.. _become:
.. _playbooks_privilege_escalation:

******************************************
Understanding privilege escalation: become
******************************************

Ansible uses existing privilege escalation systems to execute tasks with root privileges or with another user's permissions. Because this feature allows you to 'become' another user, different from the user that logged into the machine (remote user), we call it ``become``. The ``become`` keyword uses existing privilege escalation tools like `sudo`, `su`, `pfexec`, `doas`, `pbrun`, `dzdo`, `ksu`, `runas`, `machinectl` and others.

.. contents::
   :local:

Using become
============

You can control the use of ``become`` with play or task directives, connection variables, or at the command line. If you set privilege escalation properties in multiple ways, review the :ref:`general precedence rules<general_precedence_rules>` to understand which settings will be used.

A full list of all become plugins that are included in Ansible can be found in the :ref:`become_plugin_list`.

Become directives
-----------------

You can set the directives that control ``become`` at the play or task level. You can override these by setting connection variables, which often differ from one host to another. These variables and directives are independent. For example, setting ``become_user`` does not set ``become``.

become
    set to ``true`` to activate privilege escalation.

become_user
    set to user with desired privileges — the user you `become`, NOT the user you login as. Does NOT imply ``become: true``, to allow it to be set at host level. Default value is ``root``.

become_method
    (at play or task level) overrides the default method set in ansible.cfg, set to use any of the :ref:`become_plugins`.

become_flags
    (at play or task level) permit the use of specific flags for the tasks or role. One common use is to change the user to nobody when the shell is set to nologin. Added in Ansible 2.2.

For example, to manage a system service (which requires ``root`` privileges) when connected as a non-``root`` user, you can use the default value of ``become_user`` (``root``):

.. code-block:: yaml

    - name: Ensure the httpd service is running
      service:
        name: httpd
        state: started
      become: true

To run a command as the ``apache`` user:

.. code-block:: yaml

    - name: Run a command as the apache user
      command: somecommand
      become: true
      become_user: apache

To do something as the ``nobody`` user when the shell is nologin:

.. code-block:: yaml

    - name: Run a command as nobody
      command: somecommand
      become: true
      become_method: su
      become_user: nobody
      become_flags: '-s /bin/sh'

To specify a password for sudo, run ``ansible-playbook`` with ``--ask-become-pass`` (``-K`` for short).
If you run a playbook utilizing ``become`` and the playbook seems to hang, most likely it is stuck at the privilege escalation prompt. Stop it with `CTRL-c`, then execute the playbook with ``-K`` and the appropriate password.

Become connection variables
---------------------------

You can define different ``become`` options for each managed node or group. You can define these variables in inventory or use them as normal variables.

ansible_become
    overrides the ``become`` directive, decides if privilege escalation is used or not.

ansible_become_method
    which privilege escalation method should be used

ansible_become_user
    set the user you become through privilege escalation; does not imply ``ansible_become: true``

ansible_become_password
    set the privilege escalation password. See :ref:`playbooks_vault` for details on how to avoid having secrets in plain text

ansible_common_remote_group
    determines if Ansible should try to ``chgrp`` its temporary files to a group if ``setfacl`` and ``chown`` both fail. See `Risks of becoming an unprivileged user`_ for more information. Added in version 2.10.

For example, if you want to run all tasks as ``root`` on a server named ``webserver``, but you can only connect as the ``manager`` user, you could use an inventory entry like this:

.. code-block:: text

    webserver ansible_user=manager ansible_become=true

.. note::
    The variables defined above are generic for all become plugins but plugin specific ones can also be set instead.
    Please see the documentation for each plugin for a list of all options the plugin has and how they can be defined.
    A full list of become plugins in Ansible can be found at :ref:`become_plugins`.

Become command-line options
---------------------------

--ask-become-pass, -K
    ask for privilege escalation password; does not imply become will be used. Note that this password will be used for all hosts.

--become, -b
    run operations with become (no password implied)

--become-method=BECOME_METHOD
    privilege escalation method to use (default=sudo),
    valid choices: [ sudo | su | pbrun | pfexec | doas | dzdo | ksu | runas | machinectl ]

--become-user=BECOME_USER
    run operations as this user (default=root), does not imply --become/-b

Risks and limitations of become
===============================

Although privilege escalation is mostly intuitive, there are a few limitations
on how it works.  Users should be aware of these to avoid surprises.

Risks of becoming an unprivileged user
--------------------------------------

Ansible modules are executed on the remote machine by first substituting the
parameters into the module file, then copying the file to the remote machine,
and finally executing it there.

Everything is fine if the module file is executed without using ``become``,
when the ``become_user`` is root, or when the connection to the remote machine
is made as root. In these cases Ansible creates the module file with
permissions that only allow reading by the user and root, or only allow reading
by the unprivileged user being switched to.

However, when both the connection user and the ``become_user`` are unprivileged,
the module file is written as the user that Ansible connects as (the
``remote_user``), but the file needs to be readable by the user Ansible is set
to ``become``. The details of how Ansible solves this can vary based on platform.
However, on POSIX systems, Ansible solves this problem in the following way:

First, if :command:`setfacl` is installed and available in the remote ``PATH``,
and the temporary directory on the remote host is mounted with POSIX.1e
filesystem ACL support, Ansible will use POSIX ACLs to share the module file
with the second unprivileged user.

Next, if POSIX ACLs are **not** available or :command:`setfacl` could not be
run, Ansible will attempt to change ownership of the module file using
:command:`chown` for systems which support doing so as an unprivileged user.

New in Ansible 2.11, at this point, Ansible will try :command:`chmod +a` which
is a macOS-specific way of setting ACLs on files.

New in Ansible 2.10, if all of the above fails, Ansible will then check the
value of the configuration setting ``ansible_common_remote_group``. Many
systems will allow a given user to change the group ownership of a file to a
group the user is in. As a result, if the second unprivileged user (the
``become_user``) has a UNIX group in common with the user Ansible is connected
as (the ``remote_user``), and if ``ansible_common_remote_group`` is defined to
be that group, Ansible can try to change the group ownership of the module file
to that group by using :command:`chgrp`, thereby likely making it readable to
the ``become_user``.

At this point, if ``ansible_common_remote_group`` was defined and a
:command:`chgrp` was attempted and returned successfully, Ansible assumes (but,
importantly, does not check) that the new group ownership is enough and does not
fall back further. That is, Ansible **does not check** that the ``become_user``
does in fact share a group with the ``remote_user``; so long as the command
exits successfully, Ansible considers the result successful and does not proceed
to check ``world_readable_temp`` per below.

If ``ansible_common_remote_group`` is **not** set and the chown above it failed,
or if ``ansible_common_remote_group`` *is* set but the :command:`chgrp` (or
following group-permissions :command:`chmod`) returned a non-successful exit
code, Ansible will lastly check `the ``world_readable_temp`` option`_. If this is
set, Ansible will place the module file in a world-readable temporary directory,
with world-readable permissions to allow the ``become_user`` (and incidentally
any other user on the system) to read the contents of the file. **If any of the
parameters passed to the module are sensitive in nature, and you do not trust
the remote machines, then this is a potential security risk.**

Once the module is done executing, Ansible deletes the temporary file.

Several ways exist to avoid the above logic flow entirely:

* Use `pipelining`.  When pipelining is enabled, Ansible does not save the
  module to a temporary file on the client.  Instead it pipes the module to
  the remote python interpreter's stdin. Pipelining does not work for
  python modules involving file transfer (for example: :ref:`copy <copy_module>`,
  :ref:`fetch <fetch_module>`, :ref:`template <template_module>`), or for non-python modules.

* Avoid becoming an unprivileged
  user.  Temporary files are protected by UNIX file permissions when you
  ``become`` root or do not use ``become``.  In Ansible 2.1 and above, UNIX
  file permissions are also secure if you make the connection to the managed
  machine as root and then use ``become`` to access an unprivileged account.

.. warning:: Although the Solaris ZFS filesystem has filesystem ACLs, the ACLs
    are not POSIX.1e filesystem acls (they are NFSv4 ACLs instead).  Ansible
    cannot use these ACLs to manage its temp file permissions so you may have
    to resort to `the ``world_readable_temp`` option`_ if the remote machines
    use ZFS.

.. versionchanged:: 2.1

Ansible makes it hard to unknowingly use ``become`` insecurely. Starting in Ansible 2.1,
Ansible defaults to issuing an error if it cannot execute securely with ``become``.
If you cannot use pipelining or POSIX ACLs, must connect as an unprivileged user,
must use ``become`` to execute as a different unprivileged user,
and decide that your managed nodes are secure enough for the
modules you want to run there to be world readable, you can turn on `the
``world_readable_temp`` option`_, which will change this from an error into
a warning and allow the task to run as it did prior to 2.1.

.. versionchanged:: 2.10

.. _the ``world_readable_temp`` option: https://docs.ansible.com/ansible/latest/collections/ansible/builtin/sh_shell.html#parameter-world_readable_temp

Ansible 2.10 introduces the above-mentioned ``ansible_common_remote_group``
fallback. As mentioned above, if enabled, it is used when ``remote_user`` and
``become_user`` are both unprivileged users. Refer to the text above for details
on when this fallback happens.

.. warning:: As mentioned above, if ``ansible_common_remote_group`` and
   ``world_readable_temp`` are both enabled, it is unlikely that the
   world-readable fallback will ever trigger, and yet Ansible might still be
   unable to access the module file. This is because after the group ownership
   change is successful, Ansible does not fall back any further, and also does
   not do any check to ensure that the ``become_user`` is actually a member of
   the "common group". This is a design decision made by the fact that doing
   such a check would require another round-trip connection to the remote
   machine, which is a time-expensive operation. Ansible does, however, emit a
   warning in this case.

Not supported by all connection plugins
---------------------------------------

Privilege escalation methods must also be supported by the connection plugin
used. Most connection plugins will warn if they do not support become. Some
will just ignore it as they always run as root (jail, chroot, and so on).

Only one method may be enabled per host
---------------------------------------

Methods cannot be chained. You cannot use ``sudo /bin/su -`` to become a user,
you need to have privileges to run the command as that user in sudo or be able
to su directly to it (the same for pbrun, pfexec or other supported methods).

Privilege escalation must be general
------------------------------------

You cannot limit privilege escalation permissions to certain commands.
Ansible does not always
use a specific command to do something but runs modules (code) from
a temporary file name which changes every time.  If you have '/sbin/service'
or '/bin/chmod' as the allowed commands this will fail with ansible as those
paths won't match with the temporary file that Ansible creates to run the
module. If you have security rules that constrain your sudo/pbrun/doas environment
to running specific command paths only, use Ansible from a special account that
does not have this constraint, or use AWX or the :ref:`ansible_platform` to manage indirect access to SSH credentials.

May not access environment variables populated by pamd_systemd
--------------------------------------------------------------

For most Linux distributions using ``systemd`` as their init, the default
methods used by ``become`` do not open a new "session", in the sense of
systemd. Because the ``pam_systemd`` module will not fully initialize a new
session, you might have surprises compared to a normal session opened through
ssh: some environment variables set by ``pam_systemd``, most notably
``XDG_RUNTIME_DIR``, are not populated for the new user and instead inherited
or just emptied.

This might cause trouble when trying to invoke systemd commands that depend on
``XDG_RUNTIME_DIR`` to access the bus:

.. code-block:: console

   $ echo $XDG_RUNTIME_DIR

   $ systemctl --user status
   Failed to connect to bus: Permission denied

To force ``become`` to open a new systemd session that goes through
``pam_systemd``, you can use ``become_method: machinectl``.

For more information, see `this systemd issue
<https://github.com/systemd/systemd/issues/825#issuecomment-127917622>`_.

Resolving Temporary File Error Messsages
----------------------------------------

* Failed to set permissions on the temporary files Ansible needs to create when becoming an unprivileged user"
* This error can be resolved by installing the package that provides the ``setfacl`` command. (This is frequently the ``acl`` package but check your OS documentation.)

.. _become_network:

Become and network automation
=============================

As of version 2.6, Ansible supports ``become`` for privilege escalation (entering ``enable`` mode or privileged EXEC mode) on all Ansible-maintained network platforms that support ``enable`` mode. Using ``become`` replaces the ``authorize`` and ``auth_pass`` options in a ``provider`` dictionary.

You must set the connection type to either ``connection: ansible.netcommon.network_cli`` or ``connection: ansible.netcommon.httpapi`` to use ``become`` for privilege escalation on network devices. Check the :ref:`platform_options` documentation for details.

You can use escalated privileges on only the specific tasks that need them, on an entire play, or on all plays. Adding ``become: true`` and ``become_method: enable`` instructs Ansible to enter ``enable`` mode before executing the task, play, or playbook where those parameters are set.

If you see this error message, the task that generated it requires ``enable`` mode to succeed:

.. code-block:: console

   Invalid input (privileged mode required)

To set ``enable`` mode for a specific task, add ``become`` at the task level:

.. code-block:: yaml

   - name: Gather facts (eos)
     arista.eos.eos_facts:
       gather_subset:
         - "!hardware"
     become: true
     become_method: enable

To set enable mode for all tasks in a single play, add ``become`` at the play level:

.. code-block:: yaml

   - hosts: eos-switches
     become: true
     become_method: enable
     tasks:
       - name: Gather facts (eos)
         arista.eos.eos_facts:
           gather_subset:
             - "!hardware"

Setting enable mode for all tasks
---------------------------------

Often you wish for all tasks in all plays to run using privilege mode, that is best achieved by using ``group_vars``:

**group_vars/eos.yml**

.. code-block:: yaml

   ansible_connection: ansible.netcommon.network_cli
   ansible_network_os: arista.eos.eos
   ansible_user: myuser
   ansible_become: true
   ansible_become_method: enable

Passwords for enable mode
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

If you need a password to enter ``enable`` mode, you can specify it in one of two ways:

* providing the :option:`--ask-become-pass <ansible-playbook --ask-become-pass>` command line option
* setting the ``ansible_become_password`` connection variable

.. warning::

   As a reminder passwords should never be stored in plain text. For information on encrypting your passwords and other secrets with Ansible Vault, see :ref:`vault`.

authorize and auth_pass
-----------------------

Ansible still supports ``enable`` mode with ``connection: local`` for legacy network playbooks. To enter ``enable`` mode with ``connection: local``, use the module options ``authorize`` and ``auth_pass``:

.. code-block:: yaml

   - hosts: eos-switches
     ansible_connection: local
     tasks:
       - name: Gather facts (eos)
         eos_facts:
           gather_subset:
             - "!hardware"
         provider:
           authorize: true
           auth_pass: " {{ secret_auth_pass }}"

We recommend updating your playbooks to use ``become`` for network-device ``enable`` mode consistently. The use of ``authorize`` and of ``provider`` dictionaries will be deprecated in future. Check the :ref:`platform_options` documentation for details.

.. _become_windows:

Become and Windows
==================

Since Ansible 2.3, ``become`` can be used on Windows hosts through the
``runas`` method. Become on Windows uses the same inventory setup and
invocation arguments as ``become`` on a non-Windows host, so the setup and
variable names are the same as what is defined in this document with the exception
of ``become_user``. As there is no sensible default for ``become_user`` on Windows
it is required when using ``become``. See :ansplugin:`ansible.builtin.runas become plugin <ansible.builtin.runas#become>` for details.

While ``become`` can be used to assume the identity of another user, there are other uses for
it with Windows hosts. One important use is to bypass some of the
limitations that are imposed when running on WinRM, such as constrained network
delegation or accessing forbidden system calls like the WUA API. You can use
``become`` with the same user as ``ansible_user`` to bypass these limitations
and run commands that are not normally accessible in a WinRM session.

.. Note::
  On Windows you cannot connect with an underprivileged account and use become
  to elevate your rights. Become can only be used if your connection account
  is already an Administrator of the target host.

Administrative rights
---------------------

Many tasks in Windows require administrative privileges to complete. When using
the ``runas`` become method, Ansible will attempt to run the module with the
full privileges that are available to the become user. If it fails to elevate
the user token, it will continue to use the limited token during execution.

A user must have the ``SeDebugPrivilege`` to run a become process with elevated
privileges. This privilege is assigned to Administrators by default. If the
debug privilege is not available, the become process will run with a limited
set of privileges and groups.

To determine the type of token that Ansible was able to get, run the following
task:

.. code-block:: yaml

    - Check my user name
      ansible.windows.win_whoami:
      become: true

The output will look something similar to the below:

.. code-block:: ansible-output

    ok: [windows] => {
        "account": {
            "account_name": "vagrant-domain",
            "domain_name": "DOMAIN",
            "sid": "S-1-5-21-3088887838-4058132883-1884671576-1105",
            "type": "User"
        },
        "authentication_package": "Kerberos",
        "changed": false,
        "dns_domain_name": "DOMAIN.LOCAL",
        "groups": [
            {
                "account_name": "Administrators",
                "attributes": [
                    "Mandatory",
                    "Enabled by default",
                    "Enabled",
                    "Owner"
                ],
                "domain_name": "BUILTIN",
                "sid": "S-1-5-32-544",
                "type": "Alias"
            },
            {
                "account_name": "INTERACTIVE",
                "attributes": [
                    "Mandatory",
                    "Enabled by default",
                    "Enabled"
                ],
                "domain_name": "NT AUTHORITY",
                "sid": "S-1-5-4",
                "type": "WellKnownGroup"
            },
        ],
        "impersonation_level": "SecurityAnonymous",
        "label": {
            "account_name": "High Mandatory Level",
            "domain_name": "Mandatory Label",
            "sid": "S-1-16-12288",
            "type": "Label"
        },
        "login_domain": "DOMAIN",
        "login_time": "2018-11-18T20:35:01.9696884+00:00",
        "logon_id": 114196830,
        "logon_server": "DC01",
        "logon_type": "Interactive",
        "privileges": {
            "SeBackupPrivilege": "disabled",
            "SeChangeNotifyPrivilege": "enabled-by-default",
            "SeCreateGlobalPrivilege": "enabled-by-default",
            "SeCreatePagefilePrivilege": "disabled",
            "SeCreateSymbolicLinkPrivilege": "disabled",
            "SeDebugPrivilege": "enabled",
            "SeDelegateSessionUserImpersonatePrivilege": "disabled",
            "SeImpersonatePrivilege": "enabled-by-default",
            "SeIncreaseBasePriorityPrivilege": "disabled",
            "SeIncreaseQuotaPrivilege": "disabled",
            "SeIncreaseWorkingSetPrivilege": "disabled",
            "SeLoadDriverPrivilege": "disabled",
            "SeManageVolumePrivilege": "disabled",
            "SeProfileSingleProcessPrivilege": "disabled",
            "SeRemoteShutdownPrivilege": "disabled",
            "SeRestorePrivilege": "disabled",
            "SeSecurityPrivilege": "disabled",
            "SeShutdownPrivilege": "disabled",
            "SeSystemEnvironmentPrivilege": "disabled",
            "SeSystemProfilePrivilege": "disabled",
            "SeSystemtimePrivilege": "disabled",
            "SeTakeOwnershipPrivilege": "disabled",
            "SeTimeZonePrivilege": "disabled",
            "SeUndockPrivilege": "disabled"
        },
        "rights": [
            "SeNetworkLogonRight",
            "SeBatchLogonRight",
            "SeInteractiveLogonRight",
            "SeRemoteInteractiveLogonRight"
        ],
        "token_type": "TokenPrimary",
        "upn": "vagrant-domain@DOMAIN.LOCAL",
        "user_flags": []
    }

Under the ``label`` key, the ``account_name`` entry determines whether the user
has Administrative rights. Here are the labels that can be returned and what
they represent:

* ``Medium``: Ansible failed to get an elevated token and ran under a limited
  token. Only a subset of the privileges assigned to user are available during
  the module execution and the user does not have administrative rights.

* ``High``: An elevated token was used and all the privileges assigned to the
  user are available during the module execution.

* ``System``: The ``NT AUTHORITY\System`` account is used and has the highest
  level of privileges available.

The output will also show the list of privileges that have been granted to the
user. When the privilege value is ``disabled``, the privilege is assigned to
the logon token but has not been enabled. In most scenarios these privileges
are automatically enabled when required.

If running on a version of Ansible that is older than 2.5 or the normal
``runas`` escalation process fails, an elevated token can be retrieved by:

* Set the ``become_user`` to ``System`` which has full control over the
  operating system.

* Grant ``SeTcbPrivilege`` to the user Ansible connects with on
  WinRM. ``SeTcbPrivilege`` is a high-level privilege that grants
  full control over the operating system. No user is given this privilege by
  default, and care should be taken if you grant this privilege to a user or group.
  For more information on this privilege, please see
  `Act as part of the operating system <https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/previous-versions/windows/it-pro/windows-server-2012-R2-and-2012/dn221957(v=ws.11)>`_.
  You can use the below task to set this privilege on a Windows host:

  .. code-block:: yaml

    - name: grant the ansible user the SeTcbPrivilege right
      ansible.windows.win_user_right:
        name: SeTcbPrivilege
        users: '{{ansible_user}}'
        action: add

* Turn UAC off on the host and reboot before trying to become the user. UAC is
  a security protocol that is designed to run accounts with the
  ``least privilege`` principle. You can turn UAC off by running the following
  tasks:

  .. code-block:: yaml

    - name: turn UAC off
      win_regedit:
        path: HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\policies\system
        name: EnableLUA
        data: 0
        type: dword
        state: present
      register: uac_result

    - name: reboot after disabling UAC
      win_reboot:
      when: uac_result is changed

.. Note:: Granting the ``SeTcbPrivilege`` or turning UAC off can cause Windows
    security vulnerabilities and care should be given if these steps are taken.

Local service accounts
----------------------

Prior to Ansible version 2.5, ``become`` only worked on Windows with a local or domain
user account. Local service accounts like ``System`` or ``NetworkService``
could not be used as ``become_user`` in these older versions. This restriction
has been lifted since the 2.5 release of Ansible. The three service accounts
that can be set under ``become_user`` are:

* System
* NetworkService
* LocalService

Because local service accounts do not have passwords, the
``ansible_become_password`` parameter is not required and is ignored if
specified.

Become without setting a password
---------------------------------

As of Ansible 2.8, ``become`` can be used to become a Windows local or domain account
without requiring a password for that account. For this method to work, the
following requirements must be met:

* The connection user has the ``SeDebugPrivilege`` privilege assigned
* The connection user is part of the ``BUILTIN\Administrators`` group
* The ``become_user`` has either the ``SeBatchLogonRight`` or ``SeNetworkLogonRight`` user right

Using become without a password is achieved in one of two different methods:

* Duplicating an existing logon session's token if the account is already logged on
* Using S4U to generate a logon token that is valid on the remote host only

In the first scenario, the become process is spawned from another logon of that
user account. This could be an existing RDP logon, console logon, but this is
not guaranteed to occur all the time. This is similar to the
``Run only when user is logged on`` option for a Scheduled Task.

In the case where another logon of the become account does not exist, S4U is
used to create a new logon and run the module through that. This is similar to
the ``Run whether user is logged on or not`` with the ``Do not store password``
option for a Scheduled Task. In this scenario, the become process will not be
able to access any network resources like a normal WinRM process.

To make a distinction between using become with no password and becoming an
account that has no password make sure to keep ``ansible_become_password`` as
undefined or set ``ansible_become_password:``.

.. Note:: Because there are no guarantees an existing token will exist for a
  user when Ansible runs, there's a high change the become process will only
  have access to local resources. Use become with a password if the task needs
  to access network resources

Accounts without a password
---------------------------

.. Warning:: As a general security best practice, you should avoid allowing accounts without passwords.

Ansible can be used to become a Windows account that does not have a password (like the
``Guest`` account). To become an account without a password, set up the
variables like normal but set ``ansible_become_password: ''``.

Before become can work on an account like this, the local policy
`Accounts: Limit local account use of blank passwords to console logon only <https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/previous-versions/windows/it-pro/windows-server-2012-R2-and-2012/jj852174(v=ws.11)>`_
must be disabled. This can either be done through a Group Policy Object (GPO)
or with this Ansible task:

.. code-block:: yaml

   - name: allow blank password on become
     ansible.windows.win_regedit:
       path: HKLM:\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Lsa
       name: LimitBlankPasswordUse
       data: 0
       type: dword
       state: present

.. Note:: This is only for accounts that do not have a password. You still need
    to set the account's password under ``ansible_become_password`` if the
    become_user has a password.

Become flags for Windows
------------------------

Ansible 2.5 added the ``become_flags`` parameter to the ``runas`` become method.
This parameter can be set using the ``become_flags`` task directive or set in
Ansible's configuration using ``ansible_become_flags``. The two valid values
that are initially supported for this parameter are ``logon_type`` and
``logon_flags``.

.. Note:: These flags should only be set when becoming a normal user account, not a local service account like LocalSystem.

The key ``logon_type`` sets the type of logon operation to perform. The value
can be set to one of the following:

* ``interactive``: The default logon type. The process will be run under a
  context that is the same as when running a process locally. This bypasses all
  WinRM restrictions and is the recommended method to use.

* ``batch``: Runs the process under a batch context that is similar to a
  scheduled task with a password set. This should bypass most WinRM
  restrictions and is useful if the ``become_user`` is not allowed to log on
  interactively.

* ``new_credentials``: Runs under the same credentials as the calling user, but
  outbound connections are run under the context of the ``become_user`` and
  ``become_password``, similar to ``runas.exe /netonly``. The ``logon_flags``
  flag should also be set to ``netcredentials_only``. Use this flag if
  the process needs to access a network resource (like an SMB share) using a
  different set of credentials.

* ``network``: Runs the process under a network context without any cached
  credentials. This results in the same type of logon session as running a
  normal WinRM process without credential delegation, and operates under the same
  restrictions.

* ``network_cleartext``: Like the ``network`` logon type, but instead caches
  the credentials so it can access network resources. This is the same type of
  logon session as running a normal WinRM process with credential delegation.

For more information, see
`dwLogonType <https://docs.microsoft.com/en-gb/windows/desktop/api/winbase/nf-winbase-logonusera>`_.

The ``logon_flags`` key specifies how Windows will log the user on when creating
the new process. The value can be set to none or multiple of the following:

* ``with_profile``: The default logon flag set. The process will load the
  user's profile in the ``HKEY_USERS`` registry key to ``HKEY_CURRENT_USER``.

* ``netcredentials_only``: The process will use the same token as the caller
  but will use the ``become_user`` and ``become_password`` when accessing a remote
  resource. This is useful in inter-domain scenarios where there is no trust
  relationship, and should be used with the ``new_credentials`` ``logon_type``.

By default ``logon_flags=with_profile`` is set, if the profile should not be
loaded set ``logon_flags=`` or if the profile should be loaded with
``netcredentials_only``, set ``logon_flags=with_profile,netcredentials_only``.

For more information, see `dwLogonFlags <https://docs.microsoft.com/en-gb/windows/desktop/api/winbase/nf-winbase-createprocesswithtokenw>`_.

Here are some examples of how to use ``become_flags`` with Windows tasks:

.. code-block:: yaml

  - name: copy a file from a fileshare with custom credentials
    ansible.windows.win_copy:
      src: \\server\share\data\file.txt
      dest: C:\temp\file.txt
      remote_src: true
    vars:
      ansible_become: true
      ansible_become_method: runas
      ansible_become_user: DOMAIN\user
      ansible_become_password: Password01
      ansible_become_flags: logon_type=new_credentials logon_flags=netcredentials_only

  - name: run a command under a batch logon
    ansible.windows.win_whoami:
    become: true
    become_flags: logon_type=batch

  - name: run a command and not load the user profile
    ansible.windows.win_whomai:
    become: true
    become_flags: logon_flags=


Limitations of become on Windows
--------------------------------

* Running a task with ``async`` and ``become`` on Windows Server 2008, 2008 R2
  and Windows 7 only works when using Ansible 2.7 or newer.

* By default, the become user logs on with an interactive session, so it must
  have the right to do so on the Windows host. If it does not inherit the
  ``SeAllowLogOnLocally`` privilege or inherits the ``SeDenyLogOnLocally``
  privilege, the become process will fail. Either add the privilege or set the
  ``logon_type`` flag to change the logon type used.

* Prior to Ansible version 2.3, become only worked when
  ``ansible_winrm_transport`` was either ``basic`` or ``credssp``. This
  restriction has been lifted since the 2.4 release of Ansible for all hosts
  except Windows Server 2008 (non R2 version).

* The Secondary Logon service ``seclogon`` must be running to use ``ansible_become_method: runas``

* The connection user must already be an Administrator on the Windows host to
  use ``runas``. The target become user does not need to be an Administrator
  though.


.. seealso::

   `Mailing List <https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/ansible-project>`_
       Questions? Help? Ideas?  Stop by the list on Google Groups
   :ref:`communication_irc`
       How to join Ansible chat channels
