W2K3: IUSR_ Password Accidentally Changed: Anonumous Web A..

External Since: Sep 02, 2003 Posts: 2

I have a Windows Server 2003 installed with tens of web sites on it. They
all used anonymous authentication, and worked fine.

About an hour ago, someone accidentally changed the IUSR_MYHOST user
account's password. Needless to say, anonymous authentication stopped
working.

Now, I could manually specify the new password for IUSR_MYHOST in the
Authentication Methods dialog in IIS, but that would be tiresome. In
addition, at least up until now, every new virtual site I created
automatically worked in anonymous authentication mode, so that I didn;t need
to manually specify a password. If I create new virtual web sites, will they
automatically work with the newly changed password?

Finally, the same "genius" who changed the IUSR_MYHOST password also changed
the IWAM_MYHOST password. What damage is that going to do? What will stoop
working? What can I do about it?

TIA!

Lavie

External Since: Aug 22, 2003 Posts: 1637

"Meron Lavie" <lavie.TakeThisOut@net2vision.net.il> wrote in message
news:OC1aYSVcDHA.1872@TK2MSFTNGP12.phx.gbl...
> I have a Windows Server 2003 installed with tens of web sites on it. They
> all used anonymous authentication, and worked fine.
>
> About an hour ago, someone accidentally changed the IUSR_MYHOST user
> account's password. Needless to say, anonymous authentication stopped
> working.
>
> Now, I could manually specify the new password for IUSR_MYHOST in the
> Authentication Methods dialog in IIS, but that would be tiresome. In
> addition, at least up until now, every new virtual site I created
> automatically worked in anonymous authentication mode, so that I didn;t
need
> to manually specify a password. If I create new virtual web sites, will
they
> automatically work with the newly changed password?

Are you using the same IUSR account for all sites? If so, just change the
password on the master property sheet for the server. If not, make your
"genius" manually change each site! ; )

> Finally, the same "genius" who changed the IUSR_MYHOST password also
changed
> the IWAM_MYHOST password. What damage is that going to do? What will stoop
> working? What can I do about it?

If you are not running in IIS 5 compatibility mode there will be no effect.
IIS 6 native mode does not use the IWAM account. It's only included for
backwards compatibility. Otherwise, it's a big problem and the password
will need to be fixed.
<a style='text-decoration: underline;' href="http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;297989" target="_blank">http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;297989</a>

--
Tom Kaminski IIS MVP
<a style='text-decoration: underline;' href="http://www.iistoolshed.com/" target="_blank">http://www.iistoolshed.com/</a> - tools, scripts, and utilities for running IIS
<a style='text-decoration: underline;' href="http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/" target="_blank">http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/</a>
<a style='text-decoration: underline;' href="http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2003/community/centers/iis/" target="_blank">http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2003/community/centers/iis/</a>