V-276856

Discussion

The application allowlist, in addition to controlling the installation of applications on the MD, must control user access/execution of all core and preinstalled applications, or the mobile device (MD) must provide an alternate method of restricting user access/execution to core and preinstalled applications. Core application: Any application integrated into the operating system (OS) by the OS or MD vendors. Preinstalled application: Additional noncore applications included in the OS build by the OS vendor, MD vendor, or wireless carrier. Requiring all authorized applications to be in an application allowlist prevents the execution of any applications (e.g., unauthorized, malicious) that are not part of the allowlist. Failure to configure an application allowlist properly could allow unauthorized and malicious applications to be downloaded, installed, and executed on the mobile device, causing a compromise of DOD data accessible by these applications. The application allowlist, in addition to controlling the installation of applications on the MD, must control user access/execution of all core applications (included in the OS by the OS vendor) and preinstalled applications (provided by the MD vendor and wireless carrier), or the MD must provide an alternate method of restricting user access/execution to core and preinstalled applications. SFR ID: FMT_SMF.1.1 #8

Check Content

Review managed Google Android 16 device configuration settings to determine if the mobile device has an application allowlist configured. Verify that all applications listed on the allowlist have been approved by the authorizing official (AO).

On the EMM console:

COBO and COPE:

1. Go to the Android app catalog for managed Google Play.
2. Verify that all selected apps are AO approved.

On the managed Google Android 16 device:

COBO and COPE:

1. Open the managed Google Play Store.
2. Verify that only the approved apps are visible.

Note: Managed Google Play is an allowed App Store.

If the EMM console list of selected managed Google Play apps includes nonapproved apps, this is a finding.

Note: The application allowlist will include approved core applications (included in the OS by the OS vendor) and preinstalled applications (provided by the MD vendor and wireless carrier), or the MD must provide an alternate method of restricting user access/execution to core and preinstalled applications. For Google Android, there are no preinstalled applications.