This article describes how and where Internet Explorer security zones and privacy settings are stored and managed in the registry. You can use Group Policy or the Microsoft Internet Explorer Administration Kit (IEAK) to set security zones and privacy settings. If you are using Group Policy or IEAK on a Microsoft Windows 2000-based computer, you may have to install several hotfixes to set security zones and privacy settings.
If the Security Zones: Use only machine settings setting in Group Policy is enabled, or if the Security_HKLM_only DWORD value is present and has a value of 1 in the following registry key, only local computer settings are used and all users have the same security settings:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings
With the Security_HKLM_only policy enabled, HKLM values will be used by Internet Explorer, but the HKCU values will still be displayed in the zone settings on the Security tab in Internet Explorer. This is by design and there are no plans to change this functionality.
If the Security Zones: Use only machine settings setting is not enabled in Group Policy, or if the Security_HKLM_only DWORD value does not exist or is set to 0, computer settings are used along with user settings. However, only user settings appear in the Internet Options. For example, when this DWORD value does not exist or is set to 0, HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE settings are read along with HKEY_CURRENT_USER settings, but only HKEY_CURRENT_USER settings appear in the Internet Options.
Note With the Security_HKLM_only policy enabled, HKLM values will be used by Internet Explorer, but the HKCU values will still be displayed in the zone setting tab within the Internet Explorer Interface. This is by design, and there are no plans to change this functionality at this time.
TemplatePolicies
The TemplatePolicies key determines the settings of the default security zone levels (Low, Medium Low, Medium, and High). You can change the security level settings from the default settings. However, you cannot add additional security levels. The keys contain values that determine the setting for the security zone. Each key contains a Description string value and a Display Name string value that determine the text that appears on the Security tab for each security level.
ZoneMap
The ZoneMap key contains the following keys: • Domains
• ProtocolDefaults
• Ranges
The Domains key contains domains and protocols that have been added to change their behavior from the default behavior. When a domain is added, a key is added to the Domains key. Subdomains appear as keys under the domain where they belong. Each key that lists a domain contains a DWORD with a value name of the affected protocol. The value of the DWORD is the same as the numeric value of the security zone where the domain is added.
The ProtocolDefaults key specifies the default security zone that is used for a particular protocol (ftp, http, https). To change the default setting, you can either add a protocol to a security zone by clicking Add Sites on the Security tab, or you can add a DWORD value under the Domains key. The name of the DWORD value must match the protocol name, and it must not contain any colons (:) or slashes (/).
The ProtocolDefaults key also contains DWORD values that specify the default security zones where a protocol is used. You cannot use the controls on the Security tab to change these values. This setting is used when a particular Web site does not fall in a security zone.
The Ranges key contains ranges of TCP/IP addresses. Each TCP/IP range that you specify appears in an arbitrarily named key. This key contains a string value (:Range) that contains the specified TCP/IP range. For each protocol, a DWORD value is added that contains the numeric value of the security zone for the specified IP range.
When the Urlmon.dll file uses the MapUrlToZone public function to resolve a particular URL to a security zone, it uses one of the following methods: • If the URL contains a fully qualified domain name (FQDN), the Domains key is processed.
In this method, an exact site match overrides a random match.
• If the URL contains an IP address, the Ranges key is processed. The IP address of the URL is compared to the :Range value that is contained in each of the arbitrarily named keys under the Ranges key.
Note Because arbitrarily named keys are processed in the order that they were added to the registry, this method may find a random match before it finds an exact match. If so, the URL may be executed in a different security zone than the zone where it is typically assigned. This behavior is by design.
Zones
The Zones key contains keys that represent each security zone that is defined for the computer. By default, the following five zones are defined (numbered zero through four): Value Setting
------------------------------
0 My Computer
1 Local Intranet Zone
2 Trusted sites Zone
3 Internet Zone
4 Restricted Sites Zone
Note By default, My Computer does not appear in the Zone box on the Security tab.
Each of these keys contains the following DWORD values that represent corresponding settings on the custom Security tab.
Note Unless stated otherwise, each DWORD value is equal to zero, one, or three. Typically, a setting of zero sets a specific action as permitted, a setting of one causes a prompt to appear, and a setting of three does not allow the specific action. Value Setting
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
1001 Download signed ActiveX controls
1004 Download unsigned ActiveX controls
1200 Run ActiveX controls and plug-ins
1201 Initialize and script ActiveX controls not marked as safe
1206 Allow scripting of Internet Explorer Webbrowser control
1400 Active scripting
1402 Scripting of Java applets
1405 Script ActiveX controls marked as safe for scripting
1406 Access data sources across domains
1407 Allow paste operations via script
1601 Submit non-encrypted form data
1604 Font download
1605 Run Java
1606 Userdata persistence
1607 Navigate sub-frames across different domains
1608 Allow META REFRESH *
1609 Display mixed content *
1800 Installation of desktop items
1802 Drag and drop or copy and paste files
1803 File Download
1804 Launching programs and files in an IFRAME
1805 Launching programs and files in webview
1806 Launching applications and unsafe files
1807 Reserved **
1808 Reserved **
1809 Use Pop-up Blocker **
1A00 Logon
1A02 Allow persistent cookies that are stored on your computer
1A03 Allow per-session cookies (not stored)
1A04 Don't prompt for client certificate selection when no
certificates or only one certificate exists *
1A05 Allow 3rd party persistent cookies *
1A06 Allow 3rd party session cookies *
1A10 Privacy Settings *
1C00 Java permissions
1E05 Software channel permissions
1F00 Reserved **
2000 Binary and script behaviors
2001 Run .NET components signed with Authenticode
2004 Run .NET components not signed with Authenticode
2100 Open files based on content, not file extension **
2101 Web sites in less priveleged web content zone can navigate into this zone **
2102 Allow script initiated windows without size or position constraints **
2200 Automatic prompting for file downloads **
2201 Automatic prompting for ActiveX controls **
2300 Allow web pages to use restricted protocols for active content **
{AEBA21FA-782A-4A90-978D-B72164C80120} First Party Cookie *
{A8A88C49-5EB2-4990-A1A2-0876022C854F} Third Party Cookie *
* indicates an Internet Explorer 6 or later setting
** indicates a Windows XP Service Pack 2 or later setting
Notes about 1200, 1803, 1A00, 1A10, 1E05, and 1C00
Run ActiveX controls and plug-ins (1200) has an extra setting named Administrator approved. When this setting is turned on, the DWORD value is 00010000. When this setting is turned on, the following registry key is checked for a list of approved controls:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings\AllowedControls
There is no prompt setting for File Download (1803) because it is either allowed or not allowed.
Logon setting (1A00) may have any one of the following values (hexadecimal): Value Setting
---------------------------------------------------------------
0x00000000 Automatically logon with current username and password
0x00010000 Prompt for user name and password
0x00020000 Automatic logon only in the Intranet zone
0x00030000 Anonymous logon
Privacy Settings (1A10) is used by the Privacy tab slider. The DWORD values are:
Block All Cookies: 00000003
High: 00000001
Medium High: 00000001
Medium: 00000001
Low: 00000001
Accept all Cookies: 00000000
Based on the settings in the slider it will also modify the values in {A8A88C49-5EB2-4990-A1A2-0876022C854F} or {AEBA21Fa-782A-4A90-978D-B72164C80120} or both appropriately.
Software channel permissions (1E05) has 3 different values; high, low, and medium safety. Values for these are:
high: 00010000
medium: 00020000
low: 00030000
The Java Permissions setting (1C00) has the following five possible values (binary): Value Setting
-----------------------
00 00 00 00 Disable Java
00 00 01 00 High safety
00 00 02 00 Medium safety
00 00 03 00 Low safety
00 00 80 00 Custom
If Custom is selected, it uses {7839DA25-F5FE-11D0-883B-0080C726DCBB} (that is located in the same registry location) to store the custom information in a binary.
Each security zone contains the Description string value and the Display Name string value. The text of these values appears on the Security tab when you click a zone in the Zone box. There is also an Icon string value that sets the icon that appears for each zone. Except for the My Computer zone, each zone contains a CurrentLevel, MinLevel, and RecommendedLevel DWORD value. The MinLevel value sets the lowest setting that can be used before you receive a warning message, CurrentLevel is the current setting for the zone, and RecomendedLevel is the recommended level for the zone.
What values for Minlevel, RecommendedLevel, and CurrentLevel mean: Value (Hexadecimal) Setting
----------------------------------
0x00010000 Low Security
0x00010500 Medium Low Security
0x00011000 Medium Security
0x00012000 High Security
The Flags DWORD value determines the ability of the user to modify the security zone's properties. To determine the Flags value, add the numbers of the appropriate settings together. The following Flags values are available (decimal): Value Setting
------------------------------------------------------------------
1 Allow changes to custom settings
2 Allow users to add Web sites to this zone
4 Require verified Web sites (https protocol)
8 Include Web sites that bypass the proxy server
16 Include Web sites not listed in other zones
32 Do not show security zone in Internet Properties (default
setting for My Computer)
64 Show the Requires Server Verification dialog box
128 Treat Universal Naming Connections (UNCs) as intranet
connections
If you add settings to both the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE and the HKEY_CURRENT_USER keys, the settings are additive. If you add Web sites to both keys, only those Web sites in the HKEY_CURRENT_USER are visible. The Web sites in the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE key are still enforced according to their settings, but they are not available, and you cannot modify them. This situation can be confusing because a Web site may be listed in only one security zone for each protocol.
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Internet Explorer 3.x
The security settings for Internet Explorer 3.x are kept in two sections, one for changing options and one for level.
Options that are enabled or disabled are located in the following registry keys:
HKEY_USERS\.Default\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings
The specific options under the Security tab are:
Allow downloading of active content
String - "Code Download"
Values - Yes (checked) or No (unchecked)
Enable ActiveX controls and plug-ins
Binary - "Security_RunActiveXControls"
Values - Checked=hex:01,00,00,00 Unchecked=hex:00,00,00,00
Run ActiveX scripts
Binary - "Security_RunScripts"
Values - Checked=hex:01,00,00,00 Unchecked=hex:00,00,00,00
Enable Java programs
Binary - "Security_RunJavaApplets"
Values - Checked=hex:01,00,00,00 Unchecked=hex:00,00,00,00
The settings for the safety levels are located in the following registry keys:
HKEY_USERS\.Default\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings
HKEY_USERS\.default\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Security
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Security
The options for the registry listings are:
High
String = "Trust Warning Level"
Value = "High"
String = "Safety Warning Level"
Value = "FailInform"
Medium
String = "Trust Warning Level"
Value = "Medium"
String = "Safety Warning Level"
Value = "Query"
None
String = "Trust Warning Level"
Value ="No Security"
String = "Safety Warning Level"
Value ="SucceedSilent"