Looks like with RDP v6 protocol, user's credentials are stored in %userprofile% on local PC and not in .rdp file. Plus, password is encrypted using hash from user's Windows login password. This practically makes it impossible to generate .rdp file with username/password included.
I found http://www.remkoweijnen.nl/blog/2007/10/17/launch-rdp-from-commandline/ utility, which works as a wrapper for mstsc.exe and can pass username/password and auto-connect to a RDP session. This is probably closest it gets to auto-login... Thanks. On Nov 22, 2011, at 16:37 , Aaron Coburn wrote: > On Nov 22, 2011, at 2:58 PM, Alexander Kurt Keller wrote: >> I believe years ago (RDP version 4?) the password could be defined in clear >> text within the RDP file but that is long unsupported. Here is a write-up >> and a lively comments discussion on the MSTSC embedded password encryption >> function: >> >> http://www.remkoweijnen.nl/blog/2007/10/18/how-rdp-passwords-are-encrypted/ >> >> it looks like they use the machine or user SID to salt the hash? > > > I tried implementing this particular solution a while ago but was never able > to get it to work. The basic idea described in the website is that the target > machine needs to encrypt the password and that encrypted string goes into the > RDP file as: > > password 51:b:{encrypted password} > > For instance, if a suitable encryption program is installed on the VCL > Windows machine, the management node could, in theory, request a hashed copy > of the password before generating the RDP file for the user. > > I certainly don't want to dissuade anyone from trying to get this to work as > described in the link above, but given that there is no reference to > 'password 51' fields in the current Terminal Services documentation, I am not > entirely sure that the field is still supported: > http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ff393708%28WS.10%29.aspx > http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=885187 > > The closest I have come to an auto-login solution is to use protocol handlers > in the form of a link. Something like this: > > <a href="rdp://username:password@hostname:port/domain?params">...</a> > > For this to work on a user's computer, the protocol handler must be > registered at the OS level, which introduces an additional level of > complexity. On Mac OS X, this is done automatically when a user installs an > RDP client such as CoRD. On linux, a user will need to execute something like > this to enable the handler: > gconftool-2 -s /desktop/gnome/url-handlers/rdp/command '/usr/bin/rdesktop %s' > --type String > gconftool-2 -s /desktop/gnome/url-handlers/rdp/enabled --type Boolean true > I am not entirely sure about how to get this to work on Windows, though. > First of all, mstsc.exe doesn't seem to accept a username or password > argument from the command line. Nevertheless, if you want the protocol > handler to work on Windows, you'll need to modify the registry in > HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\\rdp -- the documentation here will give you a start: > http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa767914.aspx > > Please let me know if you make any progress on this! > > Best regards, > Aaron > > > -- > Aaron Coburn > Systems Administrator and Programmer > Academic Technology Services, Amherst College > (413) 542-5451 acob...@amherst.edu > > > >> -----Original Message----- >> From: Josh Thompson [mailto:josh_thomp...@ncsu.edu] >> Sent: Tuesday, November 22, 2011 11:12 AM >> To: vcl-user@incubator.apache.org >> Subject: Re: rdp file auto login >> >> It's been several years since I tried to get this to work. However, unless >> things have changed (which I'm guessing they haven't), you can't make it >> auto- login. The password is provided in a clear text form in the rdp file. >> >> Unfortunately, the windows and mac RDC apps won't use the clear text >> version. >> You can save a password in an encrypted form in an rdp file; however, RDC >> uses cryptographic stuff specific to the computer that actually saves the >> file, meaning there's no way to generate the encrypted form of the password >> unless you are actually on the end user's machine. >> >> If anyone wants to try to investigate this again, I think everyone in the >> community would love to see it work. Or, everyone can switch to linux/unix >> platforms that can use rdesktop that will happily accept the password at the >> command line. :) I have a nice wrapper script for rdesktop that will take >> the rdp file and do the auto-login into the remote windows node. >> >> Josh >> >> On Tue November 22 2011 1:29:09 PM Gene Lui wrote: >>> Dmitri, >>> >>> If you download the rdp file from the connection reservation and open >>> it with a editor, you see that the rdp file has both a user name and >>> password within the setting file. For example, the last rdp file had >>> the following key entries: >>> >>> username:s:gkl25 >>> clear password:s:LDgKQM >>> >>> I would have thought that this would be passed to the remote desktop >>> when opening this file with mstcs. But it is not and I don't know if >>> this is how it normally works or is it suppose to be able to passed it >>> to the Win7 remote desktop and I'm doing something wrong. >>> >>> - Gene >>> >>> On Tue, 2011-11-22 at 13:17 -0500, Dmitri Chebotarov wrote: >>>> Gene >>>> >>>> I'm relatively new with VCL and I may be wrong. I could not find any >>>> options in preferences for RDP file to include password. Having >>>> password in RDP file would make it easier and if it's possible it would be >>>> great. >>>> >>>> I would like to have this option as well and will be looking into >>>> the code which generates a RDP file for new reservations. >>>> >>>> Thanks >>>> >>>> On Nov 22, 2011, at 12:58 , Gene Lui wrote: >>>>> Thanks Dmitri, >>>>> >>>>> Wanted to confirm if its possible by using the rdp file, users can >>>>> auto login with the mstsc (would be preferred over entering >>>>> password manually). Thanks for such a quick reply and answer to my >>>>> question. >>>>> >>>>> Take care, >>>>> Gene >>>>> >>>>> Drexel University >>>>> >>>>> On Tue, 2011-11-22 at 12:47 -0500, Dmitri Chebotarov wrote: >>>>>> Gene, >>>>>> >>>>>> Username/password would be on your reservation page. >>>>>> Username is Admin, password is generated for each reservation and >>>>>> you need to type it manually when open RDP. >>>>>> >>>>>> Thanks. >>>>>> >>>>>> On Nov 22, 2011, at 12:32 , Gene Lui wrote: >>>>>>> Hi there, >>>>>>> >>>>>>> I wonder if any of you bright individuals can help me out here >>>>>>> with this wonderful project you got here. >>>>>>> >>>>>>> When I use the RDP file supplied on the vcl connection page >>>>>>> (Windows >>>>>>> 7 client) , I assume it will automatically supply the >>>>>>> credentials to log into the remote desktop image (Windows 7 >>>>>>> image). The problem is that it does not automatically logs in >>>>>>> and it prompts for my password. >>>>>>> >>>>>>> Do I have this wrong and a password is needed to be manually entered? >>>>>>> If not, how do I enable the auto login? I have tried changing >>>>>>> group policy settings on the remote desktop host but nothing >>>>>>> works. I appreciate any help anyone can give. >>>>>>> >>>>>>> Thanks, >>>>>>> Gene >>>>>>> >>>>>>> Drexel University >> - >> ------------------------------- >> Josh Thompson >> Systems Programmer >> Virtual Computing Lab (VCL) >> North Carolina State University >> >> josh_thomp...@ncsu.edu >> 919-515-5323 >> >> my GPG/PGP key can be found at www.keyserver.net >
