Network access: Let Everyone permissions apply to anonymous users
Applies to
- Windows 11
- Windows 10
Describes the best practices, location, values, policy management and security considerations for the Network access: Let Everyone permissions apply to anonymous users security policy setting.
Reference
This policy setting determines what other permissions are granted for anonymous connections to the device. If you enable this policy setting, anonymous users can enumerate the names of domain accounts and shared folders and perform certain other activities. This capability is convenient, for example, when an administrator wants to grant access to users in a trusted domain that doesn't maintain a reciprocal trust.
By default, the token that is created for anonymous connections doesn't include the Everyone SID. Therefore, permissions that are assigned to the Everyone group don't apply to anonymous users.
Possible values
Enabled
The Everyone SID is added to the token that is created for anonymous connections, and anonymous users can access any resource for which the Everyone group has been assigned permissions.
Disabled
The Everyone SID is removed from the token that is created for anonymous connections.
Not defined
Best practices
- Set this policy to Disabled.
Location
Computer Configuration\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Local Polices\Security Options
Default values
The following table lists the actual and effective default values for this policy. 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 | Not defined |
| Stand-Alone Server Default Settings | Disabled |
| DC Effective Default Settings | Disabled |
| Member Server Effective Default Settings | Disabled |
| Client Computer Effective Default Settings | Disabled |
Policy management
This section describes features and tools that are available to help you manage this policy.
Restart requirement
None. Changes to this policy become effective without a device restart when they're saved locally or distributed through Group Policy.
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
An unauthorized user could anonymously list account names and shared resources and use the information to attempt to guess passwords, perform social engineering attacks, or launch DoS attacks.
Countermeasure
Disable the Network access: Let Everyone permissions apply to anonymous users setting.
Potential impact
None. This non-impact state is the default configuration.