WN11-SO-000110 Unencrypted passwords must not be sent to third-party SMB Servers.
All changes in this version
Maps to IA-5(1) via CCI-000197
Title
Unencrypted passwords must not be sent to third-party SMB Servers.
Control
If the following registry value does not exist or is not configured as specified, this is a finding: Registry Hive: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE Registry Path: \SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\LanmanWorkstation\Parameters\ Value Name: EnablePlainTextPassword Value Type: REG_DWORD Value: 0
Discussion
Some non-Microsoft SMB servers only support unencrypted (plain text) password authentication. Sending plain text passwords across the network, when authenticating to an SMB server, reduces the overall security of the environment. Check with the vendor of the SMB server to see if there is a way to support encrypted password authentication.
Related controls
CCI-000197
Fix
Configure the policy value for Computer Configuration >> Windows Settings >> Security Settings >> Local Policies >> Security Options >> "Microsoft network client: Send unencrypted password to third-party SMB servers" to "Disabled".