Command line and verbose logging.

Hi,
We have created an msi package that use the email adress and
password as two custom properties. The password property has been set
to be a "hidden" property.

Durint command line installation i used the command,

msiexec/i C:\AgentSetup.msi /qn /lv C:\installation.txt
emailaddress=lek@lek.com password=pass@123

The log file c:\installation.txt contained the entire command line.

"
MSI (s) (B0:E4) [13:15:31:057]: Command Line: emailaddress=lek@lek.com
password=pass@123 CURRENTDIRECTORY=C:\ CLIENTUILEVEL=3
CLIENTPROCESSID=2916
"

The problem is that the password is being printed out as a part of the
command line.. it is not being substituted with "*****", as I would
have expected.

Further down in the log file I do see the password property being
printed out as "*****". For example --
"MSI (s) (B0:E4) [13:15:31:197]: PROPERTY CHANGE: Modifying PASSWORD
property. Its current value is '**********'. Its new value:
'**********'.
"

Is there any way to make sure that the log, when it outputs the
command line, substitutes the real password property with "*******"?

Appreciate your insight,
Thanky you
Anagha

On Fri, 28 Nov 2008 09:54:54 -0800 (PST), "ranagha3@gmail.com" <anagha@comcast.net> wrote:

>Hi,
> We have created an msi package that use the email adress and
>password as two custom properties. The password property has been set
>to be a "hidden" property.

How and when?


>
>During command line installation i used the command,
>
>msiexec/i C:\AgentSetup.msi /qn /lv C:\installation.txt
>emailaddress=lek@lek.com password=pass@123
>
>The log file c:\installation.txt contained the entire command line.
>
>"
>MSI (s) (B0:E4) [13:15:31:057]: Command Line: emailaddress=lek@lek.com
>password=pass@123 CURRENTDIRECTORY=C:\ CLIENTUILEVEL=3
>CLIENTPROCESSID=2916
>"
>
>The problem is that the password is being printed out as a part of the
>command line.. it is not being substituted with "*****", as I would
>have expected.

It could be a Windows Installer bug but could also be that you are
scheduling a property update too late.

Bye,
Dennis
Dennis Bareis [Microsoft MVP] (dbareis@KillSpam.gmail.com)
http://dennisbareis.com/
Freeware Windows Installer creation tool (+ "ORCA automation"):
http://makemsi.dennisbareis.com/

On Nov 29, 10:47*pm, Dennis Bareis <dbar...@newsgroup.nospam> wrote:
> On Fri, 28 Nov 2008 09:54:54 -0800 (PST), "ranag...@gmail.com" <ana...@comcast.net> wrote:
> >Hi,
> > *We have created an msi package that use the email adress and
> >password as two custom properties. The password property has been set
> >to be a "hidden" property.
>
> How and when?
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> >During command line installation i used the command,
>
> >msiexec/i C:\AgentSetup.msi /qn /lv C:\installation.txt
> >emailaddress=...@lek.com password=pass@123
>
> >The log file c:\installation.txt contained the entire command line.
>
> >"
> >MSI (s) (B0:E4) [13:15:31:057]: Command Line: emailaddress=...@lek.com
> >password=pass@123 CURRENTDIRECTORY=C:\ CLIENTUILEVEL=3
> >CLIENTPROCESSID=2916
> >"
>
> >The problem is that the password is being printed out as a part of the
> >command line.. it is not being substituted with "*****", as I would
> >have expected.
>
> It could be a Windows Installer bug but could also be that you are
> scheduling a property update too late.
>
> Hi Dennis,
Thank you for the response. It may be that we are not setting the
property to be hidden early enough. I have inherited this package and
am working through it. The basic organization seems to be --

-- Product details (product code, package code, upgrade code etc)
-- Set some messages based on OS version (NT, XP, Vista etc). For
example <Condition Message='$(loc.OSRestrictionME)'><![CDATA
[VersionNT]]></Condition>
-- Read values from registry and set some custom properties
for example <Property Id="INSTALLED7XAGENT">
<RegistrySearch Id="Check7xRegistry" Root="HKLM"
Key="SOFTWARE\Classes
\CLSID\{5CD5376C-0243-4730-9F29-AF38EC0B79E7}\LocalServer32"
Type="file"/>
</Property>
-- List of components, directories etc
-- List of features and the components they include

-- List of customactions, for example
<CustomAction Id="ConfigureAgentService" BinaryKey="BackupCA.dll"
DllEntry="ConfigureAgentService" Execute="deferred" Impersonate="no" /
>

Any custom action that is using this property is setting the
"HideTarget" attribute to yes
For example
<Property Id="CheckInstallationCondition" Hidden="yes"/>
<CustomAction Id="CheckInstallationCondition" Execute="deferred"
Impersonate="no" Return="check" BinaryKey="BackupCA.dll"
DllEntry="CheckInstallationCondition" HideTarget="yes"/>
<CustomAction Id="CheckInstallationCondition_SetProperty"
Return="check"Property="CheckInstallationCondition "
Value="[Installed]|[INSTALLED7XAGENT]|[SSWSAccountNumber]|
[ACCOUNTNUMBER]|[TECHID]|[PASSWORD]|[USERPASSWORD]|[LDAPID]|[EMAILA
DDRESS]" HideTarget="yes"/>

-- UIspecification
-- some properties
-- Dialogs with controls
-- AminUISequence
-- InstallUISequence

-- list of properties including the password property.
The password property is specified as
<Property Id="PASSWORD" Hidden="yes"><![CDATA[0]]></Property>
-- adminexecute sequence
-- install execute sequence

Thank you
Anagha
Bye,
> Dennis
> Dennis Bareis [Microsoft MVP] (dbar...@KillSpam.gmail.com)
> *http://dennisbareis.com/
> Freeware Windows Installer creation tool (+ "ORCA automation"):
> *http://makemsi.dennisbareis.com/- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

Hi,

Here's a link to some information on preventing confidential information
from being written into a log file.

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/libr...42(VS.85).aspx

Excerpt from using the MSIHiddenProperties property states:

......"Note This method can make confidential information entered on a
command line visible in the log. When the Debug policy is set to a value of
7, the installer will write information entered on a command line into the
log. This makes the property entered on a command line visible even if the
property is included in the MsiHiddenProperties property.".........


Hope this helps.

Jonathan Essien[MSFT]
This posting is "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.