Using PowerShell to Fetch Device Location Using Google GeoLocation API

Key Takeaways

• The script fetches a device’s geographical location using the Google GeoLocation API.
• It’s designed to update NinjaOne’s custom fields with location data.
• The script requires an active internet connection and is optimized for Windows 10 devices.
• Google GeoLocation API offers accuracy and broader coverage compared to other methods.
• Usage of the script for location tracking brings forth ethical and privacy concerns.
• Explicit permissions are essential before deploying this tool to prevent breaches of privacy.
• Understanding the rate limits and associated costs with Google’s API is crucial.
• NinjaOne, combined with such scripts, offers robust capabilities for IT operations and asset management.

In today’s interconnected IT ecosystem, one of the most valuable pieces of information is ‘location’. The ability to track the geographical location of devices can prove crucial in many IT operations, from asset management to security monitoring. This blog post discusses a PowerShell script that enables IT professionals and MSPs (Managed Service Providers) to get the location of a Windows device and store it using NinjaOne’s custom fields.

Background

The script in focus updates custom fields with the geographical coordinates and address of a device using the Google GeoLocation API. For IT professionals and MSPs, knowing the physical location of a device is fundamental. Whether it’s about tracking stolen equipment, auditing devices, or verifying the geographical spread of IT assets, the application of such a script can be diverse and profound.

The Script

#Requires -Version 5.1

<#
.SYNOPSIS
    Updates Custom Fields with the location of a device based on the Google GeoLocation API.
.DESCRIPTION
    Updates Custom Fields with the location of a device based on the Google GeoLocation API.

    The CustomFieldName parameter can be used to specify which custom field to save the Latitude and Longitude coordinates to.
    The AddressCustomFieldName parameter can be used to specify which custom field to save the address to.

    This script requires a custom field to save location data in NinjaRMM.
    The default for CustomFieldName is "Location".
    The default for AddressCustomFieldName is "Address".
    You can use any text custom field that you wish.
.EXAMPLE
    -GoogleApiKey "<GeoLocation API key here>"
    Saves the Latitude and Longitude coordinates to the custom field named Location.
.EXAMPLE
    -GoogleApiKey "<GeoLocation API key here>" -CustomFieldName "Location" -AddressCustomFieldName "Address"
    Saves the Latitude and Longitude coordinates to the custom field named Location as well as the address to Address.
.INPUTS
    None
.OUTPUTS
    None
.NOTES
    Minimum OS Architecture Supported: Windows 10
    Release Notes:
    Updated to work with either Parameters or Script Variables
By using this script, you indicate your acceptance of the following legal terms as well as our Terms of Use at https://www.ninjaone.com/terms-of-use.
    Ownership Rights: NinjaOne owns and will continue to own all right, title, and interest in and to the script (including the copyright). NinjaOne is giving you a limited license to use the script in accordance with these legal terms. 
    Use Limitation: You may only use the script for your legitimate personal or internal business purposes, and you may not share the script with another party. 
    Republication Prohibition: Under no circumstances are you permitted to re-publish the script in any script library or website belonging to or under the control of any other software provider. 
    Warranty Disclaimer: The script is provided “as is” and “as available”, without warranty of any kind. NinjaOne makes no promise or guarantee that the script will be free from defects or that it will meet your specific needs or expectations. 
    Assumption of Risk: Your use of the script is at your own risk. You acknowledge that there are certain inherent risks in using the script, and you understand and assume each of those risks. 
    Waiver and Release: You will not hold NinjaOne responsible for any adverse or unintended consequences resulting from your use of the script, and you waive any legal or equitable rights or remedies you may have against NinjaOne relating to your use of the script. 
    EULA: If you are a NinjaOne customer, your use of the script is subject to the End User License Agreement applicable to you (EULA).
#>

[CmdletBinding()]
param (
    [Parameter()]
    [String]
    $GoogleApiKey,
    [Parameter()]
    [String]
    $CustomFieldName = "Location",
    [Parameter()]
    [String]
    $AddressCustomFieldName = "Address"
)

begin {
    function Test-StringEmpty {
        param([string]$Text)
        # Returns true if string is empty, null, or whitespace
        process { [string]::IsNullOrEmpty($Text) -or [string]::IsNullOrWhiteSpace($Text) }
    }
    function Get-NearestCity {
        param (
            [double]$lat,
            [double]$lon,
            [string]$GoogleApi
        )
        try {
            $Response = Invoke-RestMethod -Uri "http://maps.googleapis.com/maps/api/geocode/json?latlng=$lat,$lon&key=$GoogleApi"
        }
        catch {
            throw $Error[0]
        }
        return $Response.results[0].formatted_address
    }
    function Get-WifiNetwork {
        end {
            try {
                netsh.exe wlan sh net mode=bssid | ForEach-Object -Process {
                    if ($_ -match '^SSID (d+) : (.*)$') {
                        $current = @{}
                        $networks += $current
                        $current.Index = $matches[1].trim()
                        $current.SSID = $matches[2].trim()
                    }
                    else {
                        if ($_ -match '^s+(.*)s+:s+(.*)s*$') {
                            $current[$matches[1].trim()] = $matches[2].trim()
                        }
                    }
                } -Begin { $networks = @() } -End { $networks | ForEach-Object { New-Object -TypeName "PSObject" -Property $_ } }    
            }
            catch {
                # return nothing
            }
        }
    }

    # Check if Script Variables are being used
    if (-not $(Test-StringEmpty -Text $env:GoogleApiKey)) {
        $GoogleApiKey = $env:GoogleApiKey
    }
    if (-not $(Test-StringEmpty -Text $env:CustomFieldName)) {
        $CustomFieldName = $env:CustomFieldName
    }
    if (-not $(Test-StringEmpty -Text $env:AddressCustomFieldName)) {
        $AddressCustomFieldName = $env:AddressCustomFieldName
    }
    # Check if api key is set, error if not set
    if ($(Test-StringEmpty -Text $GoogleApiKey)) {
        # Both Parameter and Script Variable are empty
        # Can not combine Parameter "[Parameter(Mandatory)]" and Script Variable Required
        Write-Error "GoogleApiKey is required."
        exit 1
    }

    # Use the system's new line
    $NewLine = $([System.Environment]::NewLine)

    # Build URL with API key
    $Url = "https://www.googleapis.com/geolocation/v1/geolocate?key=$GoogleApiKey"
}
process {
    # Get WIFI network data nearby
    $WiFiData = Get-WifiNetwork |
        Select-Object @{name = 'age'; expression = { 0 } },
        @{name = 'macAddress'; expression = { $_.'BSSID 1' } },
        @{name = 'channel'; expression = { $_.Channel } },
        @{name = 'signalStrength'; expression = { (($_.Signal -replace "%") / 2) - 100 } }

    # Check if we got any number access points
    $Body = if ($WiFiData -and $WiFiData.Count -gt 0) {
        @{
            considerIp       = $true
            wifiAccessPoints = $WiFiData
        } | ConvertTo-Json
    }
    else {
        @{
            considerIp = $true
        } | ConvertTo-Json
    }

    # Get our lat,lng position
    try {
        $Response = Invoke-RestMethod -Method Post -Uri $Url -Body $Body -ContentType "application/json" -ErrorVariable Err
    }
    catch {
        Write-Error $_
        exit 1
    }

    # Save the relevant results to variable that have shorter names
    $Lat = $Response.location.lat
    $Lon = $Response.location.lng

    try {
        # Save Latitude, Longitude to the custom field from the CustomFieldName parameter
        Ninja-Property-Set -Name $CustomFieldName -Value "$Lat,$Lon"
    }
    catch {
        Write-Error "Failed to save to CustomFieldName($CustomFieldName)"
        exit 1
    }

    if ( $(Test-StringEmpty -Text $AddressCustomFieldName) -and $(Test-StringEmpty -Text $env:AddressCustomFieldName)) {
        # Both Parameter and Variable are empty
        Write-Output "$($NewLine)Location: $Lat,$Lon"
    }
    else {
        if ($(Test-StringEmpty -Text $AddressCustomFieldName)) {
            # Parameter was not used
            $AddressCustomFieldName = $env:AddressCustomFieldName
        }

        try {
            # Get City from Google API's
            # Google API: https://developers.google.com/maps/documentation/geocoding/requests-reverse-geocoding
            $Address = Get-NearestCity -lat $Lat -lon $Lon -GoogleApi $GoogleApiKey
        }
        catch {
            Write-Error "Failed to save to get nearest city."
            exit 1
        }

        try {
            # Save Lat and Lon to custom field
            Ninja-Property-Set -Name $AddressCustomFieldName -Value "$Address"
            Write-Output "$($NewLine)Location: $Address`: $Lat,$Lon"
        }
        catch {
            Write-Error "Failed to save to AddressCustomFieldName($AddressCustomFieldName)"
            exit 1
        }
    }
    exit 0
}
end {
    $ScriptVariables = @(
        [PSCustomObject]@{
            name           = "GoogleApiKey"
            calculatedName = "GoogleApiKey"
            required       = $true
            defaultValue   = $null
            valueType      = "TEXT"
            valueList      = $null
            description    = ""
        }
        [PSCustomObject]@{
            name           = "CustomFieldName"
            calculatedName = "CustomFieldName"
            required       = $false
            defaultValue   = [PSCustomObject]@{
                type  = "TEXT"
                value = "Location"
            }
            valueType      = "TEXT"
            valueList      = $null
            description    = ""
        }
    )
}

 

Detailed Breakdown

The script can be divided into three main parts:

• Initialization: The script starts with defining parameters such as GoogleApiKey, CustomFieldName, and AddressCustomFieldName. These parameters act as inputs to customize the script’s behavior.
• Main Operations: The core part of the script involves:
• Checking available WiFi networks around the device.
• Constructing a payload with WiFi data and sending it to Google’s geolocation service to get the latitude and longitude.
• Fetching the nearest city or address using the obtained coordinates.
• Updating the custom fields in NinjaOne with the location data.
• Concluding Operations: ScriptVariables are initialized to store data and help in further operations.

Potential Use Cases

Consider an IT professional, Alex, working for an enterprise. They have been assigned to audit all the laptops across multiple office branches. Using this script, Alex can swiftly fetch the geographical location of each laptop, ensuring they’re indeed at the claimed office locations.

Comparisons

The script’s approach leverages the Google GeoLocation API, which offers accurate location details. Alternatives might involve using native Windows location services or other third-party APIs. However, Google’s vast data and robust infrastructure make it a preferred choice for such applications, offering better accuracy and broader coverage.

FAQs

• Does this script work offline?
  The script requires an active internet connection to communicate with Google’s services.
• Is there a limit to the number of location requests?
  The Google GeoLocation API does have limits based on your account type and billing status.
• Does the script only work on Windows 10?
  The script’s minimum OS requirement is Windows 10.

Implications

While the ability to track a device’s location provides a great tool for asset management and security, it also poses privacy concerns. It’s crucial for IT teams to ensure that this tool is used ethically, with due permissions and disclosures. Unauthorized tracking can lead to breaches of privacy laws and regulations.

Recommendations

• Always obtain explicit permission before running this script on any device.
• Ensure you understand the rate limits and costs associated with the Google GeoLocation API.
• Regularly review and audit logs to prevent any misuse.

Final Thoughts

For MSPs and IT professionals, NinjaOne provides an invaluable platform to centralize and streamline IT operations. The integration of such scripts to fetch device locations further amplifies NinjaOne’s capabilities, making it an indispensable tool for modern IT landscapes. PowerShell scripts, especially like the one dissected above, offer an added layer of flexibility and power to NinjaOne users, helping them keep pace in a dynamic IT world.