VMWare ESX Password Reset Example

[support 180]

Step 1: Ensure you have prerequisites set up for your web server and hosts, as per this forum post (Once off process)

Step 2: Add new Password Record configured as follows:

 

Screen 1: Ensure you configure the below 5 options correctly and enter in the password for the account.  If you configure an Expiry Date it will automatically change the password when that date is reached.

 

Screen 2:  Three are three options on this page to configure:

• Confirm the Reset Linux Password reset script is selected 
• Determine whether or not to use a Privileged Account and select the appropriate option. If you do not use a Privileged Account, Passwordstate will connect to the host using the account on the Password Details tab (which in this example is marlee), and perform the reset.  Otherwise it will connect to the host with the Privileged Account username and password, and then perform the reset for the user account (marlee)
• Confirm the Password Reset Schedule is enabled if you want the password to automatically change when the Expiry Date occurs

 

 

Screen 3: Confirm the Validate Password for Linux Account validation script is selected

 

 

 

 

 

[StefanPahrmann 13]

I've developed a script, which uses PowerCLI/API (VMwares powershell-modules), instead of SSH. SSH is by default disabled on ESXi-hosts for security-reasons, and I want to keep it that way  

 

As mentioned needs PowerCLI installed on the server (Guide can be found here https://blogs.vmware.com/PowerCLI/2017/08/updating-powercli-powershell-gallery.html). No privileged account needed.

 

Function Set-ESXiPassword 
{
	[CmdletBinding()]
	param (
		[String]$HostName,
		[String]$UserName,
        		[String]$OldPassword,
		[String]$NewPassword
	)	
	try{
	    $conn=Connect-VIServer $HostName -User $UserName -Password $OldPassword
	} catch {
		switch -wildcard ($error[0].Exception.ToString().ToLower())
		{
		"*incorrect user*" { Write-Output "Incorrect username or password on host '$HostName'"; break}
		"*" {write-output $error[0].Exception.ToString().ToLower();break}
		}
	}
	try{
	    $change=Set-VMHostAccount -UserAccount $UserName -Password $NewPassword
	    Disconnect-Viserver * -confirm:$false
	} catch {
	
	  switch -wildcard ($error[0].Exception.ToString().ToLower())
		{
			"*not currently connected*" {Write-Output "It wasn't possible to connect to '$HostName'";break}
			"*weak password*" { Write-Output "Failed to execute script correctly against Host '$HostName' for the account '$UserName'. It appears the new password did not meet the password complexity requirements on the host."; break }
			"*" {write-output $error[0].Exception.ToString().ToLower();break}
			#Add other wildcard matches here as required
			default { Write-Output "Success" }
		}
	}
}

Set-ESXiPassword -HostName '[HostName]' -UserName '[UserName]' -OldPassword '[OldPassword]' -NewPassword '[NewPassword]' 

Regards

Stefan

[support 180]

Awesome - thanks for contributing Stefan

 

With your permission, would you be okay if we also included your script in our product as well? Would you know which versions of ESX this would be compatible with?

Regards

Click Studios

[StefanPahrmann 13]

Hi, 

 

of course you can use it  . The cmdlet (Set-VMHostAccount) has been around from at least 5.1. Maybe it needs some further testing, but it seems to work here at our place without problems. 

 

Regards

Stefan

[support 180]

Thanks Stefan - we really appreciate it