Ole Automation Procedures feature must be disabled, unless specifically required and approved.
From MS SQL Server 2016 Instance Security Technical Implementation Guide
Part of SRG-APP-000141-DB-000093
Associated with:
CCI-000381
SV-94039r1_rule
Ole Automation Procedures feature must be disabled, unless specifically required and approved.
Vulnerability discussion
Information systems are capable of providing a wide variety of functions and services. Some of the functions and services, provided by default, may not be necessary to support essential organizational operations (e.g., key missions, functions). It is detrimental for applications to provide, or install by default, functionality exceeding requirements or mission objectives. Applications must adhere to the principles of least functionality by providing only essential capabilities.SQL Server may spawn additional external processes to execute procedures that are defined in the SQL Server but stored in external host files (external procedures). The spawned process used to execute the external procedure may operate within a different OS security context than SQL Server and provide unauthorized access to the host system.SQL Server is capable of providing a wide range of features and services. Some of the features and services, provided by default, may not be necessary, and enabling them could adversely affect the security of the system.The Ole Automation Procedures option controls whether OLE Automation objects can be instantiated within Transact-SQL batches. These are extended stored procedures that allow SQL Server users to execute functions external to SQL Server in the security context of SQL Server.The Ole Automation Procedures extended stored procedure allows execution of host executables outside the controls of database access permissions. This access may be exploited by malicious users who have compromised the integrity of the SQL Server database process to control the host operating system to perpetrate additional malicious activity.
Check content
To determine if "Ole Automation Procedures" option is enabled, execute the following query:
EXEC SP_CONFIGURE 'show advanced options', '1';
RECONFIGURE WITH OVERRIDE;
EXEC SP_CONFIGURE 'Ole Automation Procedures';
If the value of "config_value" is "0", this is not a finding.
If the value of "config_value" is "1", review the system documentation to determine whether the use of "Ole Automation Procedures" is required and authorized. If it is not authorized, this is a finding.
Fix text
Disable use of or remove any external application executable object definitions that are not authorized. To disable the use of "Ole Automation Procedures" option, from the query prompt:
sp_configure 'show advanced options', 1;
GO
RECONFIGURE;
GO
sp_configure 'Ole Automation Procedures', 0;
GO
RECONFIGURE;
GO
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