Alan's Blog

"Yeah. I wrote a script that will do that."

Fixing SCCM 1603 Errors

Posted on September 3rd, 2010

I was recently forwarded a link from Richard Balsley’s blog about 1603 Errors in SCCM, see http://richardbalsley.com/sccm-software-distribution-fails-with-error-code-1603-in-execmgr-log.  He characterizes the problem like this: “When a local administrator was logged on during runtime, the application would install fine. It would also install fine if no one was logged on. However if a user was logged on without admin rights, we’d get the 1603 error.”

Richard shows how to look up the AppID in DCOM and provides a script to delete the RunAs key, which resets launch permissions to The Launching User.

I decided to further automate this process.  InstallShieldDCOMFix.vbs uses WMI to enumerate the AppID, and then delete the associated RunAs key.

If you run this with no arguments the local machine will be fixed.  Use cscript.exe //b InstallShieldDcomFix.vbs or comment out Wscript.Echo to avoid popups from messages.  You can also run this against remote computers using the computername as an argument, such as cscript.exe //b //nologo  InstallShieldDcomFix.vbs computername

Rename file from _vbs.txt to .vbs.

 

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Filed under VbScript, Windows Administration | No Comments »

Not encrypted? If I can touch it, I own it

Posted on August 29th, 2010

I spent part of the morning gaining access to a Windows 2008 server where the system owner did not have the passwords for the local administrator or a domain admin account.  It is a little more complicated than before, but is still not difficult to change first the local administrator password, then the password of any other account.

Even a modern OS falls easily to local attacks.  Note that these sorts of attacks are defeated by encryption — but we typically do not want the encryption overhead on servers .  This is why servers need to be in locked rooms. 

 

 

Filed under Security, Windows Administration | No Comments »

Sharpie Liquid Pencil – not as Permanent as you may think

Posted on August 19th, 2010

[W]e are being told that while the Sharpie Liquid Pencil meets the international standard for “permanency,” it may still [be] almost completely erased….

Sharpie Liquid Pencil, the aftermath: it’s ‘permanent,’ not permanent — Engadget.

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The Bible as Science?

Posted on August 18th, 2010

I am listening to book on tape about how Galileo Galilei (1564-1642) was persecuted by the Catholic church for defending Copernicus and the idea that the earth revolves around the sun (heliocentrism). 

The church relied on Biblical references to Psalm 93:1, Psalm 96:10, and 1 Chronicles 16:30, which include text stating that “the world is firmly established, it cannot be moved.” Psalm 104:5 says, “the Lord set the earth on its foundations; it can never be moved.” Ecclesiastes 1:5 states that “And the sun rises and sets and returns to its place.”  

Why is it then, that those who reject the big bang theory and evolution, don’t also reject the anti-bible theory of heliocentrism?   

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Fighting today’s malware – Computerworld

Posted on August 6th, 2010

If malware were biological, the world would be in the grip of the worst pandemic in history. In 2009, more than 25 million different unique malware programs were identified, more than all the malware programs ever created in all previous years … 

Fighting today’s malware – Computerworld.

Filed under Malware, Security | No Comments »

Sophos Windows Shortcut Exploit Protection Tool

Posted on July 29th, 2010

Until Microsoft patches the problem (http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/advisory/2286198.mspx), your current anti-virus should protect you from malicious shortcuts.  If you want to have additional protection, try the Sophos Windows Shortcut Exploit Protection Tool.

Filed under Malware | No Comments »

Downloading files

All the vbscripts are saved as .txt files. The easiest way to download with IE is to right click on the link and use "Save Target As". Rename file to replace .txt extension with .vbs.

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