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VBA macros not digitally signed must be blocked in Access.

Overview

Finding IDVersionRule IDIA ControlsSeverity
V-223282O365-AC-000003SV-223282r1082349_ruleCCI-000381medium
Description
This policy setting controls how the specified applications warn users when Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) macros are present. If this policy setting is enabled, choose from four options for determining how the specified applications will warn the user about macros: - Disable all with notification: The application displays the Trust Bar for all macros, whether signed or unsigned. This option enforces the default configuration in Office. This option also allows users to potentially enable unsigned/untrusted macros. If a site requires the use of macros, they must be signed/approved and added to appropriate locations listed in the Trust Center Settings. - Disable all except digitally signed macros: The application displays the Trust Bar for digitally signed macros, allowing users to enable them or leave them disabled. Any unsigned macros are disabled, and users are not notified. - Disable all without notification: The application disables all macros, whether signed or unsigned, and does not notify users. - Enable all macros (not recommended): All macros are enabled, whether signed or unsigned. This option can significantly reduce security by allowing dangerous code to run undetected. If this policy setting is disabled, "Disable all with notification" will be the default setting. If this policy setting is not configured, when users open files in the specified applications that contain VBA macros, the applications open the files with the macros disabled and display the Trust Bar with a warning that macros are present and have been disabled. Users can inspect and edit the files if appropriate, but cannot use any disabled functionality until they enable it by clicking "Enable Content" on the Trust Bar. If the user clicks "Enable Content", then the document is added as a trusted document. Important: If "Disable all except digitally signed macros" is selected, users will not be able to open unsigned Access databases.
STIGDate
Microsoft Office 365 ProPlus Security Technical Implementation Guide2026-02-12

Related Frameworks

1 mapping across 5 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.

CFG-01Configuration Management Program
1.00
CFG-03Least Functionality
1.00
NIST 800-530 mappings

No source states a mapping between these directly.

Also reachable in 2 hops (36) 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-11Device Lock
1.00
AC-17(1)Monitoring and Control
1.00
AC-17(10)Authenticate Remote Commands
1.00
AC-17(9)Disconnect or Disable Access
1.00
AC-18(1)Authentication and Encryption
1.00
AC-2(1)Automated System Account Management
1.00
AC-3Access Enforcement
1.00
AC-4Information Flow Enforcement
1.00
AU-12Audit Record Generation
1.00
AU-3Content of Audit Records
1.00

+26 more (top 10 by confidence shown)

NIST 800-1710 mappings

No source states a mapping between these directly.

Also reachable in 3 hops (1) 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.

3.4.6
1.00
CCI1 mapping
CCI-000381
1.00
NIST CSF 2.00 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.

PR.PS-01
1.00
PR.PS-05
1.00

Who does this work

5 NICE work roles and 5 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-223282r1082349_chk)

Verify the policy value for User Configuration >> Administrative Templates >> Microsoft Access 2016 >> Application Settings >> Security >> Trust Center >> VBA Macro Notification Settings is set to "Disable all except digitally signed macros". Use the Windows Registry Editor to navigate to the following key: HKCU\software\policies\Microsoft\office\16.0\access\security If the value vbawarnings is REG_DWORD = 3, this is not a finding. A value of REG_DWORD = 2 or REG_DWORD = 4 is also acceptable. If the registry key does not exist, or is not configured properly, this is a finding.

Fix Text (F-24943r442066_fix)

Set User Configuration >> Administrative Templates >> Microsoft Access 2016 >> Application Settings >> Security >> Trust Center >> VBA Macro Notification Settings to "Disable all except digitally signed macros".