5.10 (L1) Ensure 'LxssManager (LxssManager)' is set to 'Disabled' or 'Not Installed'

Information

The LXSS Manager service supports running native ELF binaries. The service provides the infrastructure necessary for ELF binaries to run on Windows.

The recommended state for this setting is: Disabled or Not Installed

Note: This service is not installed by default. It is supplied with Windows, but is installed by enabling an optional Windows feature (

Windows Subsystem for Linux

).

The Linux Subsystem (LXSS) Manager allows full system access to Linux applications on Windows, including the file system. While this can certainly have some functionality and performance benefits for running those applications, it also creates new security risks in the event that a hacker injects malicious code into a Linux application. For best security, it is preferred to run Linux applications on Linux, and Windows applications on Windows.

Solution

To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to: Disabled or ensure the service is not installed.

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\System Services\LxssManager

Impact:

The Linux Subsystem will not be available, and native ELF binaries will no longer run.

Note: If your organization has made an exception to this recommendation and is using Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL), the Internet Connection Sharing (ICS) (SharedAccess) service will need to be Enabled for WSL to function. For more information, please visit the following Microsoft Blog:

Troubleshooting Windows Subsystem for Linux | Microsoft Docs

See Also

https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/16514

Item Details

Category: CONFIGURATION MANAGEMENT

References: 800-53|CM-6, 800-53|CM-7, CSCv7|9.2

Plugin: Windows

Control ID: e08647beb0791c67cc612843bb7a298fb4c4cd8d4a0e20d61f3d78b3d6d44bc8