Selectively allow the evaluation of a symbolic link
Verified with Windows 11 25H2 — updated on July 30, 2026
Supported on: At least Windows Vista
Path in the GPO console
Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\System\File System Description
Symbolic links can introduce vulnerabilities in certain applications. To mitigate this issue, you can selectively enable or disable the evaluation of these types of symbolic links: Local Link to a Local Target Local Link to a Remote Target Remote Link to Remote Target Remote Link to Local Target For further information please refer to the Windows Help section NOTE: If this policy is Disabled or Not Configured, local administrators may select the types of symbolic links to be evaluated.
Registry
HKLM
Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Filesystems\NTFS Value name: SymLinkState
Enabled: SymLinkState = 1
Disabled: SymLinkState = 0
MDM / Intune (CSP)
./Device/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/ADMX_FileSys/SymlinkEvaluation Microsoft Learn documentation Mapping data: Microsoft Learn (CC BY 4.0)
Export Builder
BETAConfigure the state, scope and options, then generate .reg, PowerShell, Intune and SCCM outputs — or add the setting to a multi-setting collection.
These exports write the registry — this is not a managed GPO. ⓘ
.reg file
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
; Exported from gporais.com
; Policy: Selectively allow the evaluation of a symbolic link
; State: Enabled
; Supported on: At least Windows Vista
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Filesystems\NTFS]
"SymLinkState"=dword:00000001
"SymlinkLocalToLocalEvaluation"=dword:00000000
"SymlinkLocalToRemoteEvaluation"=dword:00000000
"SymlinkRemoteToRemoteEvaluation"=dword:00000000
"SymlinkRemoteToLocalEvaluation"=dword:00000000More formats (PowerShell, Intune, SCCM)
PowerShell
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Selectively allow the evaluation of a symbolic link
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Vista
$path = 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Filesystems\NTFS'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'SymLinkState' -Value 1 -Type DWord
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'SymlinkLocalToLocalEvaluation' -Value 0 -Type DWord
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'SymlinkLocalToRemoteEvaluation' -Value 0 -Type DWord
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'SymlinkRemoteToRemoteEvaluation' -Value 0 -Type DWord
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'SymlinkRemoteToLocalEvaluation' -Value 0 -Type DWordIntune XML
OMA-URI: ./Device/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/ADMX_FileSys/SymlinkEvaluation
Data type: String
Value:
<enabled/>
<data id="SymLinkClassL2L" value="0"/>
<data id="SymLinkClassL2R" value="0"/>
<data id="SymLinkClassR2R" value="0"/>
<data id="SymLinkClassR2L" value="0"/>Intune Remediation
# === Detection script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Selectively allow the evaluation of a symbolic link
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Vista
function Test-RegistryValue {
param(
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string]$Path,
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string]$Name,
[object]$Expected,
[ValidateSet('String', 'DWord', 'MultiString')][string]$Kind = 'String',
[switch]$Absent
)
try {
$item = Get-ItemProperty -LiteralPath $Path -Name $Name -ErrorAction Stop
} catch {
return $Absent.IsPresent
}
if ($Absent.IsPresent) { return $false }
$actual = $item.$Name
if ($Kind -eq 'DWord') { return ([int64]$actual) -eq ([int64]$Expected) }
if ($Kind -eq 'MultiString') {
$actualValues = @($actual)
$expectedValues = @($Expected)
if ($actualValues.Count -ne $expectedValues.Count) { return $false }
for ($i = 0; $i -lt $expectedValues.Count; $i++) {
if ([string]$actualValues[$i] -ne [string]$expectedValues[$i]) { return $false }
}
return $true
}
return [string]$actual -eq [string]$Expected
}
$checks = @(
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Filesystems\NTFS' -Name 'SymLinkState' -Expected 1 -Kind DWord)
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Filesystems\NTFS' -Name 'SymlinkLocalToLocalEvaluation' -Expected 0 -Kind DWord)
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Filesystems\NTFS' -Name 'SymlinkLocalToRemoteEvaluation' -Expected 0 -Kind DWord)
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Filesystems\NTFS' -Name 'SymlinkRemoteToRemoteEvaluation' -Expected 0 -Kind DWord)
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Filesystems\NTFS' -Name 'SymlinkRemoteToLocalEvaluation' -Expected 0 -Kind DWord)
)
if ($checks -notcontains $false) {
Write-Output 'Compliant'
exit 0
}
Write-Output 'Non-compliant'
exit 1
# === Remediation script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Selectively allow the evaluation of a symbolic link
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Vista
$path = 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Filesystems\NTFS'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'SymLinkState' -Value 1 -Type DWord
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'SymlinkLocalToLocalEvaluation' -Value 0 -Type DWord
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'SymlinkLocalToRemoteEvaluation' -Value 0 -Type DWord
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'SymlinkRemoteToRemoteEvaluation' -Value 0 -Type DWord
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'SymlinkRemoteToLocalEvaluation' -Value 0 -Type DWordSCCM scripts
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Selectively allow the evaluation of a symbolic link
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Vista
# SCCM Configuration Item guidance:
# Create a Configuration Item of type "Setting: Script".
# Discovery script: use the Detection script below.
# Remediation script: use the Remediation script below.
# Compliance rule: the Discovery script output equals 'Compliant'.
# === Detection script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Selectively allow the evaluation of a symbolic link
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Vista
function Test-RegistryValue {
param(
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string]$Path,
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string]$Name,
[object]$Expected,
[ValidateSet('String', 'DWord', 'MultiString')][string]$Kind = 'String',
[switch]$Absent
)
try {
$item = Get-ItemProperty -LiteralPath $Path -Name $Name -ErrorAction Stop
} catch {
return $Absent.IsPresent
}
if ($Absent.IsPresent) { return $false }
$actual = $item.$Name
if ($Kind -eq 'DWord') { return ([int64]$actual) -eq ([int64]$Expected) }
if ($Kind -eq 'MultiString') {
$actualValues = @($actual)
$expectedValues = @($Expected)
if ($actualValues.Count -ne $expectedValues.Count) { return $false }
for ($i = 0; $i -lt $expectedValues.Count; $i++) {
if ([string]$actualValues[$i] -ne [string]$expectedValues[$i]) { return $false }
}
return $true
}
return [string]$actual -eq [string]$Expected
}
$checks = @(
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Filesystems\NTFS' -Name 'SymLinkState' -Expected 1 -Kind DWord)
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Filesystems\NTFS' -Name 'SymlinkLocalToLocalEvaluation' -Expected 0 -Kind DWord)
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Filesystems\NTFS' -Name 'SymlinkLocalToRemoteEvaluation' -Expected 0 -Kind DWord)
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Filesystems\NTFS' -Name 'SymlinkRemoteToRemoteEvaluation' -Expected 0 -Kind DWord)
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Filesystems\NTFS' -Name 'SymlinkRemoteToLocalEvaluation' -Expected 0 -Kind DWord)
)
if ($checks -notcontains $false) {
Write-Output 'Compliant'
exit 0
}
Write-Output 'Non-compliant'
exit 1
# === Remediation script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Selectively allow the evaluation of a symbolic link
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Vista
$path = 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Filesystems\NTFS'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'SymLinkState' -Value 1 -Type DWord
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'SymlinkLocalToLocalEvaluation' -Value 0 -Type DWord
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'SymlinkLocalToRemoteEvaluation' -Value 0 -Type DWord
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'SymlinkRemoteToRemoteEvaluation' -Value 0 -Type DWord
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'SymlinkRemoteToLocalEvaluation' -Value 0 -Type DWordBuilding a multi-setting collection? Add this setting and generate combined .reg / PowerShell / GPO scripts.