2.2.40 Ensure 'Increase scheduling priority' is set to 'Administrators'

Information

This policy setting determines whether users can increase the base priority class of a process. (It is not a privileged operation to increase relative priority within a priority class.) This user right is not required by administrative tools that are supplied with the operating system but might be required by software development tools.

The recommended state for this setting is: Administrators.

Rationale:

A user who is assigned this user right could increase the scheduling priority of a process to Real-Time, which would leave little processing time for all other processes and could lead to a DoS condition.

Impact:

None - this is the default behavior.

Solution

To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Administrators:

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Local Policies\User Rights Assignment\Increase scheduling priority


Default Value:

On Windows Server 2016 or older: Administrators.

On Windows Server 2019 or newer: Administrators, Window Manager\Window Manager Group.

Additional Information:

This Benchmark Recommendation maps to:

Microsoft Windows Server 2016 Security Technical Implementation Guide:
Version 1, Release 13, Benchmark Date: May 15, 2020

Vul ID: V-73787
Rule ID: SV-88451r2_rule
STIG ID: WN16-UR-000230
Severity: CAT II

See Also

https://workbench.cisecurity.org/files/2940