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Security <security>

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Overview

The <security> section group resides in the <system.webServer> section and contains all elements that configure security settings on an Internet Information Services (IIS) 7 server. These include Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) settings for a site, applications that are dependent on Common Gateway Interface (CGI) or Internet Server API (ISAPI) binaries, configuration settings for all authentication modules installed on your server, and authorization rule settings. It also includes IP security and request filtering configuration settings and a list of ISAPI and CGI restrictions on the server.

The settings in the <security> section group can be combined for extra security. For example:

  • The <authentication> element defines configuration sections for all user authentication types that you can install and enable on your IIS 7 server, whereas the <authorization> element configures the user accounts that can access your site or application. You use <authorization> in combination with <authentication> to secure access to content on your server. The <access> element configures SSL settings for your Web server, site, or application.
  • The <isapiCgiRestriction> element specifies a list of CGI and ISAPI applications that can run on IIS 7. This element allows you to ensure that malicious users cannot copy unauthorized CGI and ISAPI binaries to your Web server and then run them. The <applicationDependencies> element specifies an application that has dependencies to one or more CGI or ISAPI extension restrictions. You can combine the <isapiCgiRestriction> element with the <applicationDependencies> element in order to ensure your CGI or ISAPI extension restrictions are set properly.

Note

For enhanced security, neither Windows Vista or Windows Server 2008 installs IIS 7 by default. When you do install IIS 7, IIS is automatically configured to serve only static content, including HTML and image files. You must manually install any other role services and features required by your Web sites and applications. This strategy greatly reduces the IIS 7 attack surface.

Compatibility

Version Notes
IIS 10.0 The <security> element was not modified in IIS 10.0.
IIS 8.5 The <security> element was not modified in IIS 8.5.
IIS 8.0 The <defaultIpSecurity> element was added as a child element.
IIS 7.5 The <security> element was not modified in IIS 7.5.
IIS 7.0 The <security> element was introduced in IIS 7.
IIS 6.0 The <security> element replaces the IIS 6.0 security metabase properties that related to certificates, authentication, and authorization.

Setup

The <security> element is included in the default installation of IIS 7.

How To

How to disable anonymous authentication

  1. Open Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager:

    • If you are using Windows Server 2012 or Windows Server 2012 R2:

      • On the taskbar, click Server Manager, click Tools, and then click Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager.

    • If you are using Windows 8 or Windows 8.1:

      • Hold down the Windows key, press the letter X, and then click Control Panel.
      • Click Administrative Tools, and then double-click Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager.

    • If you are using Windows Server 2008 or Windows Server 2008 R2:

      • On the taskbar, click Start, point to Administrative Tools, and then click Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager.

    • If you are using Windows Vista or Windows 7:

      • On the taskbar, click Start, and then click Control Panel.
      • Double-click Administrative Tools, and then double-click Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager.

  2. In the Connections pane, expand the server name, expand Sites, and go to the level in the hierarchy pane that you want to configure, and then click the Web site or Web application.

  3. Scroll to the Security section in the Home pane, and then double-click Authentication.

  4. In the Authentication pane, select Anonymous Authentication, and then click Disable in the Actions pane.
    Screenshot that shows the Authentication pane in the I I S Manager.

How to change anonymous authentication credentials from the IUSR account

  1. Open Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager:

    • If you are using Windows Server 2012 or Windows Server 2012 R2:

      • On the taskbar, click Server Manager, click Tools, and then click Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager.

    • If you are using Windows 8 or Windows 8.1:

      • Hold down the Windows key, press the letter X, and then click Control Panel.
      • Click Administrative Tools, and then double-click Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager.

    • If you are using Windows Server 2008 or Windows Server 2008 R2:

      • On the taskbar, click Start, point to Administrative Tools, and then click Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager.

    • If you are using Windows Vista or Windows 7:

      • On the taskbar, click Start, and then click Control Panel.
      • Double-click Administrative Tools, and then double-click Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager.

  2. In the Connections pane, expand the server name, expand Sites, and navigate to the level in the hierarchy pane that you want to configure, and then click the Web site or Web application.

  3. Scroll to the Security section in the Home pane, and then double-click Authentication.

  4. In the Authentication pane, select Anonymous Authentication, and then click Edit... in the Actions pane.

  5. In the Edit Anonymous Authentication Credentials dialog box, do one of the following:

    • Select Application pool identity to use the identity set for the application pool, and then click OK.
      Screenshot that shows the Edit Anonymous Authentication Credentials dialog box. Application pool identity is selected.

    • Click Set..., and then in the Set Credentials dialog box, enter the user name for the account in the User name box, enter the password for the account in the Password and Confirm password boxes, click OK, and then click OK again.
      Screenshot that shows the Set Credentials dialog box.

      Note

      If you use this procedure, only grant the new account minimal privileges on the IIS server computer.

How to enable basic authentication and disable anonymous authentication

  1. Open Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager:

    • If you are using Windows Server 2012 or Windows Server 2012 R2:

      • On the taskbar, click Server Manager, click Tools, and then click Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager.

    • If you are using Windows 8 or Windows 8.1:

      • Hold down the Windows key, press the letter X, and then click Control Panel.
      • Click Administrative Tools, and then double-click Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager.

    • If you are using Windows Server 2008 or Windows Server 2008 R2:

      • On the taskbar, click Start, point to Administrative Tools, and then click Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager.

    • If you are using Windows Vista or Windows 7:

      • On the taskbar, click Start, and then click Control Panel.
      • Double-click Administrative Tools, and then double-click Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager.

  2. In the Connections pane, expand the server name, expand Sites, and then click the site, application or Web service for which you want to enable basic authentication.

  3. Scroll to the Security section in the Home pane, and then double-click Authentication.

  4. In the Authentication pane, select Basic Authentication, and then, in the Actions pane, click Enable.

  5. In the Authentication pane, select Anonymous Authentication, and then click Disable in the Actions pane.
    Screenshot that shows the Authentication pane. Anonymous Authentication is selected. The Actions pane lists Disabled and Edit.

How to require Secure Sockets Layer

  1. Open Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager:

    • If you are using Windows Server 2012 or Windows Server 2012 R2:

      • On the taskbar, click Server Manager, click Tools, and then click Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager.

    • If you are using Windows 8 or Windows 8.1:

      • Hold down the Windows key, press the letter X, and then click Control Panel.
      • Click Administrative Tools, and then double-click Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager.

    • If you are using Windows Server 2008 or Windows Server 2008 R2:

      • On the taskbar, click Start, point to Administrative Tools, and then click Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager.

    • If you are using Windows Vista or Windows 7:

      • On the taskbar, click Start, and then click Control Panel.
      • Double-click Administrative Tools, and then double-click Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager.

  2. In the Connections pane, go to the site, application, or directory for which you want to configure SSL requirements. You cannot configure SSL at the server level.

  3. In the Home pane, double-click SSL Settings.
    Screenshot shows the Default Web Site Home pane, with S S L Settings selected.

  4. In the SSL Settings pane, click Require SSL.

  5. In the Actions pane, click Apply.

How to enable Windows authentication for a Web site, Web application, or Web service

  1. Open Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager:

    • If you are using Windows Server 2012 or Windows Server 2012 R2:

      • On the taskbar, click Server Manager, click Tools, and then click Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager.

    • If you are using Windows 8 or Windows 8.1:

      • Hold down the Windows key, press the letter X, and then click Control Panel.
      • Click Administrative Tools, and then double-click Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager.

    • If you are using Windows Server 2008 or Windows Server 2008 R2:

      • On the taskbar, click Start, point to Administrative Tools, and then click Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager.

    • If you are using Windows Vista or Windows 7:

      • On the taskbar, click Start, and then click Control Panel.
      • Double-click Administrative Tools, and then double-click Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager.

  2. In the Connections pane, expand the server name, expand Sites, and then the site, application, or Web service for which you want to enable Windows authentication.

  3. Scroll to the Security section in the Home pane, and then double-click Authentication.

  4. In the Authentication pane, select Windows Authentication, and then click Enable in the Actions pane.
    Screenshot shows the Authentication pane, with Windows Authentication selected.

Configuration

When you configure security settings, the configuration XML must include the <security> section group. You can configure security settings at the server level in the ApplicationHost.config file, or at the site level, application level, or directory level in the appropriate Web.config file.

Attributes

None.

Child Elements

Element Description
access Optional element.

Specifies configuration settings for Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) such as whether to use client certificates for authentication and crypto strength.
applicationDependencies Optional element.

Specifies an application that has dependencies to one or more CGI or ISAPI extension restrictions.
authentication Optional element.

Specifies authentication-related settings.
authorization Optional element.

Specifies authorization-related settings.
dynamicIpSecurity Optional element.

Specifies dynamic IP restrictions that block any IP address that meets a set of criteria.
ipSecurity Optional element.

Specifies access restrictions based on the IP version 4 address or DNS domain name.
isapiCgiRestriction Optional element.

Specifies settings that restrict which CGI and ISAPI programs are allowed to run on the server.
requestFiltering Optional element.

Specifies configuration settings for request filtering.

Configuration Sample

The following example configures the authentication, SSL, and request filtering settings for a Web site named Contoso.

<location path="Contoso">
   <system.webServer>
      <security>
         <authentication>
            <windowsAuthentication enabled="true" />
            <basicAuthentication enabled="false" />
            <anonymousAuthentication enabled="false" />
         </authentication>
         <access sslFlags="Ssl, SslNegotiateCert, Ssl128" />
         <requestFiltering>
            <fileExtensions>
               <add fileExtension=".inc" allowed="false" />
            </fileExtensions>
            <denyUrlSequences>
               <add sequence="_vti_bin" />
               <add sequence="_vti_cnf" />
               <add sequence="_vti_pvt" />
            </denyUrlSequences>
         </requestFiltering>
      </security>
   </system.webServer>
</location>

Sample Code

The following examples disable Anonymous authentication for a site named Contoso, then enable both Basic authentication and Windows authentication for the site.

AppCmd.exe

appcmd.exe set config "Contoso" -section:system.webServer/security/authentication/anonymousAuthentication /enabled:"False" /commit:apphost

appcmd.exe set config "Contoso" -section:system.webServer/security/authentication/basicAuthentication /enabled:"True" /commit:apphost

appcmd.exe set config "Contoso" -section:system.webServer/security/authentication/windowsAuthentication /enabled:"True" /commit:apphost

Note

You must be sure to set the commit parameter to apphost when you use AppCmd.exe to configure these settings. This commits the configuration settings to the appropriate location section in the ApplicationHost.config file.

C#

using System;
using System.Text;
using Microsoft.Web.Administration;

internal static class Sample {

   private static void Main() {

      using(ServerManager serverManager = new ServerManager()) { 
         Configuration config = serverManager.GetApplicationHostConfiguration();

         ConfigurationSection anonymousAuthenticationSection = config.GetSection("system.webServer/security/authentication/anonymousAuthentication", "Contoso");
         anonymousAuthenticationSection["enabled"] = false;

         ConfigurationSection basicAuthenticationSection = config.GetSection("system.webServer/security/authentication/basicAuthentication", "Contoso");
         basicAuthenticationSection["enabled"] = true;

         ConfigurationSection windowsAuthenticationSection = config.GetSection("system.webServer/security/authentication/windowsAuthentication", "Contoso");
         windowsAuthenticationSection["enabled"] = true;

         serverManager.CommitChanges();
      }
   }
}

VB.NET

Imports System
Imports System.Text
Imports Microsoft.Web.Administration

Module Sample
   Sub Main()
      Dim serverManager As ServerManager = New ServerManager
      Dim config As Configuration = serverManager.GetApplicationHostConfiguration

      Dim anonymousAuthenticationSection As ConfigurationSection = config.GetSection("system.webServer/security/authentication/anonymousAuthentication", "Contoso")
      anonymousAuthenticationSection("enabled") = False

      Dim basicAuthenticationSection As ConfigurationSection = config.GetSection("system.webServer/security/authentication/basicAuthentication", "Contoso")
      basicAuthenticationSection("enabled") = True

      Dim windowsAuthenticationSection As ConfigurationSection = config.GetSection("system.webServer/security/authentication/windowsAuthentication", "Contoso")
      windowsAuthenticationSection("enabled") = True

      serverManager.CommitChanges()
   End Sub
End Module

JavaScript

var adminManager = new ActiveXObject('Microsoft.ApplicationHost.WritableAdminManager');
adminManager.CommitPath = "MACHINE/WEBROOT/APPHOST";

var anonymousAuthenticationSection = adminManager.GetAdminSection("system.webServer/security/authentication/anonymousAuthentication", "MACHINE/WEBROOT/APPHOST/Contoso");
anonymousAuthenticationSection.Properties.Item("enabled").Value = false;

var basicAuthenticationSection = adminManager.GetAdminSection("system.webServer/security/authentication/basicAuthentication", "MACHINE/WEBROOT/APPHOST/Contoso");
basicAuthenticationSection.Properties.Item("enabled").Value = true;

var windowsAuthenticationSection = adminManager.GetAdminSection("system.webServer/security/authentication/windowsAuthentication", "MACHINE/WEBROOT/APPHOST/Contoso");
windowsAuthenticationSection.Properties.Item("enabled").Value = true;

adminManager.CommitChanges();

VBScript

Set adminManager = CreateObject("Microsoft.ApplicationHost.WritableAdminManager")
adminManager.CommitPath = "MACHINE/WEBROOT/APPHOST"

Set anonymousAuthenticationSection = adminManager.GetAdminSection("system.webServer/security/authentication/anonymousAuthentication", "MACHINE/WEBROOT/APPHOST/Contoso")
anonymousAuthenticationSection.Properties.Item("enabled").Value = False

Set basicAuthenticationSection = adminManager.GetAdminSection("system.webServer/security/authentication/basicAuthentication", "MACHINE/WEBROOT/APPHOST/Contoso")
basicAuthenticationSection.Properties.Item("enabled").Value = True

Set windowsAuthenticationSection = adminManager.GetAdminSection("system.webServer/security/authentication/windowsAuthentication", "MACHINE/WEBROOT/APPHOST/Contoso")
windowsAuthenticationSection.Properties.Item("enabled").Value = True

adminManager.CommitChanges()