# Ensure Android compliance policy blocks USB debugging

Ensure at least one assigned Android compliance policy blocks USB debugging.

Source: https://maester.dev/docs/tests/MT.1236

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<div class="test-byline"><div class="test-byline-avatars"><a class="test-byline-avatar test-byline-avatar--author" href="/contributors/earbona23" title="Eduard Arbona · Original author"><img src="https://github.com/earbona23.png" alt="Eduard Arbona" width="28" height="28" loading="lazy" decoding="async" /></a></div><div class="test-byline-meta"><span class="test-byline-text">Contributed by <a href="/contributors/earbona23">Eduard Arbona</a></span><a class="test-byline-link" href="/contributors">All contributors →</a></div></div>

<p class="test-part">Part of <a href="/docs/tests/maester">Maester</a> · Intune · Device compliance · <a href="/docs/tests">All checks</a></p>

```powershell title="Run this check"
Invoke-Maester -TestId MT.1236
```

## Overview

Ensure at least one **assigned** Android compliance policy blocks USB debugging.

USB debugging exposes the Android Debug Bridge over the device's cable. On a device where it is enabled, a host the user has authorised can install and launch applications, read the data of any app built as debuggable, and drive the user interface. It is a developer feature that stays on long after whatever needed it, and the user has no reason to notice.

Intune compliance policy can evaluate it, so a device with USB debugging enabled is marked non-compliant and can then be blocked by Conditional Access.

This is hardening rather than a primary control, and the severity says so: using it takes physical access to the device, an unlocked screen and the user accepting the host key. What it removes is the quiet path by which a phone left on a desk, or handed to a repair shop, gives up its app data.

Policies that are **not assigned** to any group are reported by this test but do not count towards a pass, because an unassigned compliance policy is never evaluated against any device.

#### Scope limitation

This test evaluates the **Android device administrator** compliance policy type (`androidCompliancePolicy`). Android Enterprise policies, for work profile and device owner enrollments, are counted and reported but their settings are not read, because their property names are not verified here.

A tenant that has Android Enterprise policies and no device administrator policy is reported as **not applicable** rather than as a failure. A tenant with no Android compliance policy of any kind does fail, because then nothing evaluates Android devices at all.

#### Remediation action

1. Navigate to the [Microsoft Intune admin center](https://intune.microsoft.com).
2. Go to **Devices** > **Manage devices** > **[Compliance](https://intune.microsoft.com/#view/Microsoft_Intune_DeviceSettings/DevicesMenu/~/compliance)**.
3. Select an existing Android policy, or select **+ Create policy** with **Platform** set to **Android device administrator**.
4. Under **Compliance settings** > **System Security**, set **USB debugging** to **Block**.
5. On the **Assignments** tab, assign the policy to your Android device or user groups.
6. Select **Next** and then **Create** or **Save**.

If part of your fleet belongs to developers who need the setting, exclude that group from the policy rather than leaving the setting unconfigured for everyone.

#### Related links

- [Microsoft Intune admin center - Device compliance](https://intune.microsoft.com/#view/Microsoft_Intune_DeviceSettings/DevicesMenu/~/compliance)
- [Microsoft Learn - Android device administrator compliance settings in Intune](https://learn.microsoft.com/intune/device-security/compliance/ref-android-administrator-settings)
- [Android Developers - Android Debug Bridge (adb)](https://developer.android.com/tools/adb)

## Details

<details>
<summary>Every attribute of this check</summary>

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Test ID | MT.1236 |
| Severity | Low |
| Suite | Maester |
| Product | Intune |
| Feature | Device compliance |
| Area | Devices and endpoints |
| Resource type | Tenant |
| User impact | Low |
| Implementation cost | Low |
| MITRE ATT&CK | T1005 Data from Local System, T1052.001 Exfiltration over USB |
| Supports controls | nist-800-53-r5:SC-41, nist-800-53-r5:CM-7 |
| PowerShell test | [Test-MtAndroidUsbDebugging](https://github.com/maester365/maester/blob/main/tests/maester/intune/Test.MT.1236.ps1) |
| Services | Graph |
| Compatible licenses | INTUNE_A |

</details>

## Source

- Test: [`tests/maester/intune/Test.MT.1236.ps1`](https://github.com/maester365/maester/blob/main/tests/maester/intune/Test.MT.1236.ps1)
- Documentation: [`tests/maester/intune/Test.MT.1236.md`](https://github.com/maester365/maester/blob/main/tests/maester/intune/Test.MT.1236.md)