RE: [logs] XP logon/logoff failure audit

From: Eric Fitzgerald (ericfat_private)
Date: Mon Apr 22 2002 - 16:53:49 PDT

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    Hi Steve,
    
    There are no other workarounds- the Welcome Screen causes these audits,
    so if you don't want them you shouldn't use the Welcome Screen.
    
    This issue is improved in Service Pack 1 for Windows XP.  Instead of
    testing every account with a blank password when the welcome screen is
    invoked, an account is only tested with a blank password when it is
    selected.  This will still result in a single logon failure audit being
    generated whenever you select an account with a non-blank password.
    
    Service Pack 1 is due out in the next couple of months, but I don't have
    a specific schedule.
    
    Eric Fitzgerald
    Program Manager, Windows Auditing and Intrusion Detection
    Microsoft Corporation
    
    -----Original Message-----
    From: Steve Wray [mailto:steve.wrayat_private] 
    Sent: Friday, April 19, 2002 5:08 PM
    To: loganalysisat_private
    Subject: [logs] XP logon/logoff failure audit
    
    Interesting feature in windows XP pro.
    Maybe someone knows how I can control it?
    :)
    
    If you allow the "welcome" logon screen,
    and you audit logon failures,
    XP generates an ongoing stream of logon failures.
    
    As I understand it, this is because XP displays
    users with no passwords differently on the
    welcome screen. It therefore needs to test each
    account to see if it needs a password.
    It does this repeatedly and generates a stream
    of logon failures.
    
    This issue is detailed here;
    http://support.microsoft.com/search/preview.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;Q305822
    
    Microsofts suggested fix is surprising;
    turn off the welcome screen or turn off logon auditing.
    
    The welcome screen is highly desirable; for example, most
    NT sysadmins I have known have their own login in the
    Administrators group, so that they can perform admin
    functions without having to log off and log on as
    Administrator.
    
    The welcome screen (& user switching) allows one to
    operate with normal user priviledge and switch to
    Administrator as needed.
    
    Auditing logon failures is also desirable.
    
    Has anyone come across any workarounds? Event viewer
    has a filter function that I've been fooling with
    but I'm unsure how to filter *just* these 'limited'
    logins. Suggestions would be a service to humanity!
    8-)
    
    
    
    
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