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

Answer 1

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.

         

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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: