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User Account Control: Detect application installations and prompt for elevation

  • Article

Applies to

  • Windows 11
  • Windows 10

Describes the best practices, location, values, policy management and security considerations for the User Account Control: Detect application installations and prompt for elevation security policy setting.

Reference

This policy setting determines the behavior of application installation detection for the entire system. Some software might attempt to install itself after being given permission to run. The user may give permission for the program to run because the program is trusted. Then the user is prompted to install an unknown component. This security policy provides another way to identify and stop these attempted software installations before they can do damage.

Possible values

  • Enabled

    Application installation packages that require an elevation of privilege to install are detected and the user is prompted for administrative credentials.

  • Disabled

    Application installation packages that require an elevation of privilege to install aren't detected and the user isn't prompted for administrative credentials.

Best practices

  1. Installer detection is unnecessary when enterprises run standard user desktops that capitalize on delegated installation technologies like Group Policy Software Install (GPSI) or Configuration Manager. Therefore you can set this security policy to Disabled.
  2. Enable the User Account Control: Detect application installations and prompt for elevation setting so standard users must provide administrative credentials before software is installed.

Location

Computer Configuration\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Local Policies\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 Enabled
DC Effective Default Settings Enabled
Member Server Effective Default Settings Enabled
Client Computer Effective Default Settings Enabled

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

Some malicious software might attempt to install itself after being given permission to run, for example, malicious software with a trusted application shell. The user may give permission for the program to run because the program is trusted. Then the user is prompted to install an unknown component. This policy provides another way to trap the software before it can do damage.

Countermeasure

Enable the User Account Control: Detect application installations and prompt for elevation setting.

Potential impact

Users must provide administrative passwords to install programs.