PowerShell | Dump all Variables / Objects to a Text File
Super quick post. Ever working on a automation engine and wondering what objects are at your disposal? Or perhaps you simply just want to see all properties available to your workspace?
Give this a try:
Get-Variable | ConvertTo-Json
Windows Update Stuck on “Searching for Updates” on Windows Server 2012 R2
This one was a nightmare. If you search the internet for “Searching for Updates” you will find a lot of pages but none that I saw had this resolution.
In my case on my server the problem was actually related to Flash updates. After working with Microsoft Support it was discovered that a large number of pending Adobe Flash updates were causing the search to never finish so the fix was to manually update Flash. This was done by installing KB3214628
Hope this helps someone else out, this took MS Support weeks to figure out.
-Eric
Query Azure SQL Database Table via Powershell
Real quick one… I have used similar code for ages to query local on-premise SQL databases. However Azure requires the use of encrypted connections. Here is some fully working code:
#Set Defaults (Optional) which allows you to skip defining instance, user, and password each time
$AzureDefaultInstanceName = “myUniqueAzureSQLDBName”
$AzureDefaultUserID = “myUserIDToAzureSQL”
$AzureDefaultPassword = “myPasswordToAzureSQL”#The actual function
Function get-azureSQL (
[string]$InstanceName = $AzureDefaultInstanceName
,[string]$UserID = $AzureDefaultUserID
,[string]$Password = $AzureDefaultPassword
,[string]$Query){$connectionString = “Server=tcp:$($InstanceName).database.windows.net,1433;”
$connectionString = $connectionString + “Database=$($InstanceName);”
$connectionString = $connectionString + “User ID=$($UserID)@$($InstanceName);”
$connectionString = $connectionString + “Password=$($Password);”
$connectionString = $connectionString + “Encrypt=True;”
$connectionString = $connectionString + “TrustServerCertificate=False;”
$connectionString = $connectionString + “Connection Timeout=30;”$SqlConnection = New-Object System.Data.SqlClient.SqlConnection
$SqlConnection.ConnectionString = $connectionString$SqlCmd = New-Object System.Data.SqlClient.SqlCommand
$SqlCmd.CommandText = $Query
$SqlCmd.Connection = $SqlConnection$SqlAdapter = New-Object System.Data.SqlClient.SqlDataAdapter
$SqlAdapter.SelectCommand = $SqlCmd$DataSet = New-Object System.Data.DataSet
$SqlAdapter.Fill($DataSet) | Out-Null
$SqlConnection.Close()return $DataSet.Tables[0]
}#Querying Azure SQL using Defaults defined above
get-azureSQL -Query “select * from logs”#Querying Azure SQL without Defaults
get-azureSQL -InstanceName “myUniqueAzureSQLDBName” -UserID “myUserIDToAzureSQL” -Password “myPasswordToAzureSQL” -Query “select * from logs”
Sure you can install the Azure Powershell module and then the SQL commands too but most of the time you need to get in quick and grab something, this code is super fast and works every time for me and best of all…. no installs.
If this helped you or you want to suggest an improvement, please just leave it in the commands.
Enjoy,
-Eric
Secure PowerShell Scripts running via Windows Task Scheduler using MD5 Hashes to safeguard against Tampering
Over the years the number of Task Scheduled based PowerShell scripts has increased. However, this poses serious potential security risks.
The Security Issue
Given that these tasks commonly run as a service account, with additional rights, it is a potential attack vector.
Simply changing the underlying script can allow a hacker access to anything the service account has access to.Even signing the scripts can be useless as the system can be configured to ignore signing.
The Solution
I have created this one-liner that Task Scheduler can use that will only run the script if the hash of the script matches the hash listed in the one-liner. If someone tries to change this in Task Scheduler they would be required to reenter the proper password.
powershell.exe -command if ([System.BitConverter]::ToString((New-Object -TypeName System.Security.Cryptography.MD5CryptoServiceProvider).ComputeHash([System.IO.File]::ReadAllBytes(‘C:\temp\test.ps1‘))) -eq ‘33-CD-2A-54-ED-F3-0F-94-5F-D2-97-D9-FE-4F-45-79‘) {. c:\temp\test.ps1} else {Send-MailMessage -SmtpServer smtp.server.domain.com -From whatever@domain.com -To you@domain.com -Subject ‘Failed to Run Script – Hash Not Correct’}
Notes about One Line Script Executor
- You need to replace c:\temp\test.ps1 with the path to your script. (two places in this example)
- You must supply the hash of the script. (use the following command to get it)
[System.BitConverter]::ToString((New-Object -TypeName System.Security.Cryptography.MD5CryptoServiceProvider).ComputeHash([System.IO.File]::ReadAllBytes(‘C:\temp\test.ps1‘)))
- Script will email you if hash fails.
- Change TO: and FROM: to match your needs.
- Do NOT use double quotes in this script, do NOT forget that CMD will pass this to PowerShell, and will strip out double quotes.
If this helped you or perhaps you have suggestions to make it better, please do leave them in the comments.
Enjoy
-Eric
Unauthorized 401 when calling Coldfusion CFC Component WebService on IIS
If you just setup a fresh Coldfusion/IIS box and all of a sudden you check one of your CFC Component WebServices and get a 401 you are not alone!
I bet you went to the folder and triple checked IIS that Anonymous Authentication was enabled and everything else was disabled and yet still didnt work. Right about that time perhaps you start questioning everything you know in this world. I mean IIS is set to anonymous yet it’s telling you its not authenticating as if it were sent to Windows Authentication.
The Solution
Rest assured, you are not losing it. Simply you like me likely made the mistake of blanket turning on Windows Authentication at the root which in turned enabled it for the virtual folder:
/jakarta
CFC’s must pass back to this folder since they are processed server side. Anyways the easy solution is to set /jakarta folder to Anonymous Authentication.
Hey if this helped you or you know something I should add to make it better, please leave it in the comments!
-Eric
Connect to Azure SQL Database using ColdFusion 10/11/2016
My how the years fly and things change.
Even in 2017 I still find value in making quick enterprise applications in Coldfusion. However the world is a changing, many of my endpoint are beyond the boundaries of my corporate firewalls.
I have ended up with a ton of nodeJS webservices endpoints running as docker containers in Azure jamming away data in Azure SQL. I want Coldfusion to be able to utilize that data.
The Solution
The solution is stupid easy… you can use the native Microsoft SQL Driver, no need to mess with anything else.
Go ahead put in the basics
- Database: Name as shown in Azure
- Server: something.database.windows.net
- Port: 1433
- Username: <sqlaccountname>@<databasename>
- Password: <password>
Then for the secret sauce
- Hit Show Advanced Settings
- In the connection string put the following:
EncryptionMethod=SSL;Encrypt=yes;TrustServerCertificate=no;
Note: Encrypt=yes may not be needed but since its working I am not touching it.
And that’s it!
If this was helpful or have a way to make it better? Let me know in the comments.
-Eric
Get a list of all System Center Virtual Machine Manager (SCVMM 2012 R2) Users via SQL
Ever need to send a notice to your System Center Virtual Machine Manager (SCVMM) users like “Upgrade to UR7 coming” but realized you never took the time to collect all of their names?
Here is some quick SQL that will give you the names of anyone who has actually used the platform:
select
distinct replace(SessionOwner, ‘contoso\’,”) as Username
from [tbl_TR_TaskTrail]
order by 1
As a added bonus if you replace contoso with your domain name it will strip that out making it ready to past into outlook for name resolution.
Enjoy!
-Eric
Search Active Directory for Specific Word or Phrase (string) in a Group
Ever tried to search for a group by name but the part you know is in the middle? Did you think you would be smart and go to the advanced tab then do “blah” contains, hit search and find nothing?
Quickest way to find is actually via PowerShell
Get-ADGroup -Filter {Name -like “*blah*”} | select SAMAccountName
Works great!
Enjoy
-Eric
digital Jive 