Category Archives: EMS

Azure Virtual Desktop, EMS, Intune, Powershell, Security

Lightweight LAPS solution for INtune (MEM)

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Managing local admin accounts using Intune has a lot of quirks, my tele-colleague Rudy Ooms has already written extensively about this. He also wrote a PowerShell solution to rotate a specific local admin’s password and had the genius idea of using Proactive Remediations (a MEM feature) to display passwords to admins, integrated / free in the Intune Console.

However, I felt I needed a more lightweight solution that;

  • does not require/modify registry keys
  • does not store the password locally
  • can encrypt the password if desired
  • does not need separate detection and remediation scripts
  • automatically provisions a local admin account
  • can remove any other local admin accounts if desired
  • can whitelist approved admins or groups from AzureAD or Active Directory
  • is language/locale-agnostic (e.g. ‘Administrators’ vs ‘Administradores’….)

Thus LeanLAPS was born!

To install/use:

1. head into the Proactive Remediations section of MDE and click Create script package:

2. Fill out some details:

3. Download and doublecheck the config of LeanLAPS.ps1 (e.g. configure if other local admins should be removed, what the local admin name should be and the password length). Make sure to use NotePad++ / that the file stays UTF-8 Encoded without a BOM.

4. Set both the detection and remediation script to LeanLAPS.ps1 and run it in 64 bit:

5. Assign to a group and deploy. By default it will run every day, but you can also let it run more or less frequently, which determines how often the password is reset (hourly in below example):

6. Deploy, and then click on the script package:

7. Go to Device status and add both output columns:

Congratulations, you can now see the current local admin passwords for all managed Windows 10 devices!

Note: if you wish to trigger a quick remediation, delete the correct keys under Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\IntuneManagementExtension\SideCarPolicies\Scripts\Execution and Reports in the client’s registry, then restart the IntuneManagementExtension service and the remediation will re-run within 5 minutes.

8. If you want to display an encrypted password in Intune, generate a public and private key and configure the resulting values in gui.ps1 and leanLAPS.ps1

9. If you don’t want LeanLAPS to remove certain preapproved admins or groups as admin, make sure to configure the $approvedAdmins variable.

RBAC

If you provide e.g. your helpdesk with the correct Intune roles, they will be able to see local admin passwords as reported by above solution:

GUI

The community, in the form of Colton Lacy, also added an optional GUI frontend for LeanLAPS which you could use for e.g. helpdesk staff:

https://gitlab.com/Lieben/assortedFunctions/-/blob/master/leanLAPS/gui.ps1

Troubleshooting

If your passwords don’t rotate correctly, check https://smsagent.blog/2021/04/27/a-case-of-the-unexplained-intune-password-policy-and-forced-local-account-password-changes/

Automation, EMS, Intune, Powershell

Configuring the Windows 10 Pro Lock Screen using MEM

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Windows 10 Enterprise supports a specific MEM policy to configure the Windows 10 Lock screen for End-users. If you’re unlucky enough to be on a lesser Windows 10 version, you’ll need to trick the OS into thinking the lock screen is modified by the user instead of through a policy.

Here’s a simple ARM template for blob storage and a PS script to deploy through MEM in user context to configure the lock screen of your users:

1-click ARM template

And the script itself (don’t forget to configure the image URL):

<#
    .SYNOPSIS
    Sets custom lock screen based on file in an Azure Storage Blob container
    See blob template to automatically configure a blob container: https://gitlab.com/Lieben/assortedFunctions/-/blob/master/ARM%20templates/blob%20storage%20with%20container%20for%20Teams%20Backgrounds%20and%20public%20access.json
   
    .NOTES
    filename: set-windows10LockScreen.ps1
    author: Jos Lieben
    blog: www.lieben.nu
    created: 13/05/2021
#>

$changedDate = "2021-05-13"
$lockscreenFileURL = "https://tasdsadgsadsad.blob.core.windows.net/teamsbackgrounds/figure-a.jpg" #this is the full URL to the desired lock screen image

Start-Transcript -Path (Join-Path -Path $Env:TEMP -ChildPath "set-windows10LockScreen.log")

$tempFile = (Join-Path $Env:TEMP -ChildPath "img100.jpg")

try{
    Write-Output "downloading lock screen file from $lockscreenFileURL"
    Invoke-WebRequest -Uri $lockscreenFileURL -UseBasicParsing -Method GET -OutFile $tempFile
    Write-Output "file downloaded to $tempFile"
}catch{
    Write-Output "Failed to download file, aborting"
    Write-Error $_ -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
    Exit
}

[Windows.System.UserProfile.LockScreen,Windows.System.UserProfile,ContentType=WindowsRuntime] | Out-Null
Add-Type -AssemblyName System.Runtime.WindowsRuntime

$asTaskGeneric = ([System.WindowsRuntimeSystemExtensions].GetMethods() | ? { $_.Name -eq 'AsTask' -and $_.GetParameters().Count -eq 1 -and $_.GetParameters()[0].ParameterType.Name -eq 'IAsyncOperation`1' })[0]
Function Await($WinRtTask, $ResultType) {
    $asTask = $asTaskGeneric.MakeGenericMethod($ResultType)
    $netTask = $asTask.Invoke($null, @($WinRtTask))
    $netTask.Wait(-1) | Out-Null
    $netTask.Result
}

Function AwaitAction($WinRtAction) {
    $asTask = ([System.WindowsRuntimeSystemExtensions].GetMethods() | ? { $_.Name -eq 'AsTask' -and $_.GetParameters().Count -eq 1 -and !$_.IsGenericMethod })[0]
    $netTask = $asTask.Invoke($null, @($WinRtAction))
    $netTask.Wait(-1) | Out-Null
}

[Windows.Storage.StorageFile,Windows.Storage,ContentType=WindowsRuntime] | Out-Null
		
try{
	$image = Await ([Windows.Storage.StorageFile]::GetFileFromPathAsync($tempFile)) ([Windows.Storage.StorageFile])
    Write-Output "Image loaded from $tempFile"
}catch {
    Write-Output "Failed to load image from $tempFile"
    Write-Error $_ -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
    Exit
} 
       
try{ 
    Write-Output "Setting image as lock screen image"
    AwaitAction ([Windows.System.UserProfile.LockScreen]::SetImageFileAsync($image))
    Write-Output "$tempFile configured as lock screen image"
    Remove-Item -Path $tempFile -Force -Confirm:$False
}catch{
    Write-Output "Failed to set lock screen image"
    Write-Error $_ -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
} 

Write-Output "Script complete"
Stop-Transcript

Source: https://gitlab.com/Lieben/assortedFunctions/-/blob/master/set-windows10LockScreen.ps1

Deploying in user context:

EMS, Intune, Powershell, Security

Self scheduling cleanup job for MEM kiosk machines

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Normally I’d recommend using the Unified Write Filter in Windows 10 to keep Kiosk machines in a semi-decent state.

For a customer that did not have this luxury, I wrote a tiny self-scheduling PowerShell script that will run as SYSTEM and clean up any of the specified folders in any of the user profiles on the machine.

This example can be used for many purposes to drop a script and maintain a scheduled task. Redeploying it will overwrite the dropped script and scheduled task as per the new config.

Git link or direct code here:

#Module name:      Invoke-wipeSpecifiedProfileFolders
#Author:           Jos Lieben
#Author Blog:      https://www.lieben.nu
#Date:             18-12-2020
#License:          Free to use and modify non-commercially, leave headers intact. For commercial use, contact me
#Purpose:          Delete all files in the specified folder names in all user profiles on the machine, self-installs as a scheduled task
#Setup:            Deploy to machines, in system context
#Requirements:     Windows 10 build 1803 or higher

$folderWipeList = "Downloads,Network Shortcuts,Temp,Documents" #comma seperated list of folders to wipe

$desiredScriptFolder = Join-Path $env:ProgramData -ChildPath "Lieben.nu"
$desiredScriptPath = Join-Path $desiredScriptFolder -ChildPath "Invoke-wipeSpecifiedProfileFolders.ps1"
if(![System.IO.Directory]::($desiredScriptFolder)){
    New-Item -Path $desiredScriptFolder -Type Directory -Force
}
Start-Transcript -Path (Join-Path $desiredScriptFolder -ChildPath "\folderWiperInstaller.log")

Write-Output "Configuring scheduled task..."

$taskname = "Invoke-wipeSpecifiedProfileFolders"
$taskdescription = "Delete all files in the specified folder names in all user profiles on the machine"
$action = New-ScheduledTaskAction -Execute 'Powershell.exe' -Argument "-NoProfile -WindowStyle Hidden -NonInteractive -ExecutionPolicy ByPass -File `"$desiredScriptPath`""
$triggers =  @()
$triggers += (New-ScheduledTaskTrigger -AtStartup)
$triggers += (New-ScheduledTaskTrigger -Daily -At 23:00)
$settings = New-ScheduledTaskSettingsSet -ExecutionTimeLimit (New-TimeSpan -Minutes 5) -RestartCount 3 -RestartInterval (New-TimeSpan -Minutes 1)
$task = Register-ScheduledTask -Action $action -Trigger $triggers -TaskName $taskname -Description $taskdescription -Settings $settings -User "System" -Force -RunLevel Highest

Write-Output "task info: "
Write-Output $task

Write-Output "Writing script file to local disk..."

$scriptContent = "
Start-Transcript -Path (Join-Path $desiredScriptFolder -ChildPath `"\folderWiper.log`")
`$folderWipeList = `"$folderwipeList`"
`$folderWipeList = `$folderwipeList.Split(`",`")
Get-ChildItem 'HKLM:\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\ProfileList' | ForEach-Object {
    `$rootPath =  `$_.GetValue('ProfileImagePath') 
    Write-Output `"Parsing folders in `$rootPath`"
    `$childItems = `$Null
    `$childItems = Get-ChildItem -Path `$rootPath -Directory -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue -Recurse -Force | where{`$folderWipeList -contains `$_.BaseName}
    if(`$childItems){
    	foreach(`$folder in `$childItems){
    		Write-Output `"Wiping matched folder: `$(`$folder.FullName)`"
    		Get-ChildItem -Path `$folder.FullName -Force -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue | Remove-Item -Force -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue -Recurse -Confirm:`$False
    	}
    }
}

Stop-Transcript"

Set-Content -Value $scriptContent -Path $desiredScriptPath -Force -Confirm:$False

Write-Output "Starting script as task for the first time..."

Start-ScheduledTask -InputObject $task

Write-Output "Install script has finished running"

Stop-Transcript
Automation, EMS, MDATP, Powershell, Security

Grouping devices in MDATP based on registered users

8 Comments

Microsoft Defender Advanced Threat Protection seems to be becoming the defacto leader in the A/V industry, at least when Windows is concerned, but other OS’es seem to be following quickly 🙂

At one of my international customers, many different locations and departments exist and we’d like to group devices in MDATP based on their primary user so we can assigned different administrators automatically, and apply different web filtering policies.

MDATP has the following options available for grouping:

These membership rules don’t say anything about the user, and the machine domains are all cloud native (no hybrid joins). So we need to use Tags to gain flexible targeting in MDATP.

The following PowerShell script can be scheduled as an Azure Runbook to automatically tag all your MDATP devices based on the ‘Company’ attribute of the device’s primary user. It could also be modified easily to e.g. parse a user’s group membership or UPN’s domain.

https://gitlab.com/Lieben/assortedFunctions/-/blob/master/set-MDATPCustomTags.ps1

If you have a lot of devices, it may take a while for the first run (beyond Azure Automation limits), in that case run it locally first and then schedule it.

EMS, Intune, Powershell, Uncategorized

Delete User Profiles Older than a Specified Number of Days on System Restart through Intune

5 Comments

The good old Group Policy “Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\System\User Profiles\Delete User Profiles Older than a Specified Number of Days on System Restart ” isn’t part of Intune yet.

If you use shared devices in your environment, you can use below script to set the number of days after which a user profile is cleaned up on Windows 10 MDM / Intune managed.

It has to run under SYSTEM context or it won’t be allowed to write the right key.

Download: https://gitlab.com/Lieben/assortedFunctions/blob/master/set-CleanupUserProfilesAfterDays.ps1