EDR: How to Configure Sysprep for Use With VDI Support

Products

• Carbon Black EDR (formerly Cb Response)

Issue/Introduction

To allow sensor VDI creation through Microsoft Sysprep 

Environment

• EDR Sensor: 6.2.3+
• Microsoft Windows: All Supported Versions

Resolution

1. Before imaging, after sensor service ("CarbonBlack") has been stopped
   • Create directory for "Sensor Group" private key file

     mkdir %SYSTEMDRIVE%\cbtmp

   • Export "Sensor Group" private key into a password-protected file for a one-time use during clone startup.

     certutil -p password -exportPFX CarbonBlack * %SYSTEMDRIVE%\cbtmp\cb.pfx

   • Remove the existing "Sensor Group" private key from the Certificate Store

     certutil -delstore CarbonBlack Sensor*

2. Machine Startup Script:
   • Import the private key into the Local Machine Store

     certutil -p password -importPFX CarbonBlack %SYSTEMDRIVE%\cbtmp\cb.pfx
     

   • The sensor service will start and be stopped if there is no "sensor group" private certificate/key. If it is already running for whatever reason, the extra start command won't hurt anything.

     sc start carbonblack

   • Clean up password protected file and directory

     rmdir %SYSTEMDRIVE%\cbtmp /Q /S
     dir %SYSTEMDRIVE%\cbtmp

Additional Information

If using Microsoft Sysprep to generate VDI clones, you will run into certificate errors if you do not follow the above guidance. Once the clone is generalized (sysprep creates new machine GUID), the relationship to the existing certs is lost since they are retrieved from the cert store locally based on the machine GUID which now no longer matches.