RDP file with embedded password asks for password

Question

I've created one RDP file

full address:s:10.20.30.40
username:s:myuser
password:s:mypassword
domain:s:mydomain

When I open this file it still asks me for the password. What can I do to tell RDP client to use password mentioned in the file instead of asking user?

Makusensu · Answer 1 · 2021-06-02T09:44:54.460

29

I had the issue on Windows 10 with perma asking password when I try to connect to a new machine.

First, the password line in the RDP must be named:

password 51:b:myEncryptedPassword

And the pass must by encrypted. You can use cryptRDP5 to convert it: https://github.com/jps-networks-modifiedOSS/openvpn-als-applications/tree/master/adito-application-rdp-xplatform-embedded/src/windows

cryptRDP5.exe yourpassword

Note that the generated password is only valid for the machine that did it.

edited Jun 02 '21 at 09:44

answered Jul 03 '18 at 11:46

Makusensu

391
3
4

4

I found that Powershell's `ConvertFrom-SecureString` also works instead of needing that `cryptRDP5.exe` – jtb Feb 27 '19 at 23:03
23

For reference, the full powershell command to encrypt a password using the above would be `("MySuperSecretPassword!" | ConvertTo-SecureString -AsPlainText -Force) | ConvertFrom-SecureString;` – BrainSlugs83 Mar 07 '19 at 20:36
2

Is there a linux/osx equivalent of `cryptRDP5.exe`? – Anthony Kong Jul 09 '19 at 00:25
@BrainSlugs83 Note that it doesn't fully match rdp encryption which pads the password with zero bytes to be 512 bytes before encryption. – NetMage Aug 24 '20 at 20:38
`cryptRDP5.exe MySuperSecretPassword` gives a different result from the example in the second comment. In particular, the result from cryptRDP5.exe works, and the one from `ConvertFrom-SecureString` doesn't. Why is that? – Saturnix Dec 19 '20 at 22:50
Windows 11 22H2: cryptRDP5 is working, but the powershell command is not working. – Louis Oct 20 '22 at 09:03

score 11 · Answer 2 · answered Aug 10 '17 at 14:38

11

Open the Group Policy editor (Start > Run > gpedit.msc) and navigate to Computer Configuration -> Administrative Templates -> Windows Components -> Remote Desktop Services -> Remote Desktop Connection Client

For value Do not allow passwords to be saved, check that is set to Disabled.

When connecting to a machine in Remote Desktop Connector, expand the Options panel and confirm that Allow me to save credentials is checked.

answered Aug 10 '17 at 14:38

Net Runner

6,169
12
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I've disabled the value as per your suggestion but it still asks for my password. – Ganesh Satpute Aug 14 '17 at 06:24
This works only in case the password is encrypted/hashed. For plaintext password, it does not work. Is there any other policy which I've to check for this? – Ganesh Satpute Aug 14 '17 at 12:37

score 3 · Answer 3 · answered Aug 08 '17 at 10:12

3

Try adding

prompt for credentials:i:0

answered Aug 08 '17 at 10:12

Angel Porlan

80
8

1

Have tried that but still asks me for my password. – Ganesh Satpute Aug 09 '17 at 16:22
Check the message that it gives to you. Maybe a GPO is blocking you to login withouth giving creds – Angel Porlan Aug 09 '17 at 16:26
It's not giving any message saying GPO is blocking the login. – Ganesh Satpute Aug 14 '17 at 06:24
3

Thanks, worked for me in combination with `username:s:myuser` and `password 51:b:myEncryptedPassword`. – Artem May 22 '19 at 20:49

DracoBlue · Answer 4 · 2021-04-18T19:03:54.307

2

I didn't managed to do this by modifying the .rdp. But a workaround is, to change the settings of the remote desktop connection application. In Preferences -> User Accounts you can add your account + password:

edited Apr 18 '21 at 19:03

answered Jul 26 '20 at 20:05

DracoBlue

121
3

That appears to be for MacOS, not Windows. – NetMage Aug 24 '20 at 19:55
I asume that a similiar option might be in windows version of this Microsoft product available, too. The main trick is not to modify the rdp file, but to put it in the Remote Desktop app preferences. – DracoBlue Aug 24 '20 at 19:57
Windows doesn't have app preferences. – NetMage Aug 24 '20 at 20:02
this worked for me on macos thank you – lenz Sep 14 '21 at 16:54

score 0 · Answer 5 · edited Jun 18 '22 at 13:11

Here is a Python 3 program that inserts username/password into RDP file and also creates LNK file for it (to drag to quick launch, for example). It is based on several existing solutions, credits for those goes to their authors.

import sys, os, getpass, subprocess

if (len(sys.argv) != 2):
    print("\nRDPPassword is a Python 3 program that inserts username")
    print("and password into existing RDP file and creates a LNK file")
    print("that can be dragged to taskbar's QuickLaunch area.")
    print("\nUSAGE: python %s <RDP file>\n" % os.path.basename(sys.argv[0]))
    exit(1)

def InsertPassword(rdpfile, user, password):
    fileIn = open(rdpfile, "r", encoding="'utf_16_le")
    lines = fileIn.read().splitlines()
    fileIn.close()
    outLines = []
    bPromptCredentials = False
    bUsername = False
    bPassword = False
    for line in lines:
        if line.startswith('promptcredentialonce:i:'):
            outLines.append('promptcredentialonce:i:1')
            bPromptCredentials = True
        elif line.startswith('username:s:'):
            outLines.append('username:s:%s' % user)
            bUsername = True
        elif line.startswith('password 51:b:'):
            outLines.append('password 51:b:%s' % password)
            bPassword = True
        elif len(line)>0:
            outLines.append(line)
    if not bPromptCredentials:
        outLines.append('promptcredentialonce:i:1')
    if not bUsername:
            outLines.append('username:s:%s' % user)
    if not bPassword:
            outLines.append('password 51:b:%s' % password)
    
    fileOut = open(rdpfile, "w", encoding="utf_16_le")
    for line in outLines:
        #fileOut.write("%s%s" % (line, os.linesep))
        fileOut.write("%s%s" % (line, '\n'))
        #print("#%s#"%line)
    fileOut.close()

def RunShell(command):
    # pipes usage taken from: https://superuser.com/questions/1540516/how-do-i-execute-powershell-commands-with-pipes-in-python
    PSEXE = r'C:\Windows\System32\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0\powershell.exe'
    PSRUNCMD = "Invoke-Command -ScriptBlock "
    process = subprocess.run([PSEXE, PSRUNCMD + "{" + command + "}"], stdout = subprocess.PIPE, stderr = subprocess.PIPE, universal_newlines = True)
    #print("CMD", command)
    #print("ERR", process.stderr)
    #print("OUT", process.stdout)
    return process.stdout

if not os.path.exists(sys.argv[1]):
    print("\nFile '%s' not found.\n" % sys.argv[1])
    exit(1)

if not ( (sys.argv[1].endswith(".rdp")) or (sys.argv[1].endswith(".RDP")) ):
    print("\nFile '%s' not a RDP file.\n" % sys.argv[1])
    exit(1)

print("\nInserting username/password into '%s'" % sys.argv[1])
username = input("Username: ")
#password = getpass.getpass("Password: ") #use this if you do not want the password to be seen while typing
password = input("Password: ")

# insert username/password into RDP file
# **************************************
# RDP password generation taken from: https://serverfault.com/questions/867467/rdp-file-with-embedded-password-asks-for-password
PassCmd = "('%s' | ConvertTo-SecureString -AsPlainText -Force) | ConvertFrom-SecureString;" % password
password = RunShell(PassCmd)

InsertPassword(sys.argv[1], username, password)

# create a LNK file for RDP
# *************************
print("\nCreating a LNK file for '%s'" % sys.argv[1])
# https://superuser.com/questions/298974/how-do-i-pin-a-remote-desktop-connection-to-the-taskbar
RunRdp = r'"%windir%\system32\mstsc.exe"'
RunArgs = "'\"%s\"'" % os.path.abspath(sys.argv[1])
# https://superuser.com/questions/392061/how-to-make-a-shortcut-from-cmd
LnkCmd = '$ws = New-Object -ComObject WScript.Shell; $s = $ws.CreateShortcut("%s"); $S.TargetPath = %s; $S.Arguments = %s; $S.Save()' % (sys.argv[1][:-3]+"lnk", RunRdp, RunArgs)
RunShell(LnkCmd)

print("\nDone.\n")

score 0 · Answer 6 · edited Feb 13 '18 at 20:48

0

To enable the setting, the user can enter promptcredentialonce:i:1 in the RDP file.

If the user wants to disable the setting, then user can enter promptcredentialonce:i:0 in the RDP file.

edited Feb 13 '18 at 20:48

Colt

2,029
6
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answered Feb 13 '18 at 16:40

techgloo

1

RDP file with embedded password asks for password

6 Answers6