ASD.ISM-1669 - Microsoft Office is blocked from injecting code into other processes.
Overview
Microsoft Office is blocked from injecting code into other processes (ISM-1669, Essential Eight Maturity Level Two, User application hardening).
Injecting code into another process lets a macro hide its activity behind a trusted program and evade controls that watch Office. No legitimate document needs it. This check reads the attack surface reduction rules of every Intune Windows configuration policy (Endpoint security and settings catalog policies share the same setting definitions) and passes when an assigned policy sets Block Office applications from injecting code into other processes to Block. Audit and Warn only report the behaviour and do not satisfy the control.
Remediation action
- In Microsoft Intune admin center, go to Endpoint security > Attack surface reduction and open your attack surface reduction rules policy, or create one for Windows with the profile Attack Surface Reduction Rules.
- Set Block Office applications from injecting code into other processes to Block. Pilot the rule in Audit first if Office add-ins or line-of-business macros are in use.
- Assign the policy to all workstations.
Related links
- Essential Eight maturity model
- Attack surface reduction rules reference
- ISM Guidelines for system hardening
Test Metadata
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Test ID | ASD.ISM-1669 |
| Severity | High |
| Suite | ASD |
| Product | Intune |
| Related products | Defender |
| Feature | Endpoint security |
| Area | Devices and endpoints |
| Resource type | Tenant |
| User impact | Low |
| Implementation cost | Low |
| MITRE ATT&CK | T1055 Process Injection, T1204.002 Malicious File |
| Supports benchmark | ASD Essential Eight maturity model (version 2026.09.4), requirement ISM-1669 |
| Benchmark level | ML2 |
| Essential Eight strategy | User application hardening |
| Supports controls | essential-eight:ISM-1669, nist-800-53-r5:CM-7, ism:ISM-1669 |
| PowerShell test | Test-MtAsdOfficeCodeInjectionBlocked |
| Services | Graph |
| Compatible licenses | INTUNE_A |
Source
- Test:
tests/asd/intune/Test.ASD.ISM-1669.ps1 - Documentation:
tests/asd/intune/Test.ASD.ISM-1669.md