Enable Certificate Padding
Verified with Microsoft Security Baseline (MSS / SecGuide) 25H2 — updated on July 10, 2026
Supported on: At least Windows Server 2008 R2 or Windows 7
Path in the GPO console
Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\MS Security Guide Description
Enabling this setting will cause the WinVerifyTrust function to perform strict Windows Authenticode signature verification for Portable Executable files (PE files). After you opt in, PE files will be considered "unsigned" if Windows identifies content in them that does not conform to the Authenticode specification. This may impact some installers. If you are using an installer that is impacted, Microsoft recommends using an installer that only extracts content from validated portions of the signed file. Reference: https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2013-3900
Registry
HKLM
Software\Microsoft\Cryptography\Wintrust\Config This policy sets several registry values:
EnableCertPaddingCheck Enabled:
EnableCertPaddingCheck = 1 Disabled:
EnableCertPaddingCheck = 0 EnableCertPaddingCheck Config Enabled:
EnableCertPaddingCheck = 1 Disabled:
EnableCertPaddingCheck = 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: Enable Certificate Padding
; State: Enabled
; Supported on: At least Windows Server 2008 R2 or Windows 7
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Cryptography\Wintrust\Config]
"EnableCertPaddingCheck"=dword:00000001
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Cryptography\Wintrust\Config]
"EnableCertPaddingCheck"=dword:00000001More formats (PowerShell, Intune, SCCM)
PowerShell
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Enable Certificate Padding
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2008 R2 or Windows 7
$path = 'HKLM:\Software\Microsoft\Cryptography\Wintrust\Config'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'EnableCertPaddingCheck' -Value 1 -Type DWord
$path = 'HKLM:\Software\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Cryptography\Wintrust\Config'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'EnableCertPaddingCheck' -Value 1 -Type DWordIntune XML
No direct Policy CSP / OMA-URI mapping for this policy. Use the Intune Remediation tab, or ingest the ADMX in Intune.Intune Remediation
# === Detection script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Enable Certificate Padding
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2008 R2 or Windows 7
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
}
$checks = @(
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Microsoft\Cryptography\Wintrust\Config' -Name 'EnableCertPaddingCheck' -Expected 1 -Kind DWord)
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Cryptography\Wintrust\Config' -Name 'EnableCertPaddingCheck' -Expected 1 -Kind DWord)
)
if ($checks -notcontains $false) {
Write-Output 'Compliant'
exit 0
}
Write-Output 'Non-compliant'
exit 1
# === Remediation script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Enable Certificate Padding
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2008 R2 or Windows 7
$path = 'HKLM:\Software\Microsoft\Cryptography\Wintrust\Config'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'EnableCertPaddingCheck' -Value 1 -Type DWord
$path = 'HKLM:\Software\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Cryptography\Wintrust\Config'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'EnableCertPaddingCheck' -Value 1 -Type DWordSCCM scripts
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Enable Certificate Padding
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2008 R2 or Windows 7
# 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: Enable Certificate Padding
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2008 R2 or Windows 7
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
}
$checks = @(
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Microsoft\Cryptography\Wintrust\Config' -Name 'EnableCertPaddingCheck' -Expected 1 -Kind DWord)
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Cryptography\Wintrust\Config' -Name 'EnableCertPaddingCheck' -Expected 1 -Kind DWord)
)
if ($checks -notcontains $false) {
Write-Output 'Compliant'
exit 0
}
Write-Output 'Non-compliant'
exit 1
# === Remediation script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Enable Certificate Padding
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2008 R2 or Windows 7
$path = 'HKLM:\Software\Microsoft\Cryptography\Wintrust\Config'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'EnableCertPaddingCheck' -Value 1 -Type DWord
$path = 'HKLM:\Software\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Cryptography\Wintrust\Config'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'EnableCertPaddingCheck' -Value 1 -Type DWordBuilding a multi-setting collection? Add this setting and generate combined .reg / PowerShell / GPO scripts.