Connect to Azure AD from Powershell without prompt - what are my options?

Question

Hi there,I want to schedule some script in PowerShell and i would need to login into Azure AD first.Is it possible to login to Azure AD without a prompt as the script needs to be automates/scheduledCan I use app registration with client ID and Clients secret with powershell.I also have a dedicated account which doesn't have MFA.Any resources would be appreciatedThanks

hspinto · Answer

If you want to automate tasks against Azure AD, you should be leveraging Microsoft Graph instead. There's a PowerShell SDK (https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/graph/powershell/installation). It supports authenticating with an SPN, but I would recommend using a Managed Identity, if possible.

hspinto · Answer

Patrick Rote&nbsp;
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A user principal with a never expiring password and no MFA is the worst you can do for the security of your solution. Use, at least, a service principal - they're meant for non-attended automation.
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The AzureAD module you are trying to use (Connect-AzureAD) is deprecating and is replaced by the MS Graph SDK I mentioned above. If you want to log into Azure AD with a service principal and MS Graph, you can simply use this:
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Connect-MgGraph -TenantId "your tenant id" -AppId "service principal app id" -CertificateThumbprint "cert thumbprint"
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Of course, you must grant to the service principal the required roles/permissions in your Azure AD tenant.
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If the execution context of your automation allows for it, i.e., it runs from Azure Automation or from an Azure/Arc machine, you can leverage Managed Identities, which are a special type of service principal for which Azure manages the credentials for you. You don't need to use certificates nor passwords.&nbsp; More details here:&nbsp;Managed identities for Azure resources | Microsoft Docs

tringler · Answer

You can just pass your username/password to Connect-AzAccount.

lukemurraynz · Answer

Yes you can use SPN or certificateshttps://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/powershell/azure/authenticate-azureps?view=azps-7.1.0

patrick rote · Answer

Thanks Tringler . Can you please give me an example. I'm using Connect-AzureAD

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Connect to Azure AD from Powershell without prompt - what are my options?

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