How do you get credentials (NetworkCredential) of currently logged in user?

user_314895 0
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I'm writing some code to utilise a 3rd party component, and I need to supply an object which implements ICredentials when I start to use it.

If I write the following...

var credential = new NetworkCredential("MyUsername", "MyPassword");

...and pass "credential", it's fine. But I would like to pass the credentials of the current user (it's a Windows service, so runs as a specified user).

I have tried both of the following, but neither appear to work (or return anything):

NetworkCredential credential = System.Net.CredentialCache.DefaultCredentials;
NetworkCredential credential = CredentialCache.DefaultNetworkCredentials;

Can anyone suggest how to acquire an approriate object, which represents the credentials of the username that the service is running under ?

Thanks

defaultnetworkcredentials .net
6 Answers

You need to do impersonation, for example:

    System.Security.Principal.WindowsImpersonationContext impersonationContext;
impersonationContext = 
    ((System.Security.Principal.WindowsIdentity)User.Identity).Impersonate();

//Insert your code that runs under the security context of the authenticating user here.

impersonationContext.Undo();

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/306158

Or you can use web.config:

<identity impersonate="true" />
user_2405640

The ideal security situation is that the password of a logged in user is not stored anywhere in memory. It is not stored anywhere on disk either. It exists only as a hash value to be compared against a string entered by a human being. Storing a password in clear is inherently a security risk and should be avoided whenever possible.

Given this principle, there is NO part of the operating system that even HAS your user's password in the clear, much less be willing to give it to you.

user_8646960
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