Runtime Password Change not working with WinCC v7.3

Recently I've updated from WinCC v7.2 to WinCC v7.3. The migration tool was used to migrate the project and no errors were found, everything works fine except for the password change. During the upgrade process we also upgraded the operating system to Windows Server 2012 R2. So I'm not sure if this is a WinCC v7.3 specific problem or due to the operating system change.  

The error seen in the debug window is "No Password! line 353" which is not very helpful.

Any help would be greatly appreciated, I've tried manually executing the PWGENChangePassword function with hardcoded strings and still the same error is error. 

I have a custom Change a users password that executes the following C script. 

#include "apdefap.h"

void OnLButtonUp(char* lpszPictureName, char* lpszObjectName, char* lpszPropertyName, UINT nFlags, int x, int y)

{

// WINCC:TAGNAME_SECTION_START

// syntax: #define TagNameInAction "DMTagName"

// next TagID : 1

// WINCC:TAGNAME_SECTION_END

// WINCC:PICNAME_SECTION_START

// syntax: #define PicNameInAction "PictureName"

// next PicID : 1

// WINCC:PICNAME_SECTION_END

#pragma code ("usegen.dll")

#include "usegenap.h"

#pragma code ()

HWND Handle;

DM_PROJECT_INFO  pr_info;

DM_DIRECTORY_INFO  dir_info;

CMN_ERROR error;

char *pold_pass=NULL;

char *pnew_pass=NULL;

char *pconfirm=NULL;

char old_pass[51];

char new_pass[51];

char confirm[51];

long int ret;

BOOL ret2;

memset(&pr_info,0,sizeof(DM_PROJECT_INFO));

memset(&dir_info,0,sizeof(DM_DIRECTORY_INFO));

//this line is necessary when you want to have a realy modal message box

Handle = FindWindow("PDLRTisAliveAndWaitsForYou",NULL);  

//Get the differents strings old, new password and confirmation

pold_pass=GetPropChar(lpszPictureName,"IOField_OldPassWord","OutputValue");

pnew_pass=GetPropChar(lpszPictureName,"IOField_NewPassWord","OutputValue"); 

pconfirm=GetPropChar(lpszPictureName,"IOField_Confirmation","OutputValue");

strncpy(old_pass,pold_pass,50);

strncpy(new_pass,pnew_pass,50);

strncpy(confirm,pconfirm,50);

//if the new password and the confirmation are not the same display a message in a modal messagebox

ret = strcmp(pnew_pass,pconfirm);

if (ret)

MessageBox (Handle, "new password and confirmation are not the same !", "Change Password", MB_OK |

   MB_ICONEXCLAMATION | MB_SYSTEMMODAL);

else

{

    // if the new and the old password are the same display a message in a modal messagebox

    if (!strcmp(pnew_pass,pold_pass))

    {

        MessageBox (Handle, "old password and new password must be different !", "Change Password", MB_OK |

            MB_ICONEXCLAMATION | MB_SYSTEMMODAL);

    }

    else

    {

        // this 2 lines are necessary to get the DSN-Name of the project

        ret2=DMGetRuntimeProject(pr_info.szProjectFile,sizeof(pr_info.szProjectFile),NULL);

        ret2=DMGetProjectInformation(pr_info.szProjectFile,&pr_info,NULL);

        //connect to the Database with the DSN-Name contained in the pr_info-Structure

        PWGENConnect (pr_info.szDSNName,&error); 

        printf("Error Connect: %s\n", error.szErrorText);

           

        // Change the password from Old_pass to New_pass of the user @CurrentUser

        printf("Changing Password for %s from %s to %s\n",  GetTagChar("@CurrentUser"),pold_pass,pnew_pass);

        ret2=PWGENChangePassword (GetTagChar("@CurrentUser"),old_pass,new_pass,&error);

        if (!ret2)

        {

            printf("Error: %s\n", error.szErrorText);

           // when a password of another user is given, display a message in a modal messagebox

           MessageBox (Handle, "Please check user name and password ! ", "Change Password", MB_OK |

            MB_ICONEXCLAMATION | MB_SYSTEMMODAL);

        }

        else

        {

        

        SetVisible("@FRAME.pdl","PictureWindow_Popup_Password",0); //hide the window "ChangePassword"

        }

    }

        // Disconnect from the Database

        PWGENDisconnect(&error);

}

}

After much digging it was found that WinCC v7.3 imposes stricter password rules. 

The passwords used previously in WinCC v7.2 migrated over to WinCC v7.3 successfully without any errors however when it came time to change these passwords in runtime using the C function above, the old password did not meet the new security rules and therefore the function failed. 

By changing the password to a stricter password with capital letters, numbers and symbols in the User Administration we were able to use the above function again.

Hello Brenton88,

thank you for posting the solution to your problem here. I am sure it will help others too.

regards

New question published by meysam125 is split to a separate thread with the subject Insert password box.

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New question published by gabbar is split to a separate thread with the subject Not getting Authorization access to pictures or button in wincc Runtime.

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