Encrypt a custom section in app/web.config file

Question

I need to encrypt/decrypt custom sections in app.config as well as web.config file. I read that aspnet_regiis can be used for web.config, but i need to do this programatically.

After opening the mappedExeConfiguration, i specify a section as follows:

ConfigurationSection connStrings = config.AppSettings;

to encrypt/decrypt the AppSettings section.

How do i specify the name of the custom section? When i type the name of my custom section after the configurationSection object, intelli-sense does not recognize it. (It only recognizes a few well known sections)

P.S. In my function, i need to take the custom section name as a string parameter.

Example:

e.g.

<Configuration>
   <MyCustomTag> 
       <... data /> 
   </MyCustomTag> 
 </Configuration>

where MyCustomTag is the section i need to encrypt/decrypt.

Answer 1

I achieved this by using code I found at http://www.a2zmenu.com/Blogs/CSharp/How-to-encrypt-configuration-file.aspx

I'd paste my code in, but basically it is pretty much identical to the code on that web page, except for changing the application names.

Edit: for a custom section, I'm not sure as I did not need to use it, but you could explore what the config object gives you in the following line.

Configuration config = ConfigurationManager.OpenExeConfiguration(GetAppPath() + "MyAppName.exe");

Here is my entire UpdateKey() method, which I now realise I adapted a bit from the web page. Maybe it helps.

public static void UpdateKey(string key, string newValue) 
{
    Configuration config = ConfigurationManager.OpenExeConfiguration(GetAppPath() + "MyAppName.exe");
    config.AppSettings.Settings[key].Value = newValue;
    config.Save();
} 

Then after I have saved my key(s), I call

EncryptAppSettings("appSettings");

and perhaps you can adapt the param value to suit there too.

Answer 2

From CommandPromt of VS 2010 call a command for encrypt:

%windir%\Microsoft.NET\Framework64\v4.0.30319\aspnet_regiis  -pef "connectionStrings" "YOUR_PROJECT_NAME" -prov "DataProtectionConfigurationProvider"

Decrypt:

%windir%\Microsoft.NET\Framework64\v4.0.30319\aspnet_regiis  -pdf "connectionStrings" "YOUR_PROJECT_NAME"