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Windows Server 2025 Early Launch Antimalware, Boot-Start Driver Initialization Policy must prevent boot drivers identified as bad.

Overview

Finding IDVersionRule IDIA ControlsSeverity
V-278091WN25-CC-000130SV-278091r1182244_ruleCCI-000366medium
Description
Compromised boot drivers can introduce malware prior to protection mechanisms that load after initialization. The Early Launch Antimalware driver can limit allowed drivers based on classifications determined by the malware protection application. At a minimum, drivers determined to be bad must not be allowed.
STIGDate
Microsoft Windows Server 2025 Security Technical Implementation Guide2026-02-20

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-278091r1182244_chk)

The default behavior is for Early Launch Antimalware - Boot-Start Driver Initialization policy to enforce "Good, unknown and bad but critical" (preventing "bad"). If the registry value name below does not exist, this is not a finding. If it exists and is configured with a value of "0x00000007 (7)", this is a finding. Registry Hive: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE Registry Path: \SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Policies\EarlyLaunch\ Value Name: DriverLoadPolicy Value Type: REG_DWORD Value: 0x00000001 (1), 0x00000003 (3), or 0x00000008 (8) (or if the Value Name does not exist) Possible values for this setting are: 8 - Good only 1 - Good and unknown 3 - Good, unknown and bad but critical 7 - All (which includes "bad" and would be a finding)

Fix Text (F-82526r1182243_fix)

The default behavior is for Early Launch Antimalware - Boot-Start Driver Initialization policy to enforce "Good, unknown and bad but critical" (preventing "bad"). To correct this, or if a more secure setting is desired, configure the policy value for Computer Configuration >> Administrative Templates >> System >> Early Launch Antimalware >> Boot-Start Driver Initialization Policy to "Not Configured" or "Enabled" with any option other than "All" selected.