The system must be configured to ignore NetBIOS name release requests except from WINS servers.

Configuring the system to ignore name release requests, except from WINS servers, prevents a denial of service (DoS) attack. The DoS consists of sending a NetBIOS name release request to the server for each entry in the server's cache, causing a response delay in the normal operation of the servers WINS resolution capability.

If the following registry value does not exist or is not configured as specified, this is a finding:

Registry Hive: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE Registry Path: \SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Netbt\Parameters\

Value Name: NoNameReleaseOnDemand

Value Type: REG_DWORD Value: 1

Configure the policy value for Computer Configuration >> Administrative Templates >> MSS (Legacy) >> "MSS: (NoNameReleaseOnDemand) Allow the computer to ignore NetBIOS name release requests except from WINS servers" to "Enabled".

This policy setting requires the installation of the MSS-Legacy custom templates included with the STIG package. "MSS-Legacy.admx" and "MSS-Legacy.adml" must be copied to the \Windows\PolicyDefinitions and \Windows\PolicyDefinitions\en-US directories respectively.