Interactive_logon_Message_text_for_users_attempting_to_log_on: A blank line causes the resource to fail even though it worked

[jeremyhagan]

Details of the scenario you tried and the problem that is occurring

If you want to use a blank line in the text, the correct syntax is to include '," ",' in your text. When this is passed to the resource it successfully puts the correct value in the registry, however the DSC Resource reports a failure and suggests checking '%windir%\se
curity\logs\scesrv.log' However there are no errors in this log either.
Secondly, if you try to pass in a here string with a blank line, the Format-LogonMessage function doesn't account for blank lines.

Verbose logs showing the problem

VERBOSE: [2024-07-11 01:53:15Z] [VERBOSE] An LCM method call arrived from computer JEREMYDSCTEST with user sid
S-1-5-18.
VERBOSE: [2024-07-11 01:53:15Z] [VERBOSE] [JEREMYDSCTEST]: LCM: [ Start Set ]
VERBOSE: [2024-07-11 01:53:15Z] [VERBOSE] [JEREMYDSCTEST]: LCM: [ Start Resource ] [[SecurityOption]SecurityOpions]
VERBOSE: [2024-07-11 01:53:15Z] [VERBOSE] [JEREMYDSCTEST]: LCM: [ Start Test ] [[SecurityOption]SecurityOpions]
VERBOSE: [2024-07-11 01:53:15Z] [VERBOSE] [JEREMYDSCTEST]: [[SecurityOption]SecurityOpions]
Testing SecurityOption: Interactive_logon_Message_text_for_users_attempting_to_log_on
VERBOSE: [2024-07-11 01:53:15Z] [VERBOSE] [JEREMYDSCTEST]: [[SecurityOption]SecurityOpions]
Current policy: Foo, ,Bar Desired policy: Foo," ",Bar
VERBOSE: [2024-07-11 01:53:15Z] [VERBOSE] [JEREMYDSCTEST]: [[SecurityOption]SecurityOpions]
Testing SecurityOption: Interactive_logon_Message_title_for_users_attempting_to_log_on
VERBOSE: [2024-07-11 01:53:15Z] [VERBOSE] [JEREMYDSCTEST]: [[SecurityOption]SecurityOpions]
Current policy: ATTENTION NETWORK USER Desired policy: ATTENTION NETWORK USER
VERBOSE: [2024-07-11 01:53:15Z] [VERBOSE] [JEREMYDSCTEST]: LCM: [ End Test ] [[SecurityOption]SecurityOpions]
in 1.3590 seconds.
VERBOSE: [2024-07-11 01:53:15Z] [VERBOSE] [JEREMYDSCTEST]: LCM: [ Start Set ] [[SecurityOption]SecurityOpions]
VERBOSE: [2024-07-11 01:53:16Z] [VERBOSE] [JEREMYDSCTEST]: [[SecurityOption]SecurityOpions]
Testing SecurityOption: Interactive_logon_Message_text_for_users_attempting_to_log_on
VERBOSE: [2024-07-11 01:53:16Z] [VERBOSE] [JEREMYDSCTEST]: [[SecurityOption]SecurityOpions]
Current policy: Foo, ,Bar Desired policy: Foo," ",Bar
VERBOSE: [2024-07-11 01:53:16Z] [VERBOSE] [JEREMYDSCTEST]: [[SecurityOption]SecurityOpions]
Testing SecurityOption: Interactive_logon_Message_title_for_users_attempting_to_log_on
VERBOSE: [2024-07-11 01:53:16Z] [VERBOSE] [JEREMYDSCTEST]: [[SecurityOption]SecurityOpions]
Current policy: ATTENTION NETWORK USER Desired policy: ATTENTION NETWORK USER
VERBOSE: [2024-07-11 01:53:16Z] [VERBOSE] [JEREMYDSCTEST]: LCM: [ End Set ] [[SecurityOption]SecurityOpions]
in 2.3000 seconds.
VERBOSE: [2024-07-11 01:53:16Z] [ERROR] PowerShell DSC resource MSFT_SecurityOption failed to execute
Set-TargetResource functionality with error message: Failed to update security option
Interactive_logon_Message_text_for_users_attempting_to_log_on. Refer to %windir%\security\logs\scesrv.log for details.

VERBOSE: [2024-07-11 01:53:16Z] [VERBOSE] [JEREMYDSCTEST]: LCM: [ End Set ]
VERBOSE: [2024-07-11 01:53:16Z] [ERROR] The SendConfigurationApply function did not succeed.
VERBOSE: [2024-07-11 01:53:17Z] [VERBOSE] Operation 'Invoke CimMethod' complete.
VERBOSE: [2024-07-11 01:53:17Z] [VERBOSE] Time taken for configuration job to complete is 4.617 seconds

Suggested solution to the issue

1. Adjust the Format-LogonMessage so that it supports blank lines in here strings properly. Presently the following happens:

PS>$str = @'
foo

bar
 '@
PS>Format-LogonMessage $str
foo,,bar

The outtput should be foo," ",bar
2. Work out the exit code (or whatever) issue which is leading the resource to think SecEdit is failing.

The DSC configuration that is used to reproduce the issue (as detailed as possible)

Configuration LegalNoticeTest {
    Import-DscResource -ModuleName SecurityPolicyDsc
    SecurityOption 'SecurityOpions'	{
		Name = 'SecurityOptions'
		Interactive_logon_Message_text_for_users_attempting_to_log_on   = 'Foo," ",Bar'
		Interactive_logon_Message_title_for_users_attempting_to_log_on  = 'ATTENTION NETWORK USER'
	}
}

The operating system the target node is running

OsName : Microsoft Windows Server 2022 Datacenter
OsOperatingSystemSKU : DatacenterServerEdition
OsArchitecture : 64-bit
WindowsVersion : 2009
WindowsBuildLabEx : 20348.1.amd64fre.fe_release.210507-1500
OsLanguage : en-US
OsMuiLanguages : {en-US}

Version and build of PowerShell the target node is running

Name Value

---

PSVersion 5.1.20348.2400
PSEdition Desktop
PSCompatibleVersions {1.0, 2.0, 3.0, 4.0...}
BuildVersion 10.0.20348.2400
CLRVersion 4.0.30319.42000
WSManStackVersion 3.0
PSRemotingProtocolVersion 2.3
SerializationVersion 1.1.0.1

Version of the DSC module that was used

2.10.0

[jeremyhagan]

I think I see the issue here. SecEdit expects foo," ",bar as the input to includer a blank line, but in the exported config you get: MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System\LegalNoticeText=7,Foo, ,Bar

Therefore the Test-Resource value doesn't match the expected value.

[jeremyhagan]

If you changed line 53 of MSFT_SecurityOption.psm1 to to $resultValue = ($currentValue -split '7,')[-1].Trim().replace(', ,','," ",') I think that would work for the comparison of the desired value with the currnt value.

[jeremyhagan]

Replacement Format-LogonMessage function:

<#
    .SYNOPSIS
        Secedit.exe uses an INI file with security policies and their associated values (key value pair).
        The value to a policy must be on one line. If the message is a multiple line message a comma is used
        for the line break and if a comma is intended for grammar it must be surrounded with double quotes.

    .PARAMETER Message
        The logon message to be formated
#>
function Format-LogonMessage
{
    [OutputType([System.String])]
    [CmdletBinding()]
    param
    (
        [Parameter(Mandatory = $true)]
        [string]
        $Message
    )

    $formatText = $Message -split '\n'

    if ($formatText.count -gt 1)
    {
        $lines = $formatText -split '\n' | ForEach-Object -Process { ($PSItem -replace ',', '","').Trim() }
        $resultValue = ($lines -join ',').Replace(',,','," ",')
    }
    else
    {
        $resultValue = $formatText
    }

    return $resultValue
}

[jeremyhagan]

I've made both of these mods to my local copy and it is working now.