Bug: windows-restart provisioner runs hardcoded DefaultRestartCheckCommand even when restart_check_command is overridden, breaking Windows Constrained Language Mode.

[mories76]

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Overview of the Issue

When using the windows-restart provisioner on a Windows VM (e.g., Windows 11) that has PowerShell Constrained Language Mode enabled, providing a custom restart_check_command does not bypass the default PowerShell checks as one would expect from the documentation.

Even if the custom check succeeds, the provisioner subsequently runs a hardcoded check using [System.Net.Dns]::GetHostName(), which fails due to Constrained Language restrictions, causing the entire build to fail.

Expected Behavior:
If a user explicitly provides a custom restart_check_command, Packer should rely entirely on that command to verify the restart and communicator state. It should not blindly execute DefaultRestartCheckCommand afterwards.

Actual Behavior:
The custom restart_check_command is executed and succeeds. Immediately after logging Connected to machine, the waitForCommunicator function executes DefaultRestartCheckCommand as a "non-user-configurable check that powershell modules have loaded" (as stated in the source code comments). Because DefaultRestartCheckCommand relies on [System.Net.Dns]::GetHostName(), which is blocked in Constrained Language Mode, the command exits with code 1 and hangs/fails the build.

Relevant Code:
In packer-plugin-sdk/restart/provisioner.go within the waitForCommunicator function (around line 220-231):

if runCustomRestartCheck {
    // ... runs user command and succeeds
    log.Printf("Connected to machine")
    runCustomRestartCheck = false
}

// BUG/ISSUE: This executes regardless of the custom command override:
cmdModuleLoad := &packersdk.RemoteCmd{Command: DefaultRestartCheckCommand}

Reproduction Steps

1. Provision a Windows VM and enable PowerShell Constrained Language Mode.
2. Add a windows-restart provisioner to the Packer template.
3. Configure restart_check_command = "powershell -command \"& {Write-Output 'restarted.'}\"" to attempt bypassing the default check.
4. Run the build. The build fails on the restart check due to the hardcoded DefaultRestartCheckCommand overriding the custom check.

Packer version

1.15.3

Simplified Packer Template

provisioner "windows-restart" {
  restart_timeout       = "30m"
  restart_check_command = "powershell -command \"& {Write-Output 'restarted.'}\"" 
}

Operating system and Environment details

• Guest OS: Windows 11
• Guest Configuration: PowerShell Constrained Language Mode enabled via a task
• Build Environment: GitHub Actions CI/CD
• Builder: vsphere-iso (using packer-plugin-vsphere)

Log Fragments and crash.log files

[DEBUG] starting remote command: powershell -command "& {Write-Output 'restarted.'}"
ui:    vsphere-iso.vdi-image: restarted.
packer.exe plugin: Connected to machine
[DEBUG] starting remote command: powershell.exe -EncodedCommand JABQAHIAbwBnAHIAZQBzAHMAUAByAGUAZgBlAHIAZQBuAGMAZQAgAD0AIAAnAFMAaQBsAGUAbgB0AGwAeQBDAG8AbgB0AGkAbgB1AGUAJwA7AGUAYwBoAG8AIAAoACIAewAwAH0AIAByAGUAcwB0AGEAcgB0AGUAZAAuACIAIAAtAGYAIABbAFMAeQBzAHQAZQBtAC4ATgBlAHQALgBEAG4AcwBdADoAOgBHAGUAdABIAG8AcwB0AE4AYQBtAGUAKAApACkA
[ERROR] Remote command exited with '1': powershell.exe -EncodedCommand JABQAHIAbwBnAHIA... 

(Note: The Base64 encoded string decodes directly to: $ProgressPreference = 'SilentlyContinue';echo ("{0} restarted." -f [System.Net.Dns]::GetHostName()), proving the hardcoded check is executed despite the override).