Trying to connect using PrincipalContext on Workgroup Server returns Invalid User.

Question

I want to create an Application for editing user accounts on a Server.

The Server do not use AD only local accounts.

I use the following code to connect the remote server:

try
{
    PrincipalContext oPrincipalContext = new PrincipalContext(ContextType.Machine, "192.168.123.110", null, ContextOptions.Negotiate, "Administrator", "password");
    try
    {
        MessageBox.Show(oPrincipalContext.ConnectedServer);
        GroupPrincipal oGroupPrincipal = GroupPrincipal.FindByIdentity(oPrincipalContext, "Goetter");
        try
        {
            // perform operations here
        }
        finally
        {
            oGroupPrincipal.Dispose();
        }
    }
    finally
    {
        oPrincipalContext.Dispose();
    }
}
catch (Exception ex)
{
    MessageBox.Show(ex.Message);
}

Whenever I try this, I get an exception, that the user and or password is not authorized, independent of the user I use. Administrator is the build in Admin user account.

Does PrincipalContext only works with AD or also with local accounts? Is anything wrong with my code?

you may want to hide that IP address and place it inside of a .config file.. or change it to an IP that's not valid for purposes of this forum — MethodMan, Aug 16 '12 at 18:40
`192.168.x.x` is a private IP address. They're not routable. — Roger Lipscombe, Aug 17 '12 at 12:49
ok just making sure.. here is another link to look at.. http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb344891.aspx — MethodMan, Aug 17 '12 at 12:58

score 0 · Answer 1 · edited May 23 '17 at 12:20

using(PrincipalContext oPrincipalContext = new PrincipalContext(ContextType.Machine, computer.Name, null, ContextOptions.Negotiate, Settings.UserName, Settings.UserPassword))
using(GroupPrincipal oGroupPrincipal = GroupPrincipal.FindByIdentity(oPrincipalContext, Settings.AdministratorsGroup))
{
    // perform operations here
}

Change your code and wrap it around a using statement otherwise you may have some errors when trying to call the Dispose() method reason being when you try to dispose the connection may have already been closed by then.

you can use this code here and try either of the examples if you are using ActiveDirectory

example 1

If you work on .NET 3.5, you can use the System.DirectoryServices.AccountManagement namespace and easily verify your credentials:

// create a "principal context" - e.g. your domain (could be machine, too)
using(PrincipalContext pc = new PrincipalContext(ContextType.Domain, "YOURDOMAIN"))
{
    // validate the credentials
    bool isValid = pc.ValidateCredentials("myuser", "mypassword");
}

Example 2

using System.Security;
using System.DirectoryServices.AccountManagement;

public struct Credentials
{
    public string Username;
    public string Password;
}

public class Domain_Authentication
{
    public Credentials Credentials;
    public string Domain;

    public Domain_Authentication(string Username, string Password, string SDomain)
    {
        Credentials.Username = Username;
        Credentials.Password = Password;
        Domain = SDomain;
    }

    public bool IsValid()
    {
        using (PrincipalContext pc = new PrincipalContext(ContextType.Domain, Domain))
        {
            // validate the credentials
            return pc.ValidateCredentials(Credentials.Username, Credentials.Password);
        }
    }
}

The public bool IsValid() Method above should work for what you are looking for.

Have a look at PrincipalContext.ValidateCredentials

for your FindByIdentity portion you can try the following replacement code

string strName = System.Security.Principal.WindowsIdentity.GetCurrent().Name; 
// This is here because of a .Net error that gets 0x80005000 on "isUser = user.IsMemberOf(groupU);"
string domainName = strName.Split('\\')[0]; 
var pc = new PrincipalContext(ContextType.Domain, domainName);

Additional Reference Link StackOverFlow Post ContextType.Machine

Does this also work with ContextType.Machine, as I'm not using AD ? — magiXXfactory, Aug 17 '12 at 07:41
PrincipalContext is part of AD I will add an additional example that will help you when connecting to a Remote Machine. — MethodMan, Aug 17 '12 at 12:03
also look at this Similar stackoverflow post answer it explains Security why's and why not here - http://stackoverflow.com/questions/8933684/issue-on-verifying-user-login-name-and-password — MethodMan, Aug 17 '12 at 12:50

Trying to connect using PrincipalContext on Workgroup Server returns Invalid User.

1 Answers1