Permission differences between windows service and console application

Question

Hello!

I'm developing an application with a smart card involved (digital signature). Let's assume that we have the same code in this two contexts:

• Console application, executed by Administrator user
• Windows Service, executed by Administrator user

I suposed that if this two codes were executed by the same user they would have the same privileges. It seems that this is not true. When I try with the Windows Service (Executed with Administrator user) i receive

TargetInvocationException
CryptographicException

Can't initialize DLL provider at System.Security.Cryptography.Utils.CreateProvHandle(.

As far as I read on internet maybe is some king of permissions issue. Console Application works OK.

• What is the difference between the Windows Service and Console Application if they are executed by the same user?

• Is possible to achieve the same results with Windows Service?

Free virtual beers for the person who solves it ;)

Thanks!

Answer 1

I do not have a solution for you, unfortunately, but Windows Services behave quite differently that ordinary programs. For example, you could not access network drives from a windows service, unless your service starts AFTER the service that initializes those drives.

You can add dependencies to your service, to make them depend on the services you need, or at the very end. This MAY solve your problem, but I cannot guarantee that.

Answer 2

One difference between a console app and a Windows service which caused me headaches is the fact that the Windows service uses C:\Windows\System32 as the current directory. I don't know if this will help in your case, but I guess you could try it: http://igorbrejc.net/development/c/windows-services-and-working-directories

Answer 3

Of course Igor, (part of the exception stack is in spanish, sorry).

• Type: System.Security.Cryptography.CryptographicException
• Message: La DLL proveedora no se ha podido inicializar correctamente. DLL provider could not start correctly.
• Base of stack: System.Security.Cryptography.Utils.CreateProvHandle

---

.Reflection.TargetInvocationException: Se produjo una excepción en el destino de la invocación. ---> System.Security.Cryptography.CryptographicException: La DLL proveedora no se ha podido inicializar correctamente.

en System.Security.Cryptography.Utils.CreateProvHandle(CspParameters parameters, Boolean randomKeyContainer) en System.Security.Cryptography.Utils.GetKeyPairHelper(CspAlgorithmType keyType, CspParameters parameters, Boolean randomKeyContainer, Int32 dwKeySize, SafeProvHandle& safeProvHandle, SafeKeyHandle& safeKeyHandle) en System.Security.Cryptography.RSACryptoServiceProvider.GetKeyPair() en System.Security.Cryptography.RSACryptoServiceProvider..ctor(Int32 dwKeySize, CspParameters parameters, Boolean useDefaultKeySize) en System.Security.Cryptography.RSACryptoServiceProvider..ctor(CspParameters parameters) --- Fin del seguimiento de la pila de la excepción interna --- en LibWcfFirma.Clases.Criptografia.Algoritmos.Sha1.Encriptar(Stream streamEntrada) en C:\Users*\documents\visual studio 2010\Projects\WcfFirma\LibWcfFirma\Clases\Criptografia\Algoritmos\Sha1.cs:línea 38 en LibWcfFirma.FrontalServicio.FirmarDocumentoPdf(Byte[] archivoDeEntrada) en C:\Users*\documents\visual studio 2010\Projects\WcfFirma\LibWcfFirma\FrontalServicio.svc.cs:línea 56

Answer 4

Have you tried running your service as Local Service, Network Service, and Local System? No difference with changing these? I know I had to change mine from Local Service to Local System to give it access to my files. Not sure if you're even using any files, but at least it's something to check.