Enable WSManCredSSP - PowerShell

Overview

Enable-WSManCredSSP establishes a trust relationship between the local computer and a specified destination computer or range of computers, enabling CredSSP (Credential Security Support Provider) authentication for remote management operations. It allows users to manage remote systems using PowerShell remoting (PSSession) or other tools that rely on CredSSP, without having to enter credentials repeatedly.

Syntax

Enable-WSManCredSSP [-Target *<server>*] [-Force] [-AllowDelegation] [-SkipCACheck] [-UseExistingConnection] [[-Confirm] <SwitchParameter>]

Options/Flags

  • -Target (Required): Specifies the destination computer or a range of computers to establish the trust with.
  • -Force: Overwrites any existing trust relationship with the target computers.
  • -AllowDelegation: Enables delegation of credentials for nested commands executed on the remote computer.
  • -SkipCACheck: Bypass certificate authority (CA) validation when connecting to the target computers.
  • -UseExistingConnection: Uses an existing connection to the target computers if one is available.
  • -Confirm: Prompts for confirmation before establishing the trust relationship.

Examples

Example 1: Establish a trust with a single computer

Enable-WSManCredSSP -Target server1.contoso.com

Example 2: Establish a trust with a range of computers

Enable-WSManCredSSP -Target server*.contoso.com

Example 3: Establish a trust with delegation and skipping CA check

Enable-WSManCredSSP -Target remotehost -AllowDelegation -SkipCACheck

Common Issues

  • Authentication failure: Ensure the target computer’s CredSSP service is running and firewall rules allow CredSSP traffic.
  • Certificate errors: If -SkipCACheck is not used, verify that the target computer’s SSL certificate is trusted by the local computer.

Integration

Combine Enable-WSManCredSSP with other PowerShell commands to automate remote management tasks. For instance:

Enable-WSManCredSSP -Target server1.contoso.com
Invoke-Command -ComputerName server1.contoso.com -ScriptBlock { Get-Process }