Powershell password error when creating a new SecretStore vault - powershell

When attempting to setup a new PS SecretStore vault, I get a prompt to enter a password. It is my understanding that the first time you setup a vault, you need to enter a new password in. However, upon typing a new password I get the following message:
Set-Secret : A valid password is required to access the Microsoft.PowerShell.SecretStore vault.
Use the Unlock-SecretStore cmdlet to provide the required password to access the store.
What could I potentially be doing wrong as every video and article is able to set this up in a few easy commands. I've also tried 2 different servers to ensure something was not messed up with my local PC.
Install-Module Microsoft.Powershell.SecretManagement, Microsoft.Powershell.SecretStore -Scope CurrentUser
Register-SecretVault -Name SecretStoreTest -ModuleName Microsoft.PowerShell.SecretStore -DefaultVault
get-secretvault
Set-Secret -Name Password1 -Secret "Pa55word"

It appears this has to do with not running in administrative mode. I had attempted to run in admin mode on my remote server, but it still failed. When attempting on my local it did indeed work though.

Related

How to Run some scripts into Virtual Machines(username and password) created in Hyper-V through scripts, without prompts

Problem statement: I want to run some scripts into a Virtual machine created in Hyper-V. The virtual machine has a Username and a password.
The problem is Whenever I use invoke-command or enter-pssession, it prompts for username and password. I need to do it without Entering details manually every time and should be able to do it through scripts.
You will need to run the scripts as a Hyper-V admin (local admin on the host), but you can automate the process of providing the VM credentials by export a [pscredential] object to disk:
# Enter the credentials when prompted
$VMCredentials = Get-Credential
$VMCredentials |Export-CliXml path\to\credentials.xml
Export-CliXml will automatically use DPAPI to encrypt the password part using a key derived from the current security context - meaning only the same user on the same machine will be able to decrypt it again.
In order to use these stored credentials, simply call Import-CliXml:
$VMCredentials = Import-CliXml path\to\credentials.xml
Invoke-Command { ... } -VMName VM01 -Credentials $VMCredentials

Local System Account and Windows Credential Manager

So, I have a powershell script that uses the Windows Credential Manager to store credentials. When I use my account I can access these credentials, but it seems like when I try to use the local system account (trying not to use my account to run scripts) it doesnt pull from the credential manager. What gives?
if (Get-Module -ListAvailable -Name CredentialManager) {
Import-Module CredentialManager
}
else {
Install-Module CredentialManager
}
$service_fqdn = '<SERVER-FQDN>'
$creds = Get-StoredCredential -Target '<SERVICE ACCOUNT>'
$oauth_client_id = $creds.UserName
$oauth_client_secret = $creds.GetNetworkCredential().Password
I get a null error when I try to get the password for $oauth_client_secret
The issue is that all credentials are stored and accessible for only the current logged in user.
i.e. If you create the credential logged in as user1, you can't access them as user2, or even with the Local System Account.
This makes sense, and can't be worked around. You don't want random
logged in people/users to be able to access other people's
credentials.
The "workaround" is to create a new user/service account with minimal permissions that is dedicated to running the service/script. You then can create the new credential as that new user/service account:
New-StoredCredential -Target "Server1" -Username "SA-Username" -Password "Password123"
Then running the script as that user, you will have access to the credential.
Note: you cannot use the Local System Account to run the script as you can't explicitly specify the Local System Account as a valid user to create the new stored credential.
Edit:
As #MrBungle correctly mentions. The Local System Account has god like powers, and it is recommended not to use it if possible. Instead use the unprivileged Local Service Account whenever possible.

Validate user's credentials supplied during the installation (pre-install)

I'm using InstallAnywhere and due to security reasons, I need to change the Server (our application server) "Log on as" to other user than System.
I'm asking the user during the Pre-Install to supply me with a username (in a format of <Hostname\Username> or <Domain\Username>) and a password. Now I need to verify these credentials supplied by the user are valid, and if not prompt the same Panel again.
The problem is that with command line using the net start... command - I can't supply username & password.
Using the runas command - can give it the username as a parameter but not the password. (also - it was stucked on "attempting to start..." and couldn't start the process)
I've also tried PowerShell script which used the start-service command, using the -Credential parameter, but it didn't work.
another idea - is there a way to verify this using Regedit?

Powershell remoting - cannot execute an exe as another user

I've a commandline program (c#) that encrypts config files based on machine key.
A powershell script copies the build to a Target Server, modifies configs accordingly and installs windows services.
All the windows services run as local system account (standard user, non-admin) - let's call this account "locuser".
The Target Server is a Win 2012 R2 Server. All of the above is achieved by PS remoting from the Build Server to this Target server.
Now, I need to run the encrypt commandline program as "locuser", so that the program can use the account specific key to do the encryption.
I know that this can be easily achieved by calling Start-Process cmdlet with -Credentials parameter. Well, here's the catch, the above works fine, if I remote in (RDP) to the Target Server and then run the Start-Process .... -Credential $cred from a Powershell Console.
However, I need this to be working while I remote-in (using my scripts) to the TargetServer whilst deploying. When I remote-in to the TargetServer I use credentials that has Admin privileges.
I've tried the following
I've granted "locuser" both "Full Control" and "Invoke (Execute)" permissions by using the Set-PSSessionConfiguration -Name Microsoft.PowerShell -ShowSecurityDescriptorUI command. I've run this command for both Microsoft.Powershell and Microsoft.Powershell32 - Still get Access Denied
I've edited the "Local Security Policy"->"Local Policies"->"User Rights Assignment"->Impersonate a client after authentication - and added both the Admin account (that I login with) and the "locuser" account - Still get Access Denied
I've also granted locuser admin rights - Still get Access Denied
I'm pretty sure, there is some configuration on the PS Remoting Side of things that I'm missing out but can't figure out what - because all Powershell throws me is a Access Denied error (see screenshot) with little to no useful information to troubleshoot further.
Also, checked Event logs for any traces but to no avail.
You've fallen prey to the dreaded Double Hop. Basically you're authenticating from computer A to computer B, then trying to authenticate again from computer B to computer C (which also happens to be B in this case).
If at all possible, you would be better off ending the session and starting a new one with the locuser credentials, then just calling Start-Process. Another, more messy approach is to use schtasks.
I can tell you how to do it in the same session but it's a bit messy and very complicated, and should only be a last resort:
On the originating server (Build Server):
Run the command Enable-WSManCredSSP -Role Client -Delegate [name] where [name] is an IP or DNS address / range including any target servers (eg "192.168.1.*")
Open GPEdit.msc, navigate to Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\System\Credentials Delegation and check that the rules Allow delegating fresh credentials and Allow delegating fresh credentials with NTLM... are enabled and include [name]
On the Target Server:
Run the command Enable-WSManCredSSP -Role Server
Running the command:
Invoke-Command [targetserver] [-Credential $cred] -Scriptblock {
## do stuff
Invoke-Command . -Credential $locusercred -Authentication Credssp -ScriptBlock {
Start-Process -FilePath $sc #etc
}
}
Some things to be aware of:
Firstly I used this setup to create a local session, then remote from there (so A-A-B instead of A-B-B) so the Group Policy stuff might be in the wrong place but pretty sure it's right.
Secondly I found that credentials are a pain to get working in sessions (in this case $locusercred). I did get it going natively but weirdly it suddenly couldn't decrypt the securestring. I ended up saving a securestring with a defined key to the registry so it can always be decrypted from any account, you may need to come up with your own solution there.
All this stuff is explained in the free eBook "The Secrets of PowerShell Remoting", if you go for the double-hop approach I recommend giving it a read.

Powershell: Discover default network credentials when launched from runas /netonly

I am looking for a way to capture the network credentials of the current session into a variable that I can pass later...
The point is to execute commands on a foreign domain that I have account access/privileges to, but there is not a trust between the source and target domains.
First, we run inside a powershell that was spawned using the runas command (runas /netonly /user:domian\account powershell
From here I can do pretty much everything I want to except create an event in the task scheduler without hardcoding the username/password into the command line
invoke-command -computer $destination -scriptblock {schtasks -ru domain\account -rp password}
What I am looking to do is something like
$username = Get Current Session Network Username ($(whoami) brings up the actual local longon account,not the runas account that spawned the powershell window)
$password = Get the Password that was entered when the RunAs command was executed
Once a security token has been created from credentials entered and validated against active directory, the password is no longer kept around. It is not available for retrieval and reuse elsewhere. Only the token remains. This is by design.
UPDATE:
I dug a little further to bolster my case, and it's not quite as above but the end result is the same. The password used with runas.exe does not appear to be available. The network credentials are not validated against AD, which makes sense in retrospect since you often use /netonly for working with a remote, untrusted domain: By definition, you cannot validate the remote credentials from the local system. From MSDN:
Here's information for the flag LOGON_NETCREDENTIALS_ONLY, used with CreateProcessWithLogonW.
Log on, but use the specified credentials on the network only. The new
process uses the same token as the caller, but the system creates a
new logon session within LSA, and the process uses the specified
credentials as the default credentials.
This value can be used to create a process that uses a different set
of credentials locally than it does remotely. This is useful in
inter-domain scenarios where there is no trust relationship.
The system does not validate the specified credentials. Therefore, the
process can start, but it may not have access to network resources.
Ok, so since it can't validate the credentials and get a token, then it must store the password somewhere in memory since it must pass them over the wire later for SSPI etc. So, can we get at them from the process launched from runas.exe ? Let's see:
PS> runas /netonly /user:foo\bar powershell.exe
Enter the password for foo\bar: ******
I literally used foo\bar for domain and user above. It is not validated, as mentioned already. I entered 12345 for a password. The above line will launch a new instance of powershell. So, from that new instance, let's look at the default network credentials:
PS> [System.Net.CredentialCache]::DefaultNetworkCredentials
UserName Domain
-------- ------
Oh well, out of luck: Nothing there. My guess is the credentials are guarded in some encrypted part of memory in the kernel, probably the LSA (local security authority) out of reach from prying processes.