OS:
Windows
Windows
Linux
Home
About Us

Command Line Interface (CLI)

Complete documentation for using the HardenSys CLI tool for automation and scripting.

Note: The CLI tool requires Administrator privileges for full functionality. Some checks may fail without proper permissions.

Overview

The HardenSys CLI tool provides a command-line interface for running security compliance checks, generating reports, and managing Windows security policies. It's perfect for automation, scripting, and integration into CI/CD pipelines.

Key Features

  • Run all compliance checks or filter by category
  • Generate text or JSON reports
  • Administrator privilege detection
  • Progress tracking and detailed output
  • Export results to files
  • Search and filter parameters

Basic Usage

Running All Checks

The simplest way to use the CLI is to run all compliance checks:

Windows Command Prompt 
python HardenSys.py

On Windows, you can also run: py HardenSys.py

Linux Terminal 
python3 HardenSys.py

On Linux, you may need to use: python3 instead of python

Getting Help

View all available options and examples:

Command Line 
python HardenSys.py --help

Listing Available Categories

See all available security categories and their parameter counts:

Command Line 
python HardenSys.py --list

Filtering Options

Filter by Heading

Run checks for a specific security category:

Command Line 
# Run only Account Policies checks
python HardenSys.py --heading "Account Policies"

# Run only Security Options checks
python HardenSys.py --heading "Security Options"

Filter by Subheading

Run checks for a specific subcategory:

Command Line 
# Run only Password Policy checks
python HardenSys.py --subheading "Password Policy"

# Run only User Rights Assignment checks
python HardenSys.py --subheading "User Rights Assignment"

Filter by Parameter

Run a specific task by its title name:

Command Line 
# Run specific password history check
python HardenSys.py --parameter "Enforce password history"

# Run specific password length check
python HardenSys.py --parameter "Minimum password length"

Show Parameter Information

Get detailed information about parameters, subheadings, or headings:

Command Line 
# Show all password-related tasks
python HardenSys.py --info "password"

# Show all tasks in Account Policies
python HardenSys.py --info "Account Policies"

# Show specific task details
python HardenSys.py --info "Enforce password history"

Report Generation

Text Reports

Generate a text report and save it to a file:

Command Line 
# Generate text report
python HardenSys.py --output report.txt

# Generate report for specific category
python HardenSys.py --heading "Account Policies" --output account_policies.txt

JSON Reports

Generate a JSON report for programmatic processing:

Command Line 
# Generate JSON report
python HardenSys.py --format json --output report.json

# Generate JSON report for specific category
python HardenSys.py --heading "Security Options" --format json --output security_options.json

Report Formats

Both text and JSON formats provide comprehensive compliance information:

Text Report Example

Text Output 
Windows Security Compliance Report
========================================
Generated: 2024-01-15 14:30:25
Duration: 45.67 seconds
Total Checks: 121
Successful: 115
Failed: 6
Success Rate: 95.0%

Detailed Results:
========================================

Account Policies
----------------
✓ Enforce password history
  Status: success
  Message: ✓ Password history set to 24 successfully
  Previous: 0 passwords
  Current: 24 passwords

JSON Report Example

JSON Output 
{
  "summary": {
    "total_checks": 121,
    "successful_checks": 115,
    "failed_checks": 6,
    "success_rate": "95.0%",
    "duration_seconds": 45.67,
    "timestamp": "2024-01-15T14:30:25"
  },
  "results": [
    {
      "status": "success",
      "message": "✓ Password history set to 24 successfully",
      "previous": "0 passwords",
      "current": "24 passwords",
      "heading": "Account Policies",
      "subheading": "Password Policy",
      "title": "Enforce password history",
      "script_key": "enforce_password_history",
      "timestamp": "2024-01-15T14:30:25"
    }
  ]
}

Usage Examples

Quick Security Check

Command Line 
python HardenSys.py --heading "Account Policies" --output quick_check.txt

Full Audit with JSON Export

Command Line 
python HardenSys.py --format json --output full_audit.json

Password Policy Only

Command Line 
python HardenSys.py --subheading "Password Policy" --verbose

Specific Task Check

Command Line 
python HardenSys.py --parameter "Enforce password history" --output password_history_check.txt

Firewall Configuration Check

Command Line 
python HardenSys.py --heading "Windows Defender Firewall with Advanced Security"

PowerShell Integration

PowerShell 
# Run all checks
.\HardenSys.ps1

# Run specific category
.\HardenSys.ps1 -Heading "Account Policies"

# Generate JSON report
.\HardenSys.ps1 -Format json -Output "compliance_report.json"

# List categories
.\HardenSys.ps1 -List

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

1. "Not running as Administrator"

Solution: Some checks require admin privileges. Run the tool as Administrator for full functionality.

To run as Administrator:

  • Command Prompt: Right-click Command Prompt → "Run as administrator"
  • PowerShell: Right-click PowerShell → "Run as administrator"
  • Batch File: Right-click HardenSys.bat → "Run as administrator"

2. "Function not found"

Solution: Ensure windows_tasks.py is in the same directory and contains the required function.

3. "JSON file not found"

Solution: Ensure windows_tasks.json is in the same directory or use the --json option to specify a custom path.

4. Import errors

Solution: Ensure all required Python modules are installed and check Python version compatibility.

Error Codes

Exit Code Description
0 Success
1 Error (file not found, import error, etc.)

Getting Help

If you encounter issues not covered here: