# psexec – Runs commands on a remote Windows host based on the PsExec model

New in version 2.6.

- Synopsis
- Requirements
- Parameters
- Notes
- See Also
- Examples
- Return Values
- Status

## Synopsis

- Runs a remote command from a Linux host to a Windows host without WinRM being set up.
- Can be run on the Ansible controller to bootstrap Windows hosts to get them ready for WinRM.

## Requirements

The below requirements are needed on the host that executes this module.

- pypsexec
- smbprotocol[kerberos] for optional Kerberos authentication

## Parameters

Parameter | Choices/Defaults | Comments
--- | --- | ---
arguments string |  | Any arguments as a single string to use when running the executable.

asynchronous
boolean

Choices:
- no ←
- yes

Will run the command as a detached process and the module returns immediately after starting the process while the process continues to run in the background.
The stdout and stderr return values will be null when this is set to `yes`.
The stdin option does not work with this type of process.
The rc return value is not set when this is `yes`

connection_password string |  | The password for connection_user. Required if the Kerberos requirements are not installed or the username is a local account to the Windows host. Can be omitted to use a Kerberos principal ticket for the principal set by connection_user if the Kerberos library is installed and the ticket has already been retrieved with the `kinit` command before.
connection_timeout integer | Default: 60 | The timeout in seconds to wait when receiving the initial SMB negotiate response from the server.

connection_username
string

The username to use when connecting to the remote Windows host.
This user must be a member of the `Administrators` group of the Windows host.
Required if the Kerberos requirements are not installed or the username is a local account to the Windows host.
Can be omitted to use the default Kerberos principal ticket in the local credential cache if the Kerberos library is installed.
If process_username is not specified, then the remote process will run under a Network Logon under this account.

encrypt
boolean

Choices:
- no
- yes ←

Will use SMB encryption to encrypt the SMB messages sent to and from the host.
This requires the SMB 3 protocol which is only supported from Windows Server 2012 or Windows 8, older versions like Windows 7 or Windows Server 2008 (R2) must set this to `no` and use no encryption.
When setting to `no`, the packets are in plaintext and can be seen by anyone sniffing the network, any process options are included in this.

executable string / required |  | The executable to run on the Windows host.
hostname string / required |  | The remote Windows host to connect to, can be either an IP address or a hostname.

integrity_level
string

Choices:
- limited
- default ←
- elevated

The integrity level of the process when process_username is defined and is not equal to `System`.
When `default`, the default integrity level based on the system setup.
When `elevated`, the command will be run with Administrative rights.
When `limited`, the command will be forced to run with non-Administrative rights.

interactive
boolean

Choices:
- no ←
- yes

Will run the process as an interactive process that shows a process Window of the Windows session specified by interactive_session.
The stdout and stderr return values will be null when this is set to `yes`.
The stdin option does not work with this type of process.

interactive_session integer | Default: 0 | The Windows session ID to use when displaying the interactive process on the remote Windows host. This is only valid when interactive is `yes`. The default is `0` which is the console session of the Windows host.

load_profile
boolean

Choices:
- no
- yes ←

Runs the remote command with the user's profile loaded.

port integer | Default: 445 | The port that the remote SMB service is listening on.

priority
string

Choices:
- above_normal
- below_normal
- high
- idle
- normal ←
- realtime

Set the command's priority on the Windows host.
See https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/ms683211.aspx for more details.

process_password string |  | The password for process_username. Required if process_username is defined and not `System`.
process_timeout integer | Default: 0 | The timeout in seconds that is placed upon the running process. A value of `0` means no timeout.

process_username
string

The user to run the process as.
This can be set to run the process under an Interactive logon of the specified account which bypasses limitations of a Network logon used when this isn't specified.
If omitted then the process is run under the same account as connection_username with a Network logon.
Set to `System` to run as the builtin SYSTEM account, no password is required with this account.
If encrypt is `no`, the username and password are sent as a simple XOR scrambled byte string that is not encrypted. No special tools are required to get the username and password just knowledge of the protocol.

show_ui_on_logon_screen
boolean

Choices:
- no ←
- yes

Shows the process UI on the Winlogon secure desktop when process_username is `System`.

stdin string |  | Data to send on the stdin pipe once the process has started. This option has no effect when interactive or asynchronous is `yes`.
working_directory string | Default: "C:\\Windows\\System32" | Changes the working directory set when starting the process.

## Notes

Note

- This module requires the Windows host to have SMB configured and enabled, and port 445 opened on the firewall.
- This module will wait until the process is finished unless asynchronous is `yes`, ensure the process is run as a non-interactive command to avoid infinite hangs waiting for input.
- The connection_username must be a member of the local Administrator group of the Windows host. For non-domain joined hosts, the `LocalAccountTokenFilterPolicy` should be set to `1` to ensure this works, see https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/951016/description-of-user-account-control-and-remote-restrictions-in-windows.
- For more information on this module and the various host requirements, see https://github.com/jborean93/pypsexec.

## See Also

See also

raw – Executes a low-down and dirty command
  The official documentation on the raw module.
win_command – Executes a command on a remote Windows node
  The official documentation on the win_command module.
win_psexec – Runs commands (remotely) as another (privileged) user
  The official documentation on the win_psexec module.
win_shell – Execute shell commands on target hosts
  The official documentation on the win_shell module.

## Examples

    - name: Run a cmd.exe command
      psexec:
        hostname: server
        connection_username: username
        connection_password: password
        executable: cmd.exe
        arguments: /c echo Hello World

    - name: Run a PowerShell command
      psexec:
        hostname: server.domain.local
        connection_username: username@DOMAIN.LOCAL
        connection_password: password
        executable: powershell.exe
        arguments: Write-Host Hello World

    - name: Send data through stdin
      psexec:
        hostname: 192.168.1.2
        connection_username: username
        connection_password: password
        executable: powershell.exe
        arguments: '-'
        stdin: |
          Write-Host Hello World
          Write-Error Error Message
          exit 0

    - name: Run the process as a different user
      psexec:
        hostname: server
        connection_user: username
        connection_password: password
        executable: whoami.exe
        arguments: /all
        process_username: anotheruser
        process_password: anotherpassword

    - name: Run the process asynchronously
      psexec:
        hostname: server
        connection_username: username
        connection_password: password
        executable: cmd.exe
        arguments: /c rmdir C:\temp
        asynchronous: yes

    - name: Use Kerberos authentication for the connection (requires smbprotocol[kerberos])
      psexec:
        hostname: host.domain.local
        connection_username: user@DOMAIN.LOCAL
        executable: C:\some\path\to\executable.exe
        arguments: /s

    - name: Disable encryption to work with WIndows 7/Server 2008 (R2)
      psexec:
        hostanme: windows-pc
        connection_username: Administrator
        connection_password: Password01
        encrypt: no
        integrity_level: elevated
        process_username: Administrator
        process_password: Password01
        executable: powershell.exe
        arguments: (New-Object -ComObject Microsoft.Update.Session).CreateUpdateInstaller().IsBusy

    - name: Download and run ConfigureRemotingForAnsible.ps1 to setup WinRM
      psexec:
        hostname: '{{ hostvars[inventory_hostname]["ansible_host"] | default(inventory_hostname) }}'
        connection_username: '{{ ansible_user }}'
        connection_password: '{{ ansible_password }}'
        encrypt: yes
        executable: powershell.exe
        arguments: '-'
        stdin: |
          $ErrorActionPreference = "Stop"
          $sec_protocols = [Net.ServicePointManager]::SecurityProtocol -bor [Net.SecurityProtocolType]::SystemDefault
          $sec_protocols = $sec_protocols -bor [Net.SecurityProtocolType]::Tls12
          [Net.ServicePointManager]::SecurityProtocol = $sec_protocols
          $url = "https://github.com/ansible/ansible/raw/devel/examples/scripts/ConfigureRemotingForAnsible.ps1"
          Invoke-Expression ((New-Object Net.WebClient).DownloadString($url))
          exit
      delegate_to: localhost

## Return Values

Common return values are documented here, the following are the fields unique to this module:

Key | Returned | Description
--- | --- | ---
msg string | module failed | Any exception details when trying to run the process Sample: Received exception from remote PAExec service: Failed to start "invalid.exe". The system cannot find the file specified. [Err=0x2, 2]
pid integer | success and asynchronous is 'yes' | The process ID of the asynchronous process that was created Sample: 719
rc integer | success and asynchronous is 'no' | The return code of the remote process
stderr string | success and interactive or asynchronous is 'no' | The stderr from the remote process Sample: Error [10] running process
stdout string | success and interactive or asynchronous is 'no' | The stdout from the remote process Sample: Hello World

## Status

- This module is not guaranteed to have a backwards compatible interface. [preview]
- This module is maintained by the Ansible Community. [community]

### Authors

- Jordan Borean (@jborean93)

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