Publisher Automation Security Level

UserNeeds changes for IntuneL_PublisherAutomationSecurityLevel

Supported on SUPPORTED_Windows7 (defined in the Windows templates)

5568.1000

What it does

This policy setting controls whether macros opened programmatically by another application can run in Publisher. If you enable this policy setting, you may choose an option for controlling macro behavior in Publisher when the application is opened programmatically: - Low (enabled): Macros can run in the programmatically opened application. - By UI (prompted): Macro functionality is determined by the setting in the "Macro Settings" section of the Trust Center. - High (disabled): All macros are disabled in the programmatically opened application. If you disable or do not configure this policy setting, Publisher will use the default Macro setting in Trust Center.

What it writes

Hive: HKEY_CURRENT_USER
Registry key: software\policies\microsoft\office\common\security

Why it needs changes for Intune

Policy references a Windows supportedOn definition.
ADMX-INTUNE-WINDOWS-SUPPORTEDON-REFERENCE

Security baselines

Microsoft's Microsoft 365 Apps for Enterprise 2512 sets this to Enabled, in its GPO “MSFT Microsoft 365 Apps v2512 - User”.

automationsecuritypublisher: Set to “By UI (prompted)” (2).

Read from the registry.pol files in the baselines' GPO backups, downloaded from Microsoft's Security Compliance Toolkit. All baselines

Options

Option	Type	Registry value	Allowed values
L_EmptyDefault: By UI (prompted)	Drop-down list	`automationsecuritypublisher`	Low (enabled)`1` By UI (prompted)`2` High (disabled)`3`

Configure and deploy

Choose a state and the option values; the output below is generated from the template for exactly that.

Enabled · User · template defaults

Registry file (.reg)

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\software\policies\microsoft\office\common\security]
"automationsecuritypublisher"=dword:00000002

PowerShell

$ErrorActionPreference = 'Stop'

function Set-RegistryValue {
    param(
        [Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string] $Path,
        [Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string] $Name,
        [Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string] $PropertyType,
        [Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][object] $Value
    )

    if (-not (Test-Path -LiteralPath $Path)) {
        New-Item -Path $Path -Force | Out-Null
    }

    New-ItemProperty -LiteralPath $Path -Name $Name -PropertyType $PropertyType -Value $Value -Force | Out-Null
}

function Remove-RegistryValue {
    param(
        [Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string] $Path,
        [Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string] $Name
    )

    if (Test-Path -LiteralPath $Path) {
        Remove-ItemProperty -LiteralPath $Path -Name $Name -Force -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
    }
}

function Clear-RegistryKeyValues {
    param(
        [Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string] $Path
    )

    if (-not (Test-Path -LiteralPath $Path)) {
        return
    }

    foreach ($propertyName in (Get-Item -LiteralPath $Path).Property) {
        Remove-ItemProperty -LiteralPath $Path -Name $propertyName -Force -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
    }
}

# Policy: Publisher Automation Security Level
# Name: L_PublisherAutomationSecurityLevel
# Scope: User
# State: Enabled
# Source: pub16.admx

Set-RegistryValue -Path 'Registry::HKEY_CURRENT_USER\software\policies\microsoft\office\common\security' -Name 'automationsecuritypublisher' -PropertyType 'DWord' -Value 2

The OMA-URI is an inferred ADMX-backed Policy CSP candidate derived from the source ADMX file name and policy name.
Some Microsoft policies use built-in Policy CSP pages whose area names don't match the ADMX file name, so verify the candidate against Microsoft Learn before deployment.

ADMX profile candidate (OMA-URI)

./User/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/ADMX_pub16/L_PublisherAutomationSecurityLevel

ADMX SyncML candidate

<SyncML xmlns="SYNCML:SYNCML1.2">
  <SyncBody>
    <Replace>
      <CmdID>1</CmdID>
      <Item>
        <Meta>
          <Format>chr</Format>
          <Type>text/plain</Type>
        </Meta>
        <Target>
          <LocURI>./User/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/ADMX_pub16/L_PublisherAutomationSecurityLevel</LocURI>
        </Target>
        <Data>&lt;enabled/&gt;
&lt;data id="L_Empty" value="1"/&gt;</Data>
      </Item>
    </Replace>
    <Final/>
  </SyncBody>
</SyncML>

Intune remediation scripts

Detection

$ErrorActionPreference = 'Stop'
$reasons = [System.Collections.Generic.List[string]]::new()

function Test-RegistryValueExists {
    param(
        [Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string] $Path,
        [Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string] $Name
    )

    if (-not (Test-Path -LiteralPath $Path)) {
        return $false
    }

    return $null -ne (Get-ItemProperty -LiteralPath $Path -Name $Name -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue)
}

function Test-RegistryValueEquals {
    param(
        [Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string] $Path,
        [Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string] $Name,
        [Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string] $Kind,
        [Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][object] $Expected
    )

    if (-not (Test-Path -LiteralPath $Path)) {
        return $false
    }

    $valueObject = Get-ItemProperty -LiteralPath $Path -Name $Name -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
    if ($null -eq $valueObject) {
        return $false
    }

    $actual = $valueObject.$Name
    switch ($Kind) {
        'String' { return [string]$actual -ceq [string]$Expected }
        'ExpandString' { return [string]$actual -ceq [string]$Expected }
        'DWord' { return [uint32]$actual -eq [uint32]$Expected }
        'QWord' { return [uint64]$actual -eq [uint64]$Expected }
        'MultiString' {
            $actualArray = @($actual)
            $expectedArray = @($Expected)
            if ($actualArray.Count -ne $expectedArray.Count) { return $false }
            for ($index = 0; $index -lt $actualArray.Count; $index++) {
                if ([string]$actualArray[$index] -cne [string]$expectedArray[$index]) { return $false }
            }
            return $true
        }
        'Binary' {
            $actualArray = [byte[]]$actual
            $expectedArray = [byte[]]$Expected
            if ($actualArray.Length -ne $expectedArray.Length) { return $false }
            for ($index = 0; $index -lt $actualArray.Length; $index++) {
                if ($actualArray[$index] -ne $expectedArray[$index]) { return $false }
            }
            return $true
        }
        default { return [string]$actual -ceq [string]$Expected }
    }
}

# Policy: Publisher Automation Security Level
# Name: L_PublisherAutomationSecurityLevel
# Scope: User
# State: Enabled
# Source: pub16.admx

$isMatch = Test-RegistryValueEquals -Path 'Registry::HKEY_CURRENT_USER\software\policies\microsoft\office\common\security' -Name 'automationsecuritypublisher' -Kind 'DWord' -Expected 2
if (-not $isMatch) {
    $reasons.Add('Value mismatch: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\software\policies\microsoft\office\common\security\automationsecuritypublisher') | Out-Null
}

if ($reasons.Count -eq 0) {
    Write-Output 'Compliant'
    exit 0
}

$reasons | ForEach-Object { Write-Output $_ }
exit 1

Remediation

$ErrorActionPreference = 'Stop'

function Set-RegistryValue {
    param(
        [Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string] $Path,
        [Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string] $Name,
        [Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string] $PropertyType,
        [Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][object] $Value
    )

    if (-not (Test-Path -LiteralPath $Path)) {
        New-Item -Path $Path -Force | Out-Null
    }

    New-ItemProperty -LiteralPath $Path -Name $Name -PropertyType $PropertyType -Value $Value -Force | Out-Null
}

function Remove-RegistryValue {
    param(
        [Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string] $Path,
        [Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string] $Name
    )

    if (Test-Path -LiteralPath $Path) {
        Remove-ItemProperty -LiteralPath $Path -Name $Name -Force -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
    }
}

function Clear-RegistryKeyValues {
    param(
        [Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string] $Path
    )

    if (-not (Test-Path -LiteralPath $Path)) {
        return
    }

    foreach ($propertyName in (Get-Item -LiteralPath $Path).Property) {
        Remove-ItemProperty -LiteralPath $Path -Name $propertyName -Force -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
    }
}

# Policy: Publisher Automation Security Level
# Name: L_PublisherAutomationSecurityLevel
# Scope: User
# State: Enabled
# Source: pub16.admx

Set-RegistryValue -Path 'Registry::HKEY_CURRENT_USER\software\policies\microsoft\office\common\security' -Name 'automationsecuritypublisher' -PropertyType 'DWord' -Value 2

History 1 retained release

5568.100010 Aug 2026
- Already present in the first release ChangeIntel keeps.

Template

Internal name: L_PublisherAutomationSecurityLevel
Namespace: pub16.Office.Microsoft.Policies.Windows
Template file: pub16.admx
Release: Microsoft 365 Apps 5568.1000 · file set 8be05d876aae137d…

Definition, editor controls and support

Definition

<policy Area="Security Baseline" AreaCategory="Macros" class="User" displayName="$(string.L_PublisherAutomationSecurityLevel)" explainText="$(string.L_PublisherAutomationSecurityLevelExplain)" key="software\policies\microsoft\office\common\security" name="L_PublisherAutomationSecurityLevel" presentation="$(presentation.L_PublisherAutomationSecurityLevel)" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/GroupPolicy/2006/07/PolicyDefinitions">
      <parentCategory ref="pub16.Office.Microsoft.Policies.Windows:L_Security" />
      <supportedOn ref="Microsoft.Policies.Windows:SUPPORTED_Windows7" />
      <elements>
        <enum id="L_Empty" valueName="automationsecuritypublisher">
          <item displayName="$(string.L_LowEnabled)">
            <value>
              <decimal value="1" />
            </value>
          </item>
          <item displayName="$(string.L_ByUIPrompted)">
            <value>
              <decimal value="2" />
            </value>
          </item>
          <item displayName="$(string.L_Highdisabled)">
            <value>
              <decimal value="3" />
            </value>
          </item>
        </enum>
      </elements>
    </policy>

Editor controls

<presentation id="L_PublisherAutomationSecurityLevel" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/GroupPolicy/2006/07/PolicyDefinitions">
        <dropdownList defaultItem="1" noSort="true" refId="L_Empty">
        </dropdownList>
      </presentation>

Supported platforms and category

pub16.Office.Microsoft.Policies.Windows:category:L_MicrosoftOfficePublisher
<category displayName="$(string.L_MicrosoftOfficePublisher)" name="L_MicrosoftOfficePublisher" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/GroupPolicy/2006/07/PolicyDefinitions" />
pub16.Office.Microsoft.Policies.Windows:category:L_Security
<category displayName="$(string.L_Security)" name="L_Security" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/GroupPolicy/2006/07/PolicyDefinitions">
      <parentCategory ref="pub16.Office.Microsoft.Policies.Windows:L_MicrosoftOfficePublisher" />
    </category>
pub16.Office.Microsoft.Policies.Windows:unresolved:Microsoft.Policies.Windows:SUPPORTED_Windows7
<unresolved reference="Microsoft.Policies.Windows:SUPPORTED_Windows7" />
pub16.Office.Microsoft.Policies.Windows:category:L_MicrosoftOfficePublisher
<category displayName="$(string.L_MicrosoftOfficePublisher)" name="L_MicrosoftOfficePublisher" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/GroupPolicy/2006/07/PolicyDefinitions" />
<strings><string id="pub16.Office.Microsoft.Policies.Windows:L_MicrosoftOfficePublisher">Microsoft Publisher 2016</string></strings>
pub16.Office.Microsoft.Policies.Windows:category:L_Security
<category displayName="$(string.L_Security)" name="L_Security" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/GroupPolicy/2006/07/PolicyDefinitions">
      <parentCategory ref="pub16.Office.Microsoft.Policies.Windows:L_MicrosoftOfficePublisher" />
    </category>
<strings><string id="pub16.Office.Microsoft.Policies.Windows:L_Security">Security</string></strings>