WPF ClickOnce and partial trust problem

Question

How can I get my application deployment working?

I created a new simple WPF project with Visual Studio 2010 and did the following modifications in the properties of the project: -> Signing: Created test certificate and signed both the assemblies an manifests. Did not check the box "delayed sign only" -> Security: Checked box "enable click once security settings" and radio button "This is a partial trust settings". Zone: "Local Intranet". -> Security, Advanced: Debug this application with the selected security settings (I choose this one).

When starting debugging, i get a Request for the permission of type 'System.Security.Permissions.SecurityPermission, mscorlib, Version=4.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089' failed.

When installing, the application will be installed but just nothing happens when starting it. On another computer, a bla bla has stoped working (launch utility) will be shown.

OS: Windows 7.

With some experiments, I found out that adding the flag UnmanagedCode to the SecurityPermission solved the problem. Why is a simple WPF application (a freshly created hello world) in need to call unmanaged code? This is a security hole as big as a volcano.

Thanks for any hint

I found a not so good solution: I changed the security settings to custom and copy pasted the permissions from (local intranet) into the app.manifest. I changed the securitypermission to: . This seems to be a security hole: The flag "AllFlags". It is just a hello world WPF. Why in the heck does it even need a securitypermission. — yonexbat, Jul 18 '11 at 14:08
Finally found the flag for SecurityPermission. The missing flag was UnmanagedCode. Why is a hello world WPF required to call unmanagedCode? — yonexbat, Jul 18 '11 at 14:17

score 4 · Accepted Answer · answered Feb 22 '13 at 15:21

Late to the party but here's what I have found (while stumbling upon same problem) .

It seems that WPF Window does require UnmanagedCode permission.

Excerpt from Pro WPF 4.5 in C#: Windows Presentation Foundation in .NET 4.5 by Matthew MacDonald.

ClickOnce and Partial Trust

And, here's the stack trace of exception, when WPF application deployed via ClickOnce in Partial Trust is run. Notice the call to DemandUnmanagedCode function of SecurityHelper from the constructor of Window:

  InnerException: System.Security.SecurityException
       Message=Request for the permission of type 'System.Security.Permissions.SecurityPermission, mscorlib, Version=4.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089' failed.
       Source=mscorlib
       StackTrace:
            at System.Security.CodeAccessSecurityEngine.Check(Object demand, StackCrawlMark& stackMark, Boolean isPermSet)
            at System.Security.CodeAccessSecurityEngine.Check(CodeAccessPermission cap, StackCrawlMark& stackMark)
            at System.Security.CodeAccessPermission.Demand()
            at MS.Internal.SecurityHelper.DemandUnmanagedCode()
            at System.Windows.Window..ctor()
            at WPFClickOnceDeploySample.MainWindow..ctor()

And, here's the full StackTrace:

System.Reflection.TargetInvocationException was unhandled
  Message=Exception has been thrown by the target of an invocation.
  Source=mscorlib
  StackTrace:
       at System.RuntimeTypeHandle.CreateInstance(RuntimeType type, Boolean publicOnly, Boolean noCheck, Boolean& canBeCached, RuntimeMethodHandleInternal& ctor, Boolean& bNeedSecurityCheck)
       at System.RuntimeType.CreateInstanceSlow(Boolean publicOnly, Boolean skipCheckThis, Boolean fillCache)
       at System.RuntimeType.CreateInstanceDefaultCtor(Boolean publicOnly, Boolean skipVisibilityChecks, Boolean skipCheckThis, Boolean fillCache)
       at System.Activator.CreateInstance(Type type, Boolean nonPublic)
       at System.RuntimeType.CreateInstanceImpl(BindingFlags bindingAttr, Binder binder, Object[] args, CultureInfo culture, Object[] activationAttributes)
       at System.Activator.CreateInstance(Type type, BindingFlags bindingAttr, Binder binder, Object[] args, CultureInfo culture, Object[] activationAttributes)
       at System.Activator.CreateInstance(Type type, Object[] args)
       at CreateInstance(Type type, Object[] arguments)
       at System.Xaml.Schema.SafeReflectionInvoker.CreateInstance(Type type, Object[] arguments)
       at System.Xaml.Schema.XamlTypeInvoker.CreateInstance(Object[] arguments)
       at MS.Internal.Xaml.Runtime.ClrObjectRuntime.CreateInstanceWithCtor(XamlType xamlType, Object[] args)
       at MS.Internal.Xaml.Runtime.ClrObjectRuntime.CreateInstance(XamlType xamlType, Object[] args)
       at System.Xaml.XamlObjectWriter.Logic_CreateAndAssignToParentStart(ObjectWriterContext ctx)
       at System.Xaml.XamlObjectWriter.WriteStartMember(XamlMember property)
       at System.Xaml.XamlWriter.WriteNode(XamlReader reader)
       at System.Windows.Markup.WpfXamlLoader.TransformNodes(XamlReader xamlReader, XamlObjectWriter xamlWriter, Boolean onlyLoadOneNode, Boolean skipJournaledProperties, Boolean shouldPassLineNumberInfo, IXamlLineInfo xamlLineInfo, IXamlLineInfoConsumer xamlLineInfoConsumer, XamlContextStack``1 stack, IStyleConnector styleConnector)
       at System.Windows.Markup.WpfXamlLoader.Load(XamlReader xamlReader, IXamlObjectWriterFactory writerFactory, Boolean skipJournaledProperties, Object rootObject, XamlObjectWriterSettings settings, Uri baseUri)
       at System.Windows.Markup.WpfXamlLoader.LoadBaml(XamlReader xamlReader, Boolean skipJournaledProperties, Object rootObject, XamlAccessLevel accessLevel, Uri baseUri)
       at System.Windows.Markup.XamlReader.LoadBaml(Stream stream, ParserContext parserContext, Object parent, Boolean closeStream)
       at System.Windows.Application.LoadBamlStreamWithSyncInfo(Stream stream, ParserContext pc)
       at System.Windows.Application.LoadComponent(Uri resourceLocator, Boolean bSkipJournaledProperties)
       at System.Windows.Application.DoStartup()
       at System.Windows.Application.<.ctor>b__1(Object unused)
       at System.Windows.Threading.ExceptionWrapper.InternalRealCall(Delegate callback, Object args, Int32 numArgs)
       at MS.Internal.Threading.ExceptionFilterHelper.TryCatchWhen(Object source, Delegate method, Object args, Int32 numArgs, Delegate catchHandler)
       at System.Windows.Threading.DispatcherOperation.InvokeImpl()
       at System.Windows.Threading.DispatcherOperation.InvokeInSecurityContext(Object state)
       at System.Threading.ExecutionContext.runTryCode(Object userData)
       at System.Runtime.CompilerServices.RuntimeHelpers.ExecuteCodeWithGuaranteedCleanup(TryCode code, CleanupCode backoutCode, Object userData)
       at System.Threading.ExecutionContext.RunInternal(ExecutionContext executionContext, ContextCallback callback, Object state)
       at System.Threading.ExecutionContext.Run(ExecutionContext executionContext, ContextCallback callback, Object state, Boolean ignoreSyncCtx)
       at System.Threading.ExecutionContext.Run(ExecutionContext executionContext, ContextCallback callback, Object state)
       at System.Windows.Threading.DispatcherOperation.Invoke()
       at System.Windows.Threading.Dispatcher.ProcessQueue()
       at System.Windows.Threading.Dispatcher.WndProcHook(IntPtr hwnd, Int32 msg, IntPtr wParam, IntPtr lParam, Boolean& handled)
       at MS.Win32.HwndWrapper.WndProc(IntPtr hwnd, Int32 msg, IntPtr wParam, IntPtr lParam, Boolean& handled)
       at MS.Win32.HwndSubclass.DispatcherCallbackOperation(Object o)
       at System.Windows.Threading.ExceptionWrapper.InternalRealCall(Delegate callback, Object args, Int32 numArgs)
       at MS.Internal.Threading.ExceptionFilterHelper.TryCatchWhen(Object source, Delegate method, Object args, Int32 numArgs, Delegate catchHandler)
       at System.Windows.Threading.Dispatcher.InvokeImpl(DispatcherPriority priority, TimeSpan timeout, Delegate method, Object args, Int32 numArgs)
       at MS.Win32.HwndSubclass.SubclassWndProc(IntPtr hwnd, Int32 msg, IntPtr wParam, IntPtr lParam)
       at MS.Win32.UnsafeNativeMethods.DispatchMessage(MSG& msg)
       at System.Windows.Threading.Dispatcher.PushFrameImpl(DispatcherFrame frame)
       at System.Windows.Threading.Dispatcher.PushFrame(DispatcherFrame frame)
       at System.Windows.Application.RunDispatcher(Object ignore)
       at System.Windows.Application.RunInternal(Window window)
       at System.Windows.Application.Run(Window window)
       at System.Windows.Application.Run()
       at WPFClickOnceDeploySample.App.Main()
       at System.AppDomain._nExecuteAssembly(RuntimeAssembly assembly, String[] args)
       at System.AppDomain.nExecuteAssembly(RuntimeAssembly assembly, String[] args)
       at System.Runtime.Hosting.ManifestRunner.Run(Boolean checkAptModel)
       at System.Runtime.Hosting.ManifestRunner.ExecuteAsAssembly()
       at System.Runtime.Hosting.ApplicationActivator.CreateInstance(ActivationContext activationContext, String[] activationCustomData)
       at System.Runtime.Hosting.ApplicationActivator.CreateInstance(ActivationContext activationContext)
       at System.Activator.CreateInstance(ActivationContext activationContext)
       at Microsoft.VisualStudio.HostingProcess.HostProc.RunUsersAssemblyDebugInZone()
       at System.Threading.ThreadHelper.ThreadStart_Context(Object state)
       at System.Threading.ExecutionContext.runTryCode(Object userData)
       at System.Runtime.CompilerServices.RuntimeHelpers.ExecuteCodeWithGuaranteedCleanup(TryCode code, CleanupCode backoutCode, Object userData)
       at System.Threading.ExecutionContext.RunInternal(ExecutionContext executionContext, ContextCallback callback, Object state)
       at System.Threading.ExecutionContext.Run(ExecutionContext executionContext, ContextCallback callback, Object state, Boolean ignoreSyncCtx)
       at System.Threading.ExecutionContext.Run(ExecutionContext executionContext, ContextCallback callback, Object state)
       at System.Threading.ThreadHelper.ThreadStart()
  InnerException: System.Security.SecurityException
       Message=Request for the permission of type 'System.Security.Permissions.SecurityPermission, mscorlib, Version=4.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089' failed.
       Source=mscorlib
       StackTrace:
            at System.Security.CodeAccessSecurityEngine.Check(Object demand, StackCrawlMark& stackMark, Boolean isPermSet)
            at System.Security.CodeAccessSecurityEngine.Check(CodeAccessPermission cap, StackCrawlMark& stackMark)
            at System.Security.CodeAccessPermission.Demand()
            at MS.Internal.SecurityHelper.DemandUnmanagedCode()
            at System.Windows.Window..ctor()
            at WPFClickOnceDeploySample.MainWindow..ctor()
       InnerException:

I work now for a big company now and ClickOnce deployment is not used there. Windows8 applications will make ClickOnce obsolete? Well well, MS is sometimes changing strategy like underwear. — yonexbat, Feb 23 '13 at 16:16
@yonexbat I don't see how Windows8 is making ClickOnce obselete, Windows8 store is totally different then ClickOnce... — Jordy van Eijk, May 18 '16 at 11:18

WPF ClickOnce and partial trust problem

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