Experimental feature PSNativeCommandArgumentPassing breaks invocation of WSH scripts (VBScript, JScript) with arguments

[mklement0]

Note: The common denominator here is invocation of scripts implicitly via WSH (Windows Scripting Host, cscript.exe and wscript.exe), which therefore equally affects VBScript and JScript script files.

Steps to reproduce

On Windows, assuming that experimental feature PSNativeCommandArgumentPassing is enabled (and $PSNativeCommandArgumentPassing is set to 'Standard'):

# Switch to a temporary directory.
Push-Location -ea Stop ($tmpDir = (New-Item -Type Directory -Force (Join-Path Temp:/ $PID)).FullName)

try {

  'Wscript.Echo("hi")' > t.vbs
  { ./t.vbs foo  } | Should -Not -Throw

} finally {
  # Clean up.
  Pop-Location; Remove-Item $tmpDir -Recurse
}

Expected behavior

The test should pass.

Actual behavior

The test fails with the following error:

Expected no exception to be thrown, but an exception "
Program 't.vbs' failed to run:  Only one of Arguments or ArgumentList may be used. ...
" was thrown.

In versions prior to PowerShell Core 7.2.0-preview.5 (and with $PSNativeCommandArgumentPassing= 'Legacy'), the test passes.

Environment data

PowerShell Core 7.2.0-preview.5

[SteveL-MSFT]

@mklement0 good find. Here's the stack trace:

PS> gerr

Exception             :
    Type           : System.Management.Automation.ApplicationFailedException
    ErrorRecord    :
        Exception             :
            Type    : System.Management.Automation.ParentContainsErrorRecordException
            Message : Program 't.vbs' failed to run: Only one of Arguments or ArgumentList may be used.At line:1 char:1
                      + .\t.vbs foo
                      + ~~~~~~~~~~~.
            HResult : -2146233087
        CategoryInfo          : ResourceUnavailable: (:) [], ParentContainsErrorRecordException
        FullyQualifiedErrorId : NativeCommandFailed
        InvocationInfo        :
            ScriptLineNumber : 1
            OffsetInLine     : 1
            HistoryId        : -1
            Line             : .\t.vbs foo
            PositionMessage  : At line:1 char:1
                               + .\t.vbs foo
                               + ~~~~~~~~~~~
            CommandOrigin    : Internal
        ScriptStackTrace      : at <ScriptBlock>, <No file>: line 1
    TargetSite     :
        Name          : InitNativeProcess
        DeclaringType : System.Management.Automation.NativeCommandProcessor, System.Management.Automation,
Version=7.2.0.5, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=31bf3856ad364e35
        MemberType    : Method
        Module        : System.Management.Automation.dll
    StackTrace     :
   at System.Management.Automation.NativeCommandProcessor.InitNativeProcess()
   at System.Management.Automation.NativeCommandProcessor.Prepare(IDictionary psDefaultParameterValues)
   at System.Management.Automation.CommandProcessorBase.DoPrepare(IDictionary psDefaultParameterValues)
   at System.Management.Automation.Internal.PipelineProcessor.Start(Boolean incomingStream)
   at System.Management.Automation.Internal.PipelineProcessor.SynchronousExecuteEnumerate(Object input)
--- End of stack trace from previous location ---
   at System.Management.Automation.Internal.PipelineProcessor.SynchronousExecuteEnumerate(Object input)
   at System.Management.Automation.PipelineOps.InvokePipeline(Object input, Boolean ignoreInput,
CommandParameterInternal[][] pipeElements, CommandBaseAst[] pipeElementAsts, CommandRedirection[][] commandRedirections,
FunctionContext funcContext)
   at System.Management.Automation.Interpreter.ActionCallInstruction`6.Run(InterpretedFrame frame)
   at System.Management.Automation.Interpreter.EnterTryCatchFinallyInstruction.Run(InterpretedFrame frame)
    Message        : Program 't.vbs' failed to run: Only one of Arguments or ArgumentList may be used.At line:1 char:1
                     + .\t.vbs foo
                     + ~~~~~~~~~~~.
    Data           : System.Collections.ListDictionaryInternal
    InnerException :
        Type       : System.InvalidOperationException
        TargetSite :
            Name          : Start
            DeclaringType : System.Diagnostics.Process
            MemberType    : Method
            Module        : System.Diagnostics.Process.dll
        StackTrace :
   at System.Diagnostics.Process.Start()
   at System.Management.Automation.NativeCommandProcessor.InitNativeProcess()
        Message    : Only one of Arguments or ArgumentList may be used.
        Source     : System.Diagnostics.Process
        HResult    : -2146233079
    Source         : System.Management.Automation
    HResult        : -2146233087
CategoryInfo          : ResourceUnavailable: (:) [], ApplicationFailedException
FullyQualifiedErrorId : NativeCommandFailed
InvocationInfo        :
    ScriptLineNumber : 1
    OffsetInLine     : 1
    HistoryId        : -1
    Line             : .\t.vbs foo
    PositionMessage  : At line:1 char:1
                       + .\t.vbs foo
                       + ~~~~~~~~~~~
    CommandOrigin    : Internal
ScriptStackTrace      : at <ScriptBlock>, <No file>: line 1

[daxian-dbw]

/cc @JamesWTruher for insight.

[End-of-Eternity]

I've also encountered this issue when running python scripts directly.
For example test.py someargs will throw the error

ResourceUnavailable: Program 'test.py' failed to run: Only one of Arguments or ArgumentList may be used.At line:1 char:1

Stack trace:

Exception             :
    Type           : System.Management.Automation.ApplicationFailedException
    ErrorRecord    :
        Exception             :
            Type    : System.Management.Automation.ParentContainsErrorRecordException
            Message : Program 'test.py' failed to run: Only one of Arguments or ArgumentList may be used.At line:1 char:1
                      + ./test.py someargs
                      + ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~.
            HResult : -2146233087
        CategoryInfo          : ResourceUnavailable: (:) [], ParentContainsErrorRecordException
        FullyQualifiedErrorId : NativeCommandFailed
        InvocationInfo        :
            ScriptLineNumber : 1
            OffsetInLine     : 1
            HistoryId        : -1
            Line             : ./test.py someargs
            PositionMessage  : At line:1 char:1
                               + ./test.py someargs
                               + ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
            CommandOrigin    : Internal
        ScriptStackTrace      : at <ScriptBlock>, <No file>: line 1
    TargetSite     :
        Name          : InitNativeProcess
        DeclaringType : System.Management.Automation.NativeCommandProcessor, System.Management.Automation, Version=7.2.0.5, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=31bf3856ad364e35
        MemberType    : Method
        Module        : System.Management.Automation.dll
    StackTrace     :
   at System.Management.Automation.NativeCommandProcessor.InitNativeProcess()
   at System.Management.Automation.NativeCommandProcessor.Prepare(IDictionary psDefaultParameterValues)
   at System.Management.Automation.CommandProcessorBase.DoPrepare(IDictionary psDefaultParameterValues)
   at System.Management.Automation.Internal.PipelineProcessor.Start(Boolean incomingStream)
   at System.Management.Automation.Internal.PipelineProcessor.SynchronousExecuteEnumerate(Object input)
--- End of stack trace from previous location ---
   at System.Management.Automation.Internal.PipelineProcessor.SynchronousExecuteEnumerate(Object input)
   at System.Management.Automation.PipelineOps.InvokePipeline(Object input, Boolean ignoreInput, CommandParameterInternal[][] pipeElements, CommandBaseAst[] pipeElementAsts, CommandRedirection[][] commandRedirections, FunctionContext
funcContext)
   at System.Management.Automation.Interpreter.ActionCallInstruction`6.Run(InterpretedFrame frame)
   at System.Management.Automation.Interpreter.EnterTryCatchFinallyInstruction.Run(InterpretedFrame frame)
    Message        : Program 'test.py' failed to run: Only one of Arguments or ArgumentList may be used.At line:1 char:1
                     + ./test.py someargs
                     + ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~.
    Data           : System.Collections.ListDictionaryInternal
    InnerException :
        Type       : System.InvalidOperationException
        TargetSite :
            Name          : Start
            DeclaringType : System.Diagnostics.Process
            MemberType    : Method
            Module        : System.Diagnostics.Process.dll
        StackTrace :
   at System.Diagnostics.Process.Start()
   at System.Management.Automation.NativeCommandProcessor.InitNativeProcess()
        Message    : Only one of Arguments or ArgumentList may be used.
        Source     : System.Diagnostics.Process
        HResult    : -2146233079
    Source         : System.Management.Automation
    HResult        : -2146233087
CategoryInfo          : ResourceUnavailable: (:) [], ApplicationFailedException
FullyQualifiedErrorId : NativeCommandFailed
InvocationInfo        :
    ScriptLineNumber : 1
    OffsetInLine     : 1
    HistoryId        : -1
    Line             : ./test.py someargs
    PositionMessage  : At line:1 char:1
                       + ./test.py someargs
                       + ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    CommandOrigin    : Internal
ScriptStackTrace      : at <ScriptBlock>, <No file>: line 1

Edit: I should mention that this issue is fixed when setting $PSNativeCommandArgumentPassing="Standard"

[JamesWTruher]

yep - this is a bug for which I have a fix

[kilasuit]

@JamesWTruher any chance we can get your fix in for this any time soon?

[microsoft-github-policy-service]

This issue has not had any activity in 6 months, if this is a bug please try to reproduce on the latest version of PowerShell and reopen a new issue and reference this issue if this is still a blocker for you.

[microsoft-github-policy-service]

This issue has not had any activity in 6 months, if this is a bug please try to reproduce on the latest version of PowerShell and reopen a new issue and reference this issue if this is still a blocker for you.

[microsoft-github-policy-service]

This issue has been marked as "No Activity" as there has been no activity for 6 months. It has been closed for housekeeping purposes.