Exceptions when debugging with IIS Express in User Mode

Question

User1331021659 posted

This problem is related to Visual Studio debugging with IIS Express

My understanding is that IIS Express is designed to allow users to debug without elevating your permissions, however whenever I try to use IIS Express to do this, and have exception handling enabled, I get several security exceptions.  These exceptions do not prevent the web server from running if I do not enable exception debugging, but they are highly annoying when I want to debug.

Is there anything I can do about them?

The first is an Access Check in C:\Windows\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v4.0.30319\Temporary ASP.NET Files

The file has the name ~AspAccessCheck_randomstring

I can work around this by giving normal users full rights to this folder, however after that I get a Registry Security Exception.  The call stack looks like this:

>	mscorlib.dll!System.ThrowHelper.ThrowSecurityException(System.ExceptionResource resource) + 0x35 bytes	
 	mscorlib.dll!Microsoft.Win32.RegistryKey.OpenSubKey(string name, bool writable) + 0x131 bytes	
 	mscorlib.dll!Microsoft.Win32.RegistryKey.OpenSubKey(string name) + 0x7 bytes	
 	System.Web.dll!System.Web.Util.Misc.OpenAspNetRegKey(string subKey) + 0xa9 bytes	
 	System.Web.dll!System.Web.Util.Misc.GetAspNetRegValue(string subKey, string valueName = null, object defaultValue = null) + 0x25 bytes	
 	System.Web.dll!System.Web.Compilation.CompilationMutex.CompilationMutex(string name = "CLa09782a8", string comment = "CompilationLock for /") + 0x1e bytes	
 	System.Web.dll!System.Web.Compilation.CompilationLock.CompilationLock() + 0xff bytes	
 	[Native to Managed Transition]	
 	[Managed to Native Transition]	
 	System.Web.dll!System.Web.Compilation.CompilationLock.GetLock(ref bool gotLock = false) + 0x21 bytes	
 	System.Web.dll!System.Web.Compilation.BuildManager.CheckTopLevelFilesUpToDate(System.Web.Compilation.StandardDiskBuildResultCache diskCache = {System.Web.Compilation.StandardDiskBuildResultCache}) + 0x2f bytes	
 	System.Web.dll!System.Web.Compilation.BuildManager.RegularAppRuntimeModeInitialize() + 0xaf bytes	
 	System.Web.dll!System.Web.Compilation.BuildManager.Initialize() + 0x106 bytes	
 	System.Web.dll!System.Web.Compilation.BuildManager.InitializeBuildManager() + 0xb8 bytes	
 	System.Web.dll!System.Web.HttpRuntime.HostingInit(System.Web.Hosting.HostingEnvironmentFlags hostingFlags = Default, System.Security.Policy.PolicyLevel policyLevel, System.Exception appDomainCreationException) + 0x213 bytes	
 	System.Web.dll!System.Web.HttpRuntime.InitializeHostingFeatures(System.Web.Hosting.HostingEnvironmentFlags hostingFlags, System.Security.Policy.PolicyLevel policyLevel, System.Exception appDomainCreationException) + 0x3c bytes	
 	System.Web.dll!System.Web.Hosting.HostingEnvironment.Initialize(System.Web.Hosting.ApplicationManager appManager, System.Web.Hosting.IApplicationHost appHost, System.Web.Configuration.IConfigMapPathFactory configMapPathFactory, System.Web.Hosting.HostingEnvironmentParameters hostingParameters, System.Security.Policy.PolicyLevel policyLevel, System.Exception appDomainCreationException) + 0x27a bytes	
 	System.Web.dll!System.Web.Hosting.HostingEnvironment.Initialize(System.Web.Hosting.ApplicationManager appManager, System.Web.Hosting.IApplicationHost appHost, System.Web.Configuration.IConfigMapPathFactory configMapPathFactory, System.Web.Hosting.HostingEnvironmentParameters hostingParameters, System.Security.Policy.PolicyLevel policyLevel) + 0x1d bytes	
 	[Appdomain Transition]	
 	System.Web.dll!System.Web.Hosting.ApplicationManager.CreateAppDomainWithHostingEnvironment(string appId, System.Web.Hosting.IApplicationHost appHost, System.Web.Hosting.HostingEnvironmentParameters hostingParameters) + 0x1278 bytes	
 	System.Web.dll!System.Web.Hosting.ApplicationManager.CreateAppDomainWithHostingEnvironmentAndReportErrors(string appId = "/LM/W3SVC/24/ROOT", System.Web.Hosting.IApplicationHost appHost, System.Web.Hosting.HostingEnvironmentParameters hostingParameters) + 0x2f bytes	
 	System.Web.dll!System.Web.Hosting.ApplicationManager.GetAppDomainWithHostingEnvironment(string appId, System.Web.Hosting.IApplicationHost appHost, System.Web.Hosting.HostingEnvironmentParameters hostingParameters) + 0x67 bytes	
 	System.Web.dll!System.Web.Hosting.ApplicationManager.CreateObjectInternal(string appId, System.Type type = {Name = "PipelineRuntime" FullName = "System.Web.Hosting.PipelineRuntime"}, System.Web.Hosting.IApplicationHost appHost, bool failIfExists = true, System.Web.Hosting.HostingEnvironmentParameters hostingParameters) + 0x4d bytes	
 	System.Web.dll!System.Web.Hosting.ProcessHost.StartApplication(string appId = "/LM/W3SVC/24/ROOT", string appPath, out object runtimeInterface = null) + 0x189 bytes	

Answer 1

User-782232518 posted

That folder is the one used by ASP.NET runtime to store site binaries for ASP.NET web site projects (which are too old and too special), which should be ACLed to restrict access. IIS application pool identities should have the permissions by default, while IIS Express runs under your account, which might not have the necessary permissions.

Thus, on a development machine you can safely change the settings to allow your account's access and avoid this exception.

In another word, IIS Express was designed primarily for new ASP.NET project types (web applications and so on). So it is expected that for web site projects, certain tunings are needed manually.