Decrypting AES encrypted password to plain text in PowerShell Script

Question

I have been following along on numerous how-to articles that explain how to decrypt an AES encrypted password. No matter how I try, the password ends up with $password displaying as System.Security.SecureString. I need the password to echo in plain text because I am calling a command line utility that does not use windows permissions (ADSI/LDAP). Here's my script:

$PasswordFile = "$PSScriptRoot\PowerShell\AESpassword.txt" 
$KeyFile = "$PSScriptRoot\PowerShell\AES.key" 
$key = Get-Content $KeyFile
$MyPassword = ConvertTo-SecureString (Get-Content $PasswordFile | ConvertTo-SecureString -Key $key) -AsPlainText -Force
$Marshal = [System.Runtime.InteropServices.Marshal]
$BSTR = $Marshal::SecureStringToBSTR($MyPassword)
$password = $Marshal::PtrToStringAuto($BSTR)

Why two calls to ConvertTo-SecureString? $MyPassword = Get-Content $PasswordFile | ConvertTo-SecureString -Key $key should suffice — Mathias R. Jessen
– Mathias R. Jessen, Commented Feb 24, 2017 at 14:54
Yeah, you first call ConvertTo-SecureString on the decrypted password and then complain that it is a secure string?!? — Maarten Bodewes
– Maarten Bodewes, Commented Feb 24, 2017 at 15:21
Your suggestion to use $MyPassword = Get-Content $PasswordFile | ConvertTo-SecureString -Key $key worked like a charm! Thank you so much! Make sure to post that comment as the answer so I can give you credit for it. :) — bbcompent1
– bbcompent1, Commented Feb 24, 2017 at 15:53
bbcompent1 - Tip: use @username to ensure @MathiasRJessen is notified of your comment asking him to promote the comment to an answer :-) — Leigh
– Leigh, Commented Feb 27, 2017 at 18:01
@MathiasRJessen Your suggestion to use $MyPassword = Get-Content $PasswordFile | ConvertTo-SecureString -Key $key worked like a charm! Thank you so much! Make sure to post that comment as the answer so I can give you credit for it. :) — bbcompent1
– bbcompent1, Commented Mar 2, 2017 at 18:17

bbcompent1 · Accepted Answer · 2017-06-16 21:03:07Z

1

According to @MathiasRJessen the suggestion to use $MyPassword = Get-Content $PasswordFile | ConvertTo-SecureString -Key $key worked like a charm! Thank you so much! Make sure to post that comment as the answer so I can give you credit for it. :)

answered Jun 16, 2017 at 21:03

bbcompent1

4941 gold badge10 silver badges29 bronze badges

Sign up to request clarification or add additional context in comments.

Collectives™ on Stack Overflow

Decrypting AES encrypted password to plain text in PowerShell Script

1 Answer 1

Comments

Your Answer

Hot Network Questions

Collectives™ on Stack Overflow

1 Answer 1

Comments

Your Answer

Sign up or log in

Post as a guest

Related