The "Load and unload device drivers" user right must only be assigned to the Administrators group.
Severity | Group ID | Group Title | Version | Rule ID | Date | STIG Version |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| medium | V-253499 | SRG-OS-000324-GPOS-00125 | WN11-UR-000120 | SV-253499r958726_rule | 2026-02-12 | 2 |
Description
Inappropriate granting of user rights can provide system, administrative, and other high-level capabilities.
The "Load and unload device drivers" user right allows device drivers to dynamically be loaded on a system by a user. This could potentially be used to install malicious code by an attacker.
ℹ️ Check
Verify the effective setting in Local Group Policy Editor.
Run "gpedit.msc".
Navigate to Local Computer Policy >> Computer Configuration >> Windows Settings >> Security Settings >> Local Policies >> User Rights Assignment.
If any groups or accounts other than the following are granted the "Load and unload device drivers" user right, this is a finding:
Administrators
✔️ Fix
Configure the policy value for Computer Configuration >> Windows Settings >> Security Settings >> Local Policies >> User Rights Assignment >> "Load and unload device drivers" to only include the following groups or accounts:
Administrators