CreateProcessasUser???

[waughp]

Hello,

 

I need an example on how to use CreateProcessasuser or CreateProcesswithLogonW. I would like to hardcode a user/password into a vb.net program (trusted and secure environment) so that I can have trusted people run cpl files (control Panels) as the local administrator, without knowing the password.

 

For Example, I would like my program to execute the system control panel as the local administrator automatically. Here is the code I have to start the system control panel so far:

 

PrivateSub cmdSystem_Click(ByVal sender AsObject, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles cmdSystem.Click

Winpath = System.Environment. _

 

GetEnvironmentVariable("SystemRoot")

 

Fname = Winpath & "\system32\sysdm.cpl"

 

If System.IO.File.Exists(Fname) Then

 

System.Diagnostics.Process.Start(Fname)

 

Else

 

MsgBox("Control Panel not found!", 16, "Error")

 

EndIf

 

EndSub

 

 

I found this code, however, I'm not sure how to make it work with a button's click event.

 

Declare Function CreateProcessAsUser Lib "advapi32.dll" Alias "CreateProcessAsUserA" (ByVal hToken As Integer, ByVal lpApplicationName As String, ByVal lpCommandLine As String, ByVal lpProcessAttributes As SECURITY_ATTRIBUTES, ByVal lpThreadAttributes As SECURITY_ATTRIBUTES, ByVal bInheritHandles As Integer, ByVal dwCreationFlags As Integer, ByVal lpEnvironment As String, ByVal lpCurrentDirectory As String, ByVal lpStartupInfo As STARTUPINFO, ByVal lpProcessInformation As PROCESS_INFORMATION) As Integer

 

Structure PROCESS_INFORMATION

Dim hProcess As Integer

Dim hThread As Integer

Dim dwProcessId As Integer

Dim dwThreadId As Integer

End Structure

 

Structure STARTUPINFO

Dim cb As Integer

Dim lpReserved As String

Dim lpDesktop As String

Dim lpTitle As String

Dim dwX As Integer

Dim dwY As Integer

Dim dwXSize As Integer

Dim dwYSize As Integer

Dim dwXCountChars As Integer

Dim dwYCountChars As Integer

Dim dwFillAttribute As Integer

Dim dwFlags As Integer

Dim wShowWindow As Short

Dim cbReserved2 As Short

Dim lpReserved2 As Integer

Dim hStdInput As Integer

Dim hStdOutput As Integer

Dim hStdError As Integer

End Structure

 

Structure SECURITY_ATTRIBUTES

Dim nLength As Integer

Dim lpSecurityDescriptor As Integer

Dim bInheritHandle As Integer

End Structure

 

 

Any help is much appreciated! Thanks a lot!

 

Pat

 

P.S.

 

I'm relatively new to vb.net so be gentle :)

[mskeel]

vb.net program (trusted and secure environment)

You may want to rethink this if you are looking for "trusted and secure." Do some research on IL, Intermediate Language, which is what all .Net code compiles to. It is actually really easy to crack (use ildasm.exe found in your visual studio .net bin) and then your user names and passwords will be immediately compirmised. Not that it would have been hard in win32 code but...

 

 

PrivateSub cmdSystem_Click(ByVal sender AsObject, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles cmdSystem.Click
  Winpath = System.Environment. _

  GetEnvironmentVariable("SystemRoot")

  Fname = Winpath & "\system32\sysdm.cpl"

  If System.IO.File.Exists(Fname) Then
     System.Diagnostics.Process.Start(Fname)
  Else
     MsgBox("Control Panel not found!", 16, "Error")
  EndIf
EndSub

 

Declare Function CreateProcessAsUser Lib "advapi32.dll" Alias "CreateProcessAsUserA" (ByVal hToken As Integer, _
                                                                                     ByVal lpApplicationName As String, _
                                                                                     ByVal lpCommandLine As String, _
                                                                                     ByVal lpProcessAttributes As SECURITY_ATTRIBUTES, _
                                                                                     ByVal lpThreadAttributes As SECURITY_ATTRIBUTES, _
                                                                                     ByVal bInheritHandles As Integer, _
                                                                                     ByVal dwCreationFlags As Integer, _
                                                                                     ByVal lpEnvironment As String, ByVal lpCurrentDirectory As String, _
                                                                                     ByVal lpStartupInfo As STARTUPINFO, _
                                                                                     ByVal lpProcessInformation As PROCESS_INFORMATION) As Integer

  Structure PROCESS_INFORMATION
     Dim hProcess As Integer
     Dim hThread As Integer
     Dim dwProcessId As Integer
     Dim dwThreadId As Integer
  End Structure

  Structure STARTUPINFO
     Dim cb As Integer
     Dim lpReserved As String
     Dim lpDesktop As String
     Dim lpTitle As String
     Dim dwX As Integer
     Dim dwY As Integer
     Dim dwXSize As Integer
     Dim dwYSize As Integer
     Dim dwXCountChars As Integer
     Dim dwYCountChars As Integer
     Dim dwFillAttribute As Integer
     Dim dwFlags As Integer
     Dim wShowWindow As Short
     Dim cbReserved2 As Short
     Dim lpReserved2 As Integer
     Dim hStdInput As Integer
     Dim hStdOutput As Integer
     Dim hStdError As Integer
  End Structure

  Structure SECURITY_ATTRIBUTES
     Dim nLength As Integer
     Dim lpSecurityDescriptor As Integer
     Dim bInheritHandle As Integer
  End Structure

 

All you'll have to do is put this stuff at the top of your class, populate those structs, and call CreateProcessAsUser in your button handler function. There should be some docuementation wherever you found this API that will help you fill out those structs.

 

As a n00b to .Net I would also like to point out to you that one of the great things about .Net is the managed code. There are several layers of abstraction built in to .Net that keep you from making unmaintainable changes. At the bottom of .Net, under all those abstractions, are the API's. You should avoid calling API's directly unless you really and truly need that power. If you use the API and run your program on another version of windows your program might break. If you use purely managed code, it will run on any version of windows becuase it is really running on the .Net framework.

[waughp]

Mskell,

 

Thanks for the reply!

 

All you'll have to do is put this stuff at the top of your class, populate those structs, and call CreateProcessAsUser in your button handler function. There should be some docuementation wherever you found this API that will help you fill out those structs.

 

Any chance you could show me an example on how to do this for the button's click event? Unfortunetly the website I found said that the example was in a book that I would have to buy. I'm trying to save myself $35.00. I've already got the code at the top of my class, I just need the button click event code.

 

Thanks a lot!

 

Pat

[mskeel]

You would call it like you do any other function. It's really easy. The hard part, I think, is going to be figuring out what goes in the structs.

 

It might look something like...

PrivateSub cmdSystem_Click(ByVal sender AsObject, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles cmdSystem.Click
  Winpath = System.Environment. _
  GetEnvironmentVariable("SystemRoot")
  Fname = Winpath & "\system32\sysdm.cpl"

  If System.IO.File.Exists(Fname) Then
     System.Diagnostics.Process.Start(Fname)
     ''declare and fill in instances of those structs...
     ''I am unsure about the alias.  You may need to call the function as it is declared but I think becuase of the alias you will call it like this...
     reateProcessAsUserA(Token, lpApplicationName, lpCommandLine, lpProcessAttributes, lpThreadAttributes, bInheritHandles, dwCreationFlags, lpEnvironment, lpCurrentDirectory, lpStartupInfo, lpProcessInformation)
  Else
     ''don't use magic numbers.  Instead of 16, use the enumeration for whatever type of box you are trying to declare.
     MsgBox("Control Panel not found!", 16, "Error")
  EndIf
EndSub

 

Keep searching the web. I'm sure you'll more stuff to help you out. Good luck.