Debug programs
Updated: May 8, 2013
Applies To: Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows Server 2012, Windows Vista
This security policy reference topic for the IT professional describes the best practices, location, values, policy management, and security considerations for this policy setting.
Reference
This policy setting determines which users can attach to or open any process, even those they do not own. Developers who are debugging their own applications do not need to be assigned this user right. Developers who are debugging new system components need this user right. This user right provides access to sensitive and critical operating-system components.
This policy setting is supported on versions of Windows that are designated in the Applies To list.
Constant: SeDebugPrivilege
Possible values
User-defined list of accounts
Not defined
Best practices
- Assign this user right only to trusted users to reduce security vulnerabilities.
Location
GPO_name\Computer Configuration\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Local Policies\User Rights Assignment
Default values
By default, members of the Administrators group have this right.
The following table lists the actual and effective default policy values for the most recent supported versions of Windows. Default values are also listed on the policy’s property page.
| Server type or GPO | Default value |
|---|---|
Default Domain Policy |
Not defined |
Default Domain Controller Policy |
Administrators |
Stand-Alone Server Default Settings |
Administrators |
Domain Controller Effective Default Settings |
Administrators |
Member Server Effective Default Settings |
Administrators |
Client Computer Effective Default Settings |
Administrators |
Operating system version differences
There are no differences in the way this policy setting works between supported versions of Windows.
Policy management
This section describes features and tools that are available to help you manage this policy.
A restart of the computer is not required for this policy setting to be effective.
Any change to the user rights assignment for an account becomes effective the next time the owner of the account logs on.
Group Policy
Settings are applied in the following order through a Group Policy Object (GPO), which will overwrite settings on the local computer at the next Group Policy update:
Local policy settings
Site policy settings
Domain policy settings
OU policy settings
When a local setting is greyed out, it indicates that a GPO currently controls that setting.
Security considerations
This section describes how an attacker might exploit a feature or its configuration, how to implement the countermeasure, and the possible negative consequences of countermeasure implementation.
Vulnerability
The Debug programs user right can be exploited to capture sensitive computer information from system memory or to access and modify kernel or application structures. Some attack tools exploit this user right to extract hashed passwords and other private security information or to insert rootkit code. By default, the Debug programs user right is assigned only to administrators, which helps mitigate risk from this vulnerability.
Countermeasure
Remove the accounts of all users and groups that do not require the Debug programs user right.
Potential impact
If you revoke this user right, no one can debug programs. However, typical circumstances rarely require this capability on production computers. If an issue arises that requires an application to be debugged on a production server, you can move the server to a different organizational unit (OU) temporarily and assign the Debug programs user right to a separate Group Policy for that OU.