What's the issue?
The "Hide Instance" feature controls whether the SQL Server instance is visible to clients when they try to browse for available SQL Servers on the network using tools like SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) or the sqlcmd utility.
Why is this a problem?
This feature is enabled to reduce the attack surface, as all connections will be required to specify the instance name and port number.
What should you do about this?
Enabling this feature is relatively easy and can minimize the exposure of your SQL Server instance, although obscurity is not a primary security measure. Review whether this feature should be enabled for your SQL Server instances, especially if you have multiple instances on a server that requires the SQL Browser to be running.
Vulnerability
Category
What do the Vulnerability Levels mean?
0 - Information only. This is stuff you should know about your instances like version and service account used, but if you don't know it…well, now you do.
1 - High vulnerability requiring action. These are the issues that could most likely lead to your company being front page news for all the wrong reasons. If your instances have any results at this level then we recommend cancelling that 3-martini lunch and instead huddling with your team to figure out when to address these issues.
2 - High vulnerability to review. These include settings and assigned permissions you should review soon, if not immediately. These findings may not necessarily indicate a clear vulnerability, but we've found unexpected vulnerabilities in these categories at many, many clients.
3 - Potential vulnerability to review. These are configurations or assigned permissions you may be using that could lead to problems for users. Or maybe they're just required for your applications. Either way, we recommend reviewing these to make sure these are correct.
4 – Low vulnerability with recommended action. These are typically security inconsistencies that should be addressed. They aren't likely to cause problems, but you should clean up the mess.