rapid7 · zeroSteiner · Sep 18, 2025 · Sep 23, 2025
diff --git a/c/meterpreter/README.md b/c/meterpreter/README.md
@@ -40,36 +40,6 @@ If you don't have an installation ready, follow these steps:
 choco install visualstudio2019community -y --package-parameters "--config C:\YOUR_PATH\metasploit-payloads\c\meterpreter\vs-configs\vs2019.vsconfig"
   ```
 
-### VS 2017
-Building with VS2017 works with any version, including community. If you have an installation already, just make sure you have the following extra bits installed:
-
-* Under `Workloads`:
-    * `Desktop Development with C++`
-* Under `Individual Components`:
-    * `Windows XP support for C++`
-
-If you don't have an installation ready, follow these steps:
-
-1. Install [Chocolatey](https://chocolatey.org).
-2. Install VS with all the required components by running the following command in Powershell:
-  ```
-choco install visualstudio2017community -y --package-parameters "--config C:\YOUR_PATH\metasploit-payloads\c\meterpreter\vs-configs\vs2017.vsconfig"
-  ```
-
-Note: A copy of this file is located in this repository under `c/meterpreter/vs-config/vs2017.vsconfig`.
-
-### VS 2013
-Download and install the `Visual Studio Express 2013 for Windows Desktop` edition. It is important that you use _this exact version_. To do this with Chocolatey, run the following:
-
-```
-choco install visualstudioexpress2013windowsdesktop -y
-```
-
-Nothing extra needs to be done.
-
-At this point the dependencies will be ready to use and Meterpreter should be ready to
-build.
-
 ### Running the Build
 
 Open up a Visual Studio command prompt by selecting `Developer Command Prompt for VS201X`
@@ -84,7 +54,7 @@ meterpreter source is located. From here you can:
 * Build the x64 version by running: `make x64`
 * Build both x86 and x64 versions by running: `make`
 
-If you want to build binaries with the `v120_xp` toolset instead of `v141_xp` while using VS2017 or VS2019, you must first install VS2013 as shown above. Then, pass `v120_xp` as a parameter when running `make` (eg. `make v120_xp x64`). The Rapid7 build automation uses v120_xp to build the distributed binaries, so projects must build with that platform toolset.
+The Rapid7 build automation uses v141_xp to build the distributed binaries, so projects must build with that platform toolset.
 
 The compiled binaries are written to the `output` folder.
 

diff --git a/c/meterpreter/make-cmake.bat b/c/meterpreter/make-cmake.bat
diff --git a/c/meterpreter/make.bat b/c/meterpreter/make.bat
@@ -2,25 +2,11 @@
 IF "%1"=="clean" GOTO CLEAN
 IF "%1"=="docs" GOTO DOCS
 IF "%VCINSTALLDIR%" == "" GOTO NEED_VS
-IF NOT EXIST "source\ReflectiveDLLInjection\.git" (
-  ECHO Meterpreter's submodule dependencies can't be found.
-  ECHO From your git console, please run:
-  ECHO   $ git submodule init ^&^& git submodule update
-  GOTO END
-)
+IF NOT EXIST "source\ReflectiveDLLInjection\.git" GOTO NEED_RDLL
 
 SET PSSDK_VER=19
 SET PTS_VER=v141_xp
 
-IF "%1"=="v120_xp" SET PTS_VER=%1
-IF "%2"=="v120_xp" SET PTS_VER=%2
-IF "%3"=="v120_xp" SET PTS_VER=%3
-
-IF "%VisualStudioVersion%" == "12.0" (
-    SET PSSDK_VER=12
-    SET PTS_VER=v120_xp
-)
-
 SET PREF=
 IF EXIST "..\..\..\pssdk\PSSDK_VC%PSSDK_VER%_LIB\_Libs\pssdk_vc%PSSDK_VER%_mt.lib" SET PREF=r7_
 
@@ -95,8 +81,15 @@ GOTO END
 tools\doxygen\doxygen.exe doxygen.cnf
 GOTO END
 
+:NEED_RDLL
+ECHO Meterpreter's submodule dependencies can't be found.
+ECHO From your git console, please run:
+ECHO   $ git submodule init ^&^& git submodule update
+GOTO END
+
 :NEED_VS
 ECHO "This command must be executed from within a Visual Studio Command prompt."
-ECHO "This can be found under Microsoft Visual Studio (2013|2017|2019) -> Visual Studio Tools"
+ECHO "This can be found under Microsoft Visual Studio 20XX > Visual Studio Tools"
+ECHO "Visual Studio 2017 or later is required (v141_xp toolchain)."
 
 :END
diff --git a/c/meterpreter/vs-configs/vs2017.vsconfig b/c/meterpreter/vs-configs/vs2017.vsconfig
diff --git a/c/meterpreter/workspace/ext_server_sniffer/CMakeLists.txt b/c/meterpreter/workspace/ext_server_sniffer/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -16,11 +16,7 @@ include_directories(../../source/common)
 include_directories(../../source/ReflectiveDllInjection/common)
 include_directories(${PSSDK_DIR}/_include)
 
-if(${CMAKE_GENERATOR_TOOLSET} MATCHES "v120_xp")
-    set(PSSDK_VER 12)
-else()
-    set(PSSDK_VER 19)
-endif()
+set(PSSDK_VER 19)
 
 set(SRC_DIR ../../source/extensions/sniffer)
 file(GLOB SRC_FILES

diff --git a/c/meterpreter/workspace/meterpreter.props b/c/meterpreter/workspace/meterpreter.props
@@ -1,17 +1,11 @@
-<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?> 
+<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
 <Project ToolsVersion="4.0" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/developer/msbuild/2003">
   <ImportGroup Label="PropertySheets" />
   <PropertyGroup Label="UserMacros" />
   <PropertyGroup>
       <XPDeprecationWarning>false</XPDeprecationWarning>
   </PropertyGroup>
-  <PropertyGroup Label="Configuration" Condition="'$(VisualStudioVersion)'=='12.0'">
-      <PlatformToolset>v120_xp</PlatformToolset>
-  </PropertyGroup>
-  <PropertyGroup Label="Globals" Condition="'$(PlatformToolset)'=='v120_xp'">
-    <PssdkVersion>vc12</PssdkVersion>
-  </PropertyGroup>
-  <PropertyGroup Label="Globals" Condition="'$(PlatformToolset)'!='v120_xp'">
+  <PropertyGroup Label="Globals">
     <PssdkVersion>vc19</PssdkVersion>
   </PropertyGroup>
   <ItemDefinitionGroup />