Details

Enhanced Security (ES) is a sandbox capability that restricts access to system resources. ES can be configured in two modes: Standalone mode is when Acrobat opens the desktop PDF client. ES Browser mode is when a PDF is opened via the browser plugin. When Enhanced Security is enabled and a PDF file tries to complete a restricted action from an untrusted location, a security warning must appear.Enhanced Security ‘hardens’ the application against risky actions. It prevents cross domain access, prohibits script and data injection, blocks stream access to XObjects, silent printing, and execution of high privilege JavaScript.

Solution

Configure the following registry value:

Registry Hive:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
Registry Path:
SoftwarePoliciesAdobeAdobe AcrobatDCFeatureLockDown

Value Name: bEnhancedSecurityStandalone
Type: REG_DWORD
Value: 1

Configure the policy value for Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Adobe Acrobat Pro DC Continuous > Preferences > Security (Enhanced) > ‘Enable Enhanced Security Standalone’ to ‘Enabled’.

Supportive Information

The following resource is also helpful.

• https://dl.dod.cyber.mil/wp-content/uploads/stigs/zip/U_Adobe_Acrobat_Pro_DC_Continuous_V2R1_STIG.zip

This security hardening control applies to the following category of controls within NIST 800-53: System and Communications Protection.This control applies to the following type of system Windows.

References

• 800-53|SC-18(3)
• 800-53|SC-39
• CAT|II
• CCI|CCI-001695
• CCI|CCI-002530
• Rule-ID|SV-213117r766511_rule
• STIG-ID|AADC-CN-000205
• STIG-Legacy|SV-94065
• STIG-Legacy|V-79359
• Vuln-ID|V-213117

Source

• Tenable.com/audits