Disable-WSManCredSSP

Using Disable-WSManCredSSP in PowerShell

Welcome back, fellow PowerShell enthusiasts! Today on Wahmans PowerShell blog, we’re taking a look at the cmdlet Disable-WSManCredSSP. This cmdlet plays a crucial role in managing the authentication protocols on your Windows systems, and knowing when and how to use it can level-up your administrative security.

What Does Disable-WSManCredSSP Do?

This cmdlet disables Credential Security Support Provider (CredSSP) authentication. CredSSP allows for credential delegation, useful in certain remote operations, but also a potential security risk if left enabled improperly. That makes Disable-WSManCredSSP a great cmdlet to add to your security toolkit.

Now let’s walk through some hands-on examples progressing from beginner to advanced usage.

Example 1: Disable CredSSP on the Client Side

Disable-WSManCredSSP -Role Client

This basic example disables CredSSP authentication on the client side. You’d use this if you no longer want your client machine delegating credentials to a remote host.

Example 2: Disable CredSSP on the Server Side

Disable-WSManCredSSP -Role Server

If your computer is acting as a remote desktop or PowerShell remoting host, and you want to disable its ability to receive delegated credentials, use this command targeting the server role.

Example 3: Check if CredSSP is Enabled Before Disabling

if ((Get-Item -Path WSMan:\localhost\Client\Auth\CredSSP).Value -eq 'true') {
    Write-Output "CredSSP is enabled. Disabling it now."
    Disable-WSManCredSSP -Role Client
} else {
    Write-Output "CredSSP is already disabled."
}

This script performs a check to see if CredSSP is enabled on the client before disabling it. Great for automation scripts where you need idempotent behavior.

Example 4: Disable CredSSP on Multiple Remote Servers

$servers = @("Server01", "Server02", "Server03")

foreach ($server in $servers) {
    Invoke-Command -ComputerName $server -ScriptBlock {
        Disable-WSManCredSSP -Role Server
        Write-Output "CredSSP disabled on $($env:COMPUTERNAME)"
    }
}

This more advanced example uses Invoke-Command to remotely disable CredSSP on a list of servers. This is especially useful in an enterprise environment when securing infrastructure at scale.

Final Thoughts

Security should always be a top priority when managing systems with PowerShell. Knowing when to disable features like CredSSP can help harden your machines against unauthorized access and credential theft.

Happy scripting, and I will see you in the next post!