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V-228459

CAT II (Medium)

Automatic download content for email in Safe Senders list must be disallowed.

Rule ID

SV-228459r961863_rule

STIG

Microsoft Outlook 2016 Security Technical Implementation Guide

Version

V2R4

CCIs

CCI-000366

Discussion

This policy setting controls whether Outlook automatically downloads external content in e-mail from senders in the Safe Senders List or Safe Recipients List. If you enable this policy setting, Outlook automatically downloads content for e-mail from people in Safe Senders and Safe Recipients lists. If you disable this policy setting, Outlook will not automatically download content from external servers for messages sent by people listed in users' Safe Senders Lists or Safe Recipients Lists. Recipients can choose to download external content on a message-by-message basis. If you do not configure this policy setting, downloads are permitted when users receive e-mail from people listed in the user's Safe Senders List or Safe Recipients List.

Check Content

Verify the policy value for User Configuration -> Administrative Templates -> Microsoft Outlook 2016 -> Security -> Automatic Picture Download Settings "Automatically download content for e-mail from people in Safe Senders and Safe Recipients Lists" is set to "Disabled".

Procedure: Use the Windows Registry Editor to navigate to the following key: 

HKCU\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Office\16.0\outlook\options\mail

Criteria: If the value UnblockSpecificSenders is REG_DWORD = 0, this is not a finding.

Fix Text

Set the policy value for User Configuration -> Administrative Templates -> Microsoft Outlook 2016 -> Security -> Automatic Picture Download Settings "Automatically download content for e-mail from people in Safe Senders and Safe Recipients Lists" to "Disabled".