISA STIG Benchmark (XCCDF)V2R9intersects(normalised)
Details
Check Text (C-278655r1192816_chk)
Verify the policy value for Computer Configuration >> Administrative Templates >> Windows Components >> Microsoft Defender Antivirus >> Microsoft Defender Exploit Guard >> Attack Surface Reduction >> Configure Attack Surface Reduction rules is set to "Enabled".
Procedure: Use the Windows Registry Editor to navigate to the following key:
HKLM\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows Defender\Windows Defender Exploit Guard\ASR\Rules
Criteria: If the value "56a863a9-875e-4185-98a7-b882c64b5ce5" is REG_SZ = 1, this is not a finding.
If the value is other than 1, this is a finding.
Fix Text (F-83094r1190741_fix)
Set the policy value for Computer Configuration >> Administrative Templates >> Windows Components >> Microsoft Defender Antivirus >> Microsoft Defender Exploit Guard >> Attack Surface Reduction >> Configure Attack Surface Reduction rules to "Enabled".
Under the policy option "Set the state for each ASR rule:", then click "Show".
Enter GUID "56a863a9-875e-4185-98a7-b882c64b5ce5" in the "Value Name" column.
Enter "1" in the "Value" column.