Details

Acrobat Pro allows for files to be attached to PDF documents. Attachments represent a potential security risk because they can contain malicious content, open other dangerous files, or launch applications.This feature prevents users from opening or launching file types other than PDF or FDF and disables the menu option to re-enable.

Solution

Configure the following registry value:

Registry Hive:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
Registry Path:
SoftwarePoliciesAdobeAdobe Acrobat2015FeatureLockDown

Value Name: iFileAttachmentPerms
Type: REG_DWORD
Value: 1

Configure the policy value for Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Adobe Acrobat Pro DC Classic > Preferences > Trust Manager > ‘Allow opening of non-PDF file attachments with external applications’ to ‘Disabled’.

This policy setting requires the installation of the AcrobatProDCClassic custom templates included with the STIG package. ‘AcrobatProDCClassic.admx’ and ‘AcrobatProDCClassic.adml’ must be copied to the WindowsPolicyDefinitions and WindowsPolicyDefinitionsen-US directories respectively.

Supportive Information

The following resource is also helpful.

• https://dl.dod.cyber.mil/wp-content/uploads/stigs/zip/U_Adobe_Acrobat_Pro_DC_Classic_V2R1_STIG.zip

This security hardening control applies to the following category of controls within NIST 800-53: Configuration Management.This control applies to the following type of system Windows.

References

• 800-53|CM-7a.
• CAT|II
• CCI|CCI-000381
• Rule-ID|SV-213095r557504_rule
• STIG-ID|AADC-CL-000275
• STIG-Legacy|SV-94819
• STIG-Legacy|V-80115
• Vuln-ID|V-213095

Source

• Tenable.com/audits