Getting the Current username when impersonated

Question

I am using something like the following method to impersonate a user in my code:

How do you do Impersonation in .NET?

In another class, I need to find out th

Answer 1

I wrote a helper class that does it:

public static class ImpersonationUtils
{
    private const int SW_SHOW = 5;
    private const int TOKEN_QUERY = 0x0008;
    private const int TOKEN_DUPLICATE = 0x0002;
    private const int TOKEN_ASSIGN_PRIMARY = 0x0001;
    private const int STARTF_USESHOWWINDOW = 0x00000001;
    private const int STARTF_FORCEONFEEDBACK = 0x00000040;
    private const int CREATE_UNICODE_ENVIRONMENT = 0x00000400;
    private const int TOKEN_IMPERSONATE = 0x0004;
    private const int TOKEN_QUERY_SOURCE = 0x0010;
    private const int TOKEN_ADJUST_PRIVILEGES = 0x0020;
    private const int TOKEN_ADJUST_GROUPS = 0x0040;
    private const int TOKEN_ADJUST_DEFAULT = 0x0080;
    private const int TOKEN_ADJUST_SESSIONID = 0x0100;
    private const int STANDARD_RIGHTS_REQUIRED = 0x000F0000;
    private const int TOKEN_ALL_ACCESS =
        STANDARD_RIGHTS_REQUIRED |
        TOKEN_ASSIGN_PRIMARY |
        TOKEN_DUPLICATE |
        TOKEN_IMPERSONATE |
        TOKEN_QUERY |
        TOKEN_QUERY_SOURCE |
        TOKEN_ADJUST_PRIVILEGES |
        TOKEN_ADJUST_GROUPS |
        TOKEN_ADJUST_DEFAULT |
        TOKEN_ADJUST_SESSIONID;

    [StructLayout(LayoutKind.Sequential)]
    private struct PROCESS_INFORMATION
    {
        public IntPtr hProcess;
        public IntPtr hThread;
        public int dwProcessId;
        public int dwThreadId;
    }

    [StructLayout(LayoutKind.Sequential)]
    private struct SECURITY_ATTRIBUTES
    {
        public int nLength;
        public IntPtr lpSecurityDescriptor;
        public bool bInheritHandle;
    }

    [StructLayout(LayoutKind.Sequential)]
    private struct STARTUPINFO
    {
        public int cb;
        public string lpReserved;
        public string lpDesktop;
        public string lpTitle;
        public int dwX;
        public int dwY;
        public int dwXSize;
        public int dwYSize;
        public int dwXCountChars;
        public int dwYCountChars;
        public int dwFillAttribute;
        public int dwFlags;
        public short wShowWindow;
        public short cbReserved2;
        public IntPtr lpReserved2;
        public IntPtr hStdInput;
        public IntPtr hStdOutput;
        public IntPtr hStdError;
    }

    private enum SECURITY_IMPERSONATION_LEVEL
    {
        SecurityAnonymous,
        SecurityIdentification,
        SecurityImpersonation,
        SecurityDelegation
    }

    private enum TOKEN_TYPE
    {
        TokenPrimary = 1,
        TokenImpersonation
    }

    [DllImport("advapi32.dll", SetLastError = true)]
    private static extern bool CreateProcessAsUser(
        IntPtr hToken,
        string lpApplicationName,
        string lpCommandLine,
        ref SECURITY_ATTRIBUTES lpProcessAttributes,
        ref SECURITY_ATTRIBUTES lpThreadAttributes,
        bool bInheritHandles,
        int dwCreationFlags,
        IntPtr lpEnvironment,
        string lpCurrentDirectory,
        ref STARTUPINFO lpStartupInfo,
        out PROCESS_INFORMATION lpProcessInformation);

    [DllImport("advapi32.dll", SetLastError = true)]
    private static extern bool DuplicateTokenEx(
        IntPtr hExistingToken,
        int dwDesiredAccess,
        ref SECURITY_ATTRIBUTES lpThreadAttributes,
        int ImpersonationLevel,
        int dwTokenType,
        ref IntPtr phNewToken);

    [DllImport("advapi32.dll", SetLastError = true)]
    private static extern bool OpenProcessToken(
        IntPtr ProcessHandle,
        int DesiredAccess,
        ref IntPtr TokenHandle);

    [DllImport("userenv.dll", SetLastError = true)]
    private static extern bool CreateEnvironmentBlock(
            ref IntPtr lpEnvironment,
            IntPtr hToken,
            bool bInherit);

    [DllImport("userenv.dll", SetLastError = true)]
    private static extern bool DestroyEnvironmentBlock(
            IntPtr lpEnvironment);

    [DllImport("kernel32.dll", SetLastError = true)]
    private static extern bool CloseHandle(
        IntPtr hObject);

    private static void LaunchProcessAsUser(string cmdLine, IntPtr token, IntPtr envBlock, int sessionId)
    {
        var pi = new PROCESS_INFORMATION();
        var saProcess = new SECURITY_ATTRIBUTES();
        var saThread = new SECURITY_ATTRIBUTES();
        saProcess.nLength = Marshal.SizeOf(saProcess);
        saThread.nLength = Marshal.SizeOf(saThread);

        var si = new STARTUPINFO();
        si.cb = Marshal.SizeOf(si);
        si.lpDesktop = @"WinSta0\Default";
        si.dwFlags = STARTF_USESHOWWINDOW | STARTF_FORCEONFEEDBACK;
        si.wShowWindow = SW_SHOW;

        if (!CreateProcessAsUser(
            token,
            null,
            cmdLine,
            ref saProcess,
            ref saThread,
            false,
            CREATE_UNICODE_ENVIRONMENT,
            envBlock,
            null,
            ref si,
            out pi))
        {
            throw new Win32Exception(Marshal.GetLastWin32Error(), "CreateProcessAsUser failed");
        }
    }

    private static IDisposable Impersonate(IntPtr token)
    {
        var identity = new WindowsIdentity(token);
        return identity.Impersonate();
    }

    private static IntPtr GetPrimaryToken(Process process)
    {
        var token = IntPtr.Zero;
        var primaryToken = IntPtr.Zero;

        if (OpenProcessToken(process.Handle, TOKEN_DUPLICATE, ref token))
        {
            var sa = new SECURITY_ATTRIBUTES();
            sa.nLength = Marshal.SizeOf(sa);

            if (!DuplicateTokenEx(
                token,
                TOKEN_ALL_ACCESS,
                ref sa,
                (int)SECURITY_IMPERSONATION_LEVEL.SecurityImpersonation,
                (int)TOKEN_TYPE.TokenPrimary,
                ref primaryToken))
            {
                throw new Win32Exception(Marshal.GetLastWin32Error(), "DuplicateTokenEx failed");
            }

            CloseHandle(token);
        }
        else
        {
            throw new Win32Exception(Marshal.GetLastWin32Error(), "OpenProcessToken failed");
        }

        return primaryToken;
    }

    private static IntPtr GetEnvironmentBlock(IntPtr token)
    {
        var envBlock = IntPtr.Zero;
        if (!CreateEnvironmentBlock(ref envBlock, token, false))
        {
            throw new Win32Exception(Marshal.GetLastWin32Error(), "CreateEnvironmentBlock failed");
        }
        return envBlock;
    }

    public static void LaunchAsCurrentUser(string cmdLine)
    {
        var process = Process.GetProcessesByName("explorer").FirstOrDefault();
        if (process != null)
        {
            var token = GetPrimaryToken(process);
            if (token != IntPtr.Zero)
            {
                var envBlock = GetEnvironmentBlock(token);
                if (envBlock != IntPtr.Zero)
                {
                    LaunchProcessAsUser(cmdLine, token, envBlock, process.SessionId);
                    if (!DestroyEnvironmentBlock(envBlock))
                    {
                        throw new Win32Exception(Marshal.GetLastWin32Error(), "DestroyEnvironmentBlock failed");
                    }
                }

                CloseHandle(token);
            }
        }
    }

    public static IDisposable ImpersonateCurrentUser()
    {
        var process = Process.GetProcessesByName("explorer").FirstOrDefault();
        if (process != null)
        {
            var token = GetPrimaryToken(process);
            if (token != IntPtr.Zero)
            {
                return Impersonate(token);
            }
        }

        throw new Exception("Could not find explorer.exe");
    }
}

You can use it like that:

ImpersonationUtils.LaunchAsCurrentUser("notepad");

using (ImpersonationUtils.ImpersonateCurrentUser())
{

}

More explanations and examples you can find here :

Impersonating CurrentUser from SYSTEM

Answer 2

Take a look at QueryCredentialsAttributes.

Answer 3

According to example at http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/chf6fbt4.aspx the current identity changes during impersonation. Are you sure your code is inside the impersonated code block?

Answer 4

First, I'd like to point out what the property WindowsIdentity.GetCurrent().Name will return if you use LOGON32_LOGON_NEW_CREDENTIALS or LOGON32_LOGON_INTERACTIVE as logon type for the LogonUser (inside the impersonation class) function:

1. Using LOGON32_LOGON_INTERACTIVE

   // Assuming this code runs under USER_B
   
   using (var imp = new Impersonation("treyresearch", "USER_A", "SecurePwd", LOGON32_LOGON_INTERACTIVE ))
   {
     // Now, we run under USER_A
     Console.Out.WriteLine(WindowsIdentity.GetCurrent().Name); // Will return USER_A
   }
   

2. Using LOGON32_LOGON_NEW_CREDENTIALS

   // Assuming this codes runs under USER_B
   
   using (var imp = new Impersonation("treyresearch", "USER_A", "SecurePwd", LOGON32_LOGON_NEW_CREDENTIALS ))
   {
     Console.Out.WriteLine(WindowsIdentity.GetCurrent().Name); // Will return USER_B
   }
   

This is the behaviour as you have described in your question and is consistent with the description on MSDN for the LogonUser function. For LOGON32_LOGON_NEW_CREDENTIALS the created user token is just a clone of the current user token. This means that the created user session has the same identifier as the calling thread. The passed credentials to the LogonUser function are only used for outbound network connections.

Second, let me point out two situation where the described difference between LOGON32_LOGON_INTERACTIVE and LOGON32_LOGON_NEW_CREDENTIALS becomes clear:

• Two domain joined computers: computer_A, computer_B
• Two users: user_A (local admin on computer_A), user_B (only standard user rights on B)
• One networkshare on computer_B (mynetworkshare, user_B does have permission to access share).
• One local folder on computer_A (only user_A has permission to write to this folder).

You run your program on computer_A (under the account of user_A). You impersonate user_B (using LOGON32_LOGON_INTERACTIVE). Then you connect to the network share on computer_B and try to copy a file to the local folder (only user_A has the permission to write to this folder). Then, you get an access denied error message, because the file operation is done with the permissions of user_B who does not have permission on the local folder.

Same situation as above. But now, we use LOGON32_LOGON_NEW_CREDENTIALS to impersonate user_B. We connect to the network drive and copy a file from the network drive to the local folder. In this case the operation succeeds because the file operation is done with the permissions of user_A.