Windows Server 2025 must not have Windows PowerShell 2.0 installed.
Severity | Group ID | Group Title | Version | Rule ID | Date | STIG Version |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| medium | V-278026 | SRG-OS-000095-GPOS-00049 | WN25-00-000410 | SV-278026r1180784_rule | 2026-02-20 | 1 |
Description
Windows PowerShell 5.x added advanced logging features that can provide additional detail when malware has been run on a system. Disabling the Windows PowerShell 2.0 mitigates against a downgrade attack that evades the Windows PowerShell 5.x script block logging feature.
ℹ️ Check
Open PowerShell.
Enter "Get-WindowsFeature | Where Name -eq PowerShell-v2".
If "Installed State" is "Installed", this is a finding.
An Installed State of "Available" or "Removed" is not a finding.
✔️ Fix
Uninstall the Windows PowerShell 2.0 Engine.
Start Server Manager.
Select the server with the feature.
Scroll down to "ROLES AND FEATURES" in the right pane.
Select "Remove Roles and Features" from the drop-down "TASKS" list.
Select the appropriate server on the "Server Selection" page and click "Next".
Deselect "Windows PowerShell 2.0 Engine" under "Windows PowerShell" on the "Features" page.
Click "Next" and "Remove" as prompted.