Powershell scripts to export and import firewall rules in CSV or JSON format.

Since Technet Gallery will be closed, now here.

See Script Center version: Powershell scripts to export and import firewall rules.

Also on Powershell Gallery as module Firewall-Manager, see here or install with

Install-Module Firewall-Manager

Project page on github is here.

Now also on Powershell Gallery as part of the SysAdminsFriends module, see here or install with

Install-Module SysAdminsFriends

Project page on github is here.

There is only one possibility to export and import firewall rules: as a blob (wfw file) in the firewall console or with a script. If you want to automate removing or editing a rule from the set there is no (easy) way to do it without using a third party tool or messing with the registry in dangerous places.

The three scripts ExportFirewallRules.ps1, ImportFirewallRules.ps1 and RemoveFirewallRules.ps1 export, import and remove complete firewall rule sets in CSV or JSON file format. When importing existing rules with the same display name will be overwritten.

Requires Windows 8.1 / Server 2012 R2 or above.

Export-FirewallRules.ps1 [[-Name] <Object>] [[-CSVFile] <Object>] [-JSON] [-PolicyStore <String>] [-Inbound] [-Outbound] [-Enabled] [-Disabled] [-Allow] [-Block]

Exports firewall rules to a CSV or JSON file.

-Name
Display name of the rules to be processed. Wildcard character * is allowed. Default: *
-CSVFile
Output file. Default: .\Firewall.csv
-JSON
Output in JSON instead of CSV format. Default: $FALSE
-PolicyStore
Store from which the rules are retrieved (default: ActiveStore).
Allowed values are PersistentStore, ActiveStore (the resultant rule set of all sources), localhost, a computer name, <domain.fqdn.com>\<GPO_Friendly_Name>, RSOP and others depending on the environment.
-Inbound -Outbound -Enabled -Disabled -Allow -Block
Filter which rules to export

Import-FirewallRules.ps1 [[-CSVFile] <Object>] [-JSON] [-PolicyStore <String>]

Imports firewall rules from a CSV or JSON file.

-CSVFile
Input file. Default: .\Firewall.csv
-JSON
Input in JSON instead of CSV format. Default: $FALSE
-PolicyStore
Store to which the rules are written (default: PersistentStore).
Allowed values are PersistentStore, ActiveStore (the resultant rule set of all sources), localhost, a computer name, <domain.fqdn.com>\<GPO_Friendly_Name> and others depending on the environment.

Remove-FirewallRules.ps1 [[-CSVFile] <Object>] [-JSON] [-PolicyStore <String>]

Remove firewall rules according to the list in a CSV or JSON file.

-CSVFile
Input file. Default: .\Firewall.csv
-JSON
Input in JSON instead of CSV format. Default: $FALSE
-PolicyStore
Store from which rules are removed (default: PersistentStore).
Allowed values are PersistentStore, ActiveStore (the resultant rule set of all sources), localhost, a computer name, <domain.fqdn.com>\<GPO_Friendly_Name> and others depending on the environment.

assume the scripts are in the current directory, modify path to scripts if not

Export all firewall rules to the CSV file FirewallRules.csv in the current directory:

.\Export-FirewallRules.ps1

Export all SNMP firewall rules to the JSON file SNMPRules.json:

.\Export-FirewallRules.ps1 snmp* SNMPRules.json -json

Import all firewall rules in the CSV file FirewallRules.csv in the current directory:

.\Import-FirewallRules.ps1

Imports all firewall rules in the JSON file WmiRules.json:

.\Import-FirewallRules.ps1 WmiRules.json -json

There might be issues when importing rules for "metro apps" to another computer.

App packet rules are stored as a SID and usually apply only to user accounts whose SIDs are stored in the export file. Those rules will not work on another computer since a SID is unique.

• export enum values as string instead of int to JSON files

• new parameter -Policystore

• default file name for JSON data has extension json now

• initial release on Github