Configure WinRM for HTTPS

Configure WinRM for HTTPS manually

Configuring for HTTPS involves following steps.

Check whether WinRM service is running
Create HTTPS listener
Add firewall exception
Validate HTTPS listener

Check whether WinRM service is running

PS C:\Temp> Get-Service WinRM

Status  Name  DisplayName
------  ----  -----------
Running WinRM Windows Remote Management (WS-Management)

If the WinRM service is not running, you might need to configure WinRM using winrm quickconfig. When you configure winrm first time, it is configured to use 5985 by default.

check already registered listeners by running following command

PS C:\Temp> WinRM e winrm/config/listener
Listener
    Address = *
    Transport = HTTP
    Port = 5985
    Hostname
    Enabled = true
    URLPrefix = wsman
    CertificateThumbprint
ListeningOn = 127.0.0.1, 172.20.20.1, ::1, fe80::5efe:172.20.20.1%15, fe80::d071:b058:c541:a212%12

Create HTTPS listener

To create a HTTPS listener, you need to have a certificate.

Generate SSL Certificate with one of these options

CA Authority(e.g:Versign)
Active Directory Certificate Services (If using internal CA)
Self Signed(Not to be used in Production)

Run the following command to create https listener. (Using cmd)

winrm create winrm/config/Listener?Address=*+Transport=HTTPS @{Hostname="<YOUR_DNS_NAME>"; CertificateThumbprint="<COPIED_CERTIFICATE_THUMBPRINT>"}

C:\Users\Administrator>winrm create winrm/config/Listener?Address=*+Transport=HTTPS @{Hostname="dc01.winadmin.org";CertificateThumbprint="FCD7AF299FED777E467356DA67C66263AA805B9B"}
ResourceCreated
    Address = http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/ws/2004/08/addressing/role/anonymous
    ReferenceParameters
        ResourceURI = http://schemas.microsoft.com/wbem/wsman/1/config/listener
        SelectorSet
            Selector: Address = *, Transport = HTTPS

Add firewall exception

You can use command and GUI tool to configure firewall exception.

Via command

# Add a new firewall rule

netsh advfirewall firewall add rule name="Windows Remote Management (HTTPS-In)" dir=in action=allow protocol=TCP localport=5986

Using Windows Firewall with Advanced Security GUI tool.

Open Windows Firewall with Advanced Security and click New Rule.

Select Port

Specific local ports – Enter 5986

Select Allow the connection

Select the options whatever is required

And give a name and click Finish

Now check the WinRM Listener. The output should be as follows.

C:\Users\Administrator>WinRM e winrm/config/listener
Listener
    Address = *
    Transport = HTTP
    Port = 5985
    Hostname
    Enabled = true
    URLPrefix = wsman
    CertificateThumbprint
    ListeningOn = 127.0.0.1, 172.16.1.101, ::1, fe80::1d72:b620:dc60:d783%4

Listener
    Address = *
    Transport = HTTPS
    Port = 5986
    Hostname = dc01.winadmin.org
    Enabled = true
    URLPrefix = wsman
    CertificateThumbprint = FCD7AF299FED777E467356DA67C66263AA805B9B
    ListeningOn = 127.0.0.1, 172.16.1.101, ::1, fe80::1d72:b620:dc60:d783%4

Verify you can connect to the machine via HTTPS

PS C:\Users\Administrator> Enter-PSSession -Cn dc01.winadmin.org -UseSSL
[dc01.winadmin.org]: PS C:\Users\wintel\Documents>

If you give only host name, it will give errors and will not connect.

PS C:\Users\Administrator&gt; Enter-PSSession -Cn dc01 -UseSSL

Enter-PSSession : Connecting to remote server vc01 failed with the following error message : The server certificate onthe destination computer (vc01:5986) has the following errors:
The SSL certificate contains a common name (CN) that does not match the hostname. For more information, see theabout_Remote_Troubleshooting Help topic.
At line:1 char:1
+ Enter-PSSession -Cn vc01 -UseSSL
+ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+ CategoryInfo : InvalidArgument: (vc01:String) [Enter-PSSession], PSRemotingTransportException
+ FullyQualifiedErrorId : CreateRemoteRunspaceFailed