I am having troubles getting a ssh key pair in Powershell. I tried two ways but both didn't work.
PS C:\WINDOWS\system32> ssh-keygen
Cannot start "ssh-keygen". Interactive console applications are not supported.
To run the application, use the Start-Process cmdlet or use "Start PowerShell.exe" from the File menu.
To view/modify the list of blocked console applications, use $psUnsupportedConsoleApplications, or consult online help.
At line:0 char:0
I tried $psUnsupportedConsoleApplications as well, and it does show both ssh-keygen and ssh-keygen.exe .
I also tried the following, and it seemed stuck after "Generating public/private rsa key pair" and doesn't move forward nor gives any error.
PS C:\WINDOWS\system32> ssh-keygen -m PEM -t rsa -b 2048
Generating public/private rsa key pair.
Any insight unblocking this issue would be much appreciated!
I am trying to create a script that add a certain user/group to "log on as a service" in my Windows 2008 box. However I have tried using the ntrights.exe, downloaded it and ran the line ntrights +r SeInteractiveLogonRight -u CSSGroup in cmd but it failed because of the incompatibility.
Can someone help me or point me in any other useful direction?
These things are stored in the registry. Only System has access. So use psexec
psexec -s -i <your script>
to run script as system giving you access to the security info (which you'll have to turn on and compare to regkeys when turned off as they are in binary structures).
You can also take ownership of the keys and give yourself permission to access.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SECURITY
I need to write a script that transfers files from a folder onto another server (Linux), but the script that's transferring files is on windows, and I was wondering if there was an alternative to scp for PowerShell (or if there was another way of doing this)
There is a handy little tool that comes with Putty called pscp.exe that will do this and can be called in powershell easily.
Example below copies from windows to a CentOS box (logging in as the usercode "bill") and you use the -pw switch in pscp to pass in a password (otherwise the command window that is spawned will prompt for the Linux password):
Start-Process 'C:\Program Files (x86)\PuTTY\pscp.exe' -ArgumentList ("-scp -pw password C:\Document.rtf bill#192.168.0.28:/home/bill/")
PuTTY Secure Copy client
Release 0.62
Usage: pscp [options] [user#]host:source target
pscp [options] source [source...] [user#]host:target
pscp [options] -ls [user#]host:filespec
Options:
-V print version information and exit
-pgpfp print PGP key fingerprints and exit
-p preserve file attributes
-q quiet, don't show statistics
-r copy directories recursively
-v show verbose messages
-load sessname Load settings from saved session
-P port connect to specified port
-l user connect with specified username
-pw passw login with specified password
-1 -2 force use of particular SSH protocol version
-4 -6 force use of IPv4 or IPv6
-C enable compression
-i key private key file for authentication
-noagent disable use of Pageant
-agent enable use of Pageant
-batch disable all interactive prompts
-unsafe allow server-side wildcards (DANGEROUS)
-sftp force use of SFTP protocol
-scp force use of SCP protocol
pscp.exe is a viable option, but I have been using a library from Rebex for a couple years now for SFTP and FTPS transfers in both C# apps and PowerShell scripts with great success. Their package also includes an SCP object but I haven't personally used it.
It does cost money vs. pscp being free. Before selecting the Rebex package, I had considered going the PuTTY route but my team decided that having a library we could easily roll into any app/script was worthwhile in the long term.
You can use WinSCP .NET assembly from PowerShell for SCP transfers.
For example see http://winscp.net/eng/docs/library_powershell#example
The example uses SFTP protocol. To use SCP, just modify it to:
$sessionOptions.Protocol = [WinSCP.Protocol]::Scp
Though if your server support SCP protocol, it's likely it also supports SFTP. SFTP is better choice, if you have the option.
Why use an alternative to SCP when you can use SCP?
Windows has OpenSSH (which includes SCP) as an optional component these days, so you could just use that. It first appeared in the Autumn 2018 version of Windows 10. It's nearly identical to the command you find in most Linux distributions, as it's derived from the same code base. Microsoft just made one or two minor tweaks to make it work on windows.
It is simple to install just go to Start->Settings->Apps->Optional Features->View Features enter in OpenSSH in the search box and check the OpenSSH client and click next. See OpenSSH in Windows for more detailed instructions on how to set it up. For a more PowerShell way of installing it run this from an elevated PowerShell prompt:
Add-WindowsCapability -Online -Name OpenSSH.Client~~~~0.0.1.0
You can use this command to check if there is a newer version and whether you already have it installed:
Get-WindowsCapability -Online | Where Name -Like '*ssh*'
Once installed, you call scp from PowerShell just like you would any other executable command.
scp file.dat user.name#example.com:/target/path
If you really don't want to use SCP use Copy-Item
This requires PowerShell to be installed on your server. Yes you can install PowerShell on Linux. Just call Copy-Item with the -ToSession parameter passed an SSH connected session, I've never actually tried it though. It requires a recent version of PowerShell and some setting up see PowerShell remoting over SSH. Something like this:
Copy-Item C:\localPath\*.* ~\remotePath\ -ToSession (New-PSSession -HostName UserA#LinuxServer01:22 -KeyFilePath c:\\userAKey_rsa)
If both machines are Windows machines you can use the same -ToSession parameter to copy files over WinRM. But both machines have to be domain joined or there is the possibility of security issues.
There is also a ".NET friendly" way:
you can use the SharpSSH dll to execute ssh commands, and do scp/sftp tranfers.
For example:
[Reflection.Assembly]::LoadFrom((Resolve-Path .\Tamir.SharpSSH.dll))
$ssh = New-Object Tamir.SharpSsh.Sftp("server","user","password")
$ssh.Connect()
$ssh.Put("C:\localfile","distantfile")
$ssh.Close()
There is the SSH.Net library, too, it does approximatively the same things.
I am using winhttpcertcfg to install a certificate into "Certificates (Local Computer) / Personal / Certificates" (MMC)
winhttpcertcfg -i "C:\test.pfx" -c LOCAL_MACHINE\My -p removedForQuestion
Running this command shows the following output (no errors, but nothing suggesting it has worked either:
Microsoft (R) WinHTTP Certificate Configuration Tool
Copyright (C) Microsoft Corporation 2001.
When I search for the certificate (I checked Current User as well as Local Computer) there is nothing to see in MMC.
It actually works just fine with certutil, so I'm using that instead of winhttpcertcfg for the install and then granting permissions separately.
certutil -f -p removedForQuestion -importpfx "C:\test.pfx"
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/aa384088(v=vs.85).aspx
-i Specifies that the certificate is to be imported from a Personal Information Exchange (PFX) file. This parameter must be followed by
the name of the file. When this parameter is specified, "-a" and "-c"
must also be specified.
There are several complexities to be considered while choosing an alternative for winhttpcertcfg.
See answer
https://serverfault.com/questions/620013/importing-a-certificate-and-granting-permissions-on-windows-server-2012-r2/622556#622556
While I'm using PSEXEC.exe getting 'Access denied' error for remote systems.
Any idea about how to solve this?
Hi i am placing here a summary from many sources online for various solutions to "access is denied" :
most information can be found here (including requirements needed) - sysinternal help
as someone mentioned add this reg key, and then restart the computer :
reg add HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\system
/v LocalAccountTokenFilterPolicy /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f
Read this knowledge base article to learn what this does and why it is
needed
Disable firewall (note - this will leave you with out any firewall
protection)
netsh advfirewall set allprofiles state off
if target user has a blank PW and you dont want to add one, run on target:
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Lsa]
"LimitBlankPasswordUse"=dword:00000000
This didnt work for me, but i have read it did for others in a few places,
on target execute:
Start -> Run -> secpol.msc -> Local Policies -> Security Options -> Network Access: Sharing > and security model for local accounts > Classic – local users authenticate as themselves
if already in 'Classic':
move to "Guest only - .." run from elevated command prompt gpupdate \force
move back to 'Classic - .." again run from elevated command prompt gpupdate \force
This one solved my issue:
run on target from elevated command prompt "net use" look at ouput chart and for shares listed in remote column there (i only deleted the disconnected ones - you can try them all) run "net use [remote path from before list] /delete" then run 'net use \target\Admin$ /user:[user name]' enter prompt password request (if empty PW just press enter), viola should work.
I just solved an identical symptom, by creating the registry value HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\system\LocalAccountTokenFilterPolicy and setting it to 1. More details are available here.
This helped in my case:
cmdkey.exe /add:<targetname> /user:<username> /pass:<password>
psexec.exe \\<targetname> <remote_command>
PsExec has whatever access rights its launcher has. It runs under regular Windows access control. This means whoever launched PsExec (be it either you, the scheduler, a service etc.) does not have sufficient rights on the target machine, or the target machine is not configured correctly. The first things to do are:
Make sure the launcher of PsExec is familiar to the target machine, either via the domain or by having the same user and password defined locally on both machines.
Use command line arguments to specify a user that is known to the target machine (-u user -p password)
If this did not solve your problem, make sure the target machine meets the minimum requirements, specified here.
You can try the command
net use \\computername\ipc$ /user:adminname password
to get admin permissions on remote PC before use psexec.
I had the same problem. And after a hard work, I found a easy and full solution:
I use runas to run the script in a admin account
I use the -s parameter in psExec to run in a system account
Inside the PsExec, I login again with a admin account
You can use & to run multiples commands
Remember to replace [USERNAME], [PASSWORD], [COMPUTERNAME], [COMMAND1] and [COMMAND2] with the real values
The code looks like this:
runas /user:[USERNAME] "psexec -e -h -s -u [USERNAME] -p [PASSWORD] \\[COMPUTERNAME] cmd /C [COMMAND1] & [COMMAND2]"
If you whant to debug your script in the another machine, run the following template:
runas /user:[USERNAME] "psexec -i -e -h -s -u [USERNAME] -p [PASSWORD] \\[COMPUTERNAME] cmd /C [COMMAND1] & [COMMAND2] & pause"
Try setting this key on the target (remote) machine, and restart the machine:
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System]
"LocalAccountTokenFilterPolicy"=dword:00000001
See: http://forum.sysinternals.com/topic10924.html and http://www.brandonmartinez.com/2013/04/24/resolve-access-is-denied-using-psexec-with-a-local-admin-account/
I just added "-с" parameter. It makes Psexec copy executable to remote machine. So it works without access errors.
I found Sophos kept placing psexec.exe into the Quarantine section. Once I authorized it, it ran fine.
I still use psexec, even on win 10. Replace the psexec.exe in the Windows 10's win32 folder with the older version to work -> I use version 2.11.0.0. The Windows 10 version I was using would only run .bat files as background/hidden process on the remote computer. Took a whole day to figure this out.
Adding the registry key from above to the remote computer helps as well:
reg add HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\system /v LocalAccountTokenFilterPolicy /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f
I found another reason PSEXEC (and other PS tools) fail - If something (...say, a virus or trojan) hides the Windows folder and/or its files, then PSEXEC will fail with an "Access is Denied" error, PSLIST will give the error "Processor performance object not found on " and you'll be left in the dark as to the reason.
You can RDP in; You can access the admin$ share; You can view the drive contents remotely, etc. etc., but there's no indication that file(s) or folder(s) being hidden is the reason.
I'll be posting this information on several pages that i was perusing yesterday while trying to determine the cause of this odd problem, so you might see this elsewhere verbatim - just thought I'd put the word out before anyone else pulled their hair out by the roots trying to understand why the performance counter has anything to do with PSEXEC running.
I had a case where AV was quarantining Psexec - had to disable On-access scanning
For anybody who may stumble upon this. There is a recent (Dec 2013) Security Update from Microsoft Windows on Windows 7 that is preventing remote execution.
See http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2893294/en-us
I uninstalled the Security Update by going to Control Panel\Programs\Programs and Features\Installed Updates
It worked right after that.
The following worked, but only after I upgraded PSEXEC to 2.1 from Microsoft.
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System]
"LocalAccountTokenFilterPolicy"=dword:00000001 See:
http://forum.sysinternals.com/topic10924.html
I had a slightly older version that didn't work. I used it to do some USMT work via Dell kace, worked a treat :)
On Windows Server 2012 R2 I had trouble to run from user account
psexec -u administrator -p password \\machinename -h -s -d -accepteula cmd.exe
But it works fine if you run without parameters -h -s. That's why I use this to solve my trouble:
psexec -accepteula -u administrator -p password \\machinename %PathToLocalUtils%\psexec.exe -h -s -d cmd.exe
I couldn't get access to remote machines unless I had UAC disabled.
That has to be done locally, either from control panel or running the following through cmd:
reg.exe ADD HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System /v EnableLUA /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f
While UAC is enabled, make sure you run cmd as administrator.
For a different command I decided to change the network from public to work.
After trying to use the psexec command again it worked again.
So to get psexec to work try to change your network type from public to work or home.
I tried a lot of way but I could not use psexec. It gives "Access denied". After I change the target user account type from Standard to Admin, I connected the machine via psexec.
I researched the reason why admin type account is required then I found this answer.
You can change target machine user account this way: Control Panel -> User Accounts -> Change Account Type. You must enter an admin account and password to change that account if you logged in standard account.
After that I logged in with this command: psexec \\remotepcname -u remoteusername -p remotepassword cmd
Tried all suggestions above, but still was unable to resolve the error. Finally once I made the below change, I could successfully run the PSexec command.
Turns out that when you have UAC enabled psexec does not work as supposed. We need to set HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System\EnableLUA to 0 then psexec starts working as expected.