The Exchange Internet Message Access Protocol 4 (IMAP4) service must be disabled.

Severity	Group ID	Group Title	Version	Rule ID	Date	STIG Version
medium	V-228371	SRG-APP-000141	EX16-MB-000180	SV-228371r944805_rule	2023-12-18	2

Description
IMAP4 is not approved for use within the DoD. It uses a clear-text-based user name and password and does not support the DoD standard for PKI for email access. User name and password could easily be captured from the network, allowing a malicious user to access other system features. Uninstalling or disabling the service will prevent the use of the IMAP4 protocol.

ℹ️ Check
Note: This requirement applies to IMAP4. IMAP Secure is not restricted and does not apply to this requirement. Open the Windows Power Shell and enter the following command: Get-ItemProperty 'hklm:\system\currentcontrolset\services\MSExchangeIMAP4' \| Select Start Note: The hklm:\system\currentcontrolset\services\MSExchangeIMAP4 value must be in single quotes. If the value of "Start" is not set to "4", this is a finding.

ℹ️ Check

Note: This requirement applies to IMAP4. IMAP Secure is not restricted and does not apply to this requirement. Open the Windows Power Shell and enter the following command: Get-ItemProperty 'hklm:\system\currentcontrolset\services\MSExchangeIMAP4' | Select Start Note: The hklm:\system\currentcontrolset\services\MSExchangeIMAP4 value must be in single quotes. If the value of "Start" is not set to "4", this is a finding.

✔️ Fix
Open the Windows Power Shell and enter the following command: services.msc Navigate to and double-click on "Microsoft Exchange IMAP4". Click on the "General" tab. In the "Startup Type" dropdown, select "Disabled". Click the "OK" button.