Actions for Excel 95 workbooks must be configured to edit in Protected View.

From Microsoft Excel 2013 STIG

Associated with: CCI-001662

SV-53614r1_rule Actions for Excel 95 workbooks must be configured to edit in Protected View.

Vulnerability discussion

This setting specifies whether users can open, view, edit, or save files saved in the specified format. Enabling block of the specified format mitigates zero-day security attacks (which are attacks that occur between the time that a vulnerability becomes publicly known and a software update or service pack is available) by temporarily preventing users from opening specific types of files and to prevent a user from opening files that have been saved in earlier and pre-release (beta) Microsoft Office formats.

Check content

Verify the policy value for User Configuration -> Administrative Templates -> Microsoft Excel 2013 -> Excel Options -> Security -> Trust Center -> File Block Settings "Excel 95 workbooks" is set to "Enabled: Allow editing and open in Protected View". Procedure: Use the Windows Registry Editor to navigate to the following key: HKCU\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Office\15.0\excel\security\fileblock Criteria: If the value XL95Workbooks is REG_DWORD = 5, this is not a finding.

Fix text

Set the policy value for User Configuration -> Administrative Templates -> Microsoft Excel 2013 -> Excel Options -> Security -> Trust Center -> File Block Settings "Excel 95 workbooks" to "Enabled: Allow editing and open in Protected View".

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