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Windows Server 2019 Create symbolic links user right must only be assigned to the Administrators group.

Overview

Finding IDVersionRule IDIA ControlsSeverity
V-205756WN19-UR-000090SV-205756r958726_ruleCCI-002235medium
Description
Inappropriate granting of user rights can provide system, administrative, and other high-level capabilities. Accounts with the "Create symbolic links" user right can create pointers to other objects, which could expose the system to attack.
STIGDate
Microsoft Windows Server 2019 Security Technical Implementation Guide2026-02-12

Related Frameworks

1 mapping across 4 frameworks
SCF0 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.

IAC-21.5Prohibit Non-Privileged Users from Executing Privileged Functions
1.00
NIST 800-530 mappings

No source states a mapping between these directly.

Also reachable in 2 hops (50) 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-2(1)Automated System Account Management
1.00
AC-2(10)Shared and Group Account Credential Change
1.00
AC-2(2)Automated Temporary and Emergency Account Management
1.00
AC-2(3)Disable Accounts
1.00
AC-2(4)Automated Audit Actions
1.00
AC-3Access Enforcement
1.00
AC-3(4)Discretionary Access Control
1.00
AC-3(7)Role-based Access Control
1.00
AC-4Information Flow Enforcement
1.00
AC-6(10)Prohibit Non-privileged Users from Executing Privileged Functions
1.00

+40 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.

3.1.7
1.00
CCI1 mapping
CCI-002235
1.00

Details

Check Text (C-205756r958726_chk)

Verify the effective setting in Local Group Policy Editor. Run "gpedit.msc". Navigate to Local Computer Policy >> Computer Configuration >> Windows Settings >> Security Settings >> Local Policies >> User Rights Assignment. If any accounts or groups other than the following are granted the "Create symbolic links" user right, this is a finding: - Administrators For server core installations, run the following command: Secedit /Export /Areas User_Rights /cfg c:\path\filename.txt Review the text file. If any SIDs other than the following are granted the "SeCreateSymbolicLinkPrivilege" user right, this is a finding: S-1-5-32-544 (Administrators) Systems that have the Hyper-V role will also have "Virtual Machines" given this user right (this may be displayed as "NT Virtual Machine\Virtual Machines", SID S-1-5-83-0). This is not a finding.

Fix Text (F-6021r355187_fix)

Configure the policy value for Computer Configuration >> Windows Settings >> Security Settings >> Local Policies >> User Rights Assignment >> "Create symbolic links" to include only the following accounts or groups: - Administrators Systems that have the Hyper-V role will also have "Virtual Machines" given this user right. If this needs to be added manually, enter it as "NT Virtual Machine\Virtual Machines".