HardeningKitty Deep Dive¶

Platform: Windows only | Binary: HardeningKitty.psm1 | Type: PowerShell hardening framework

Overview¶

HardeningKitty is a community-driven PowerShell module that audits Windows systems against various hardening standards, including CIS benchmarks.

How CISentinel Uses HardeningKitty¶

1. Installation¶

Downloaded directly from the GitHub repository:

https://raw.githubusercontent.com/scipag/HardeningKitty/master/HardeningKitty.psm1

Saved to: %LOCALAPPDATA%\cis-sentinel\tools\HardeningKitty.psm1

2. Policy File Selection¶

CISentinel's WindowsWrapper dynamically selects the appropriate CSV policy file based on the Windows version: - Windows 10 → Windows 10 hardening list - Windows 11 22H2 → Windows 11 22H2 hardening list - Windows Server 2022 → Server 2022 hardening list

3. Scan Execution¶

Import-Module .\HardeningKitty.psm1
Invoke-HardeningKitty -Mode Audit -Log -Report

4. Output Parsing¶

CISentinel parses the CSV output to extract: - Configuration item names - Expected vs. actual values - Pass/fail status - Severity levels

Requirements¶

• Windows OS (any desktop or server edition)
• PowerShell 5.1+ (included in Windows)
• Execution Policy: May need Set-ExecutionPolicy Bypass -Scope Process

Output Artifacts¶

Supported Windows Versions¶

HardeningKitty provides hardening lists for: - Windows 10 (various builds) - Windows 11 (22H2, 23H2) - Windows Server 2016 - Windows Server 2019 - Windows Server 2022

Common Issues¶