Authorize a directory for anonymous users IIS 7.5? - asp.net

I'm trying to add a directory for anon access in IIS 7.5. It works under Web Dev but not IIS 7.5
I'm currently using this web.config in the directory. This is a directory with style sheets:
<?xml version="1.0"?>
<!--
Note: As an alternative to hand editing this file you can use the
web admin tool to configure settings for your application. Use
the Website->Asp.Net Configuration option in Visual Studio.
A full list of settings and comments can be found in
machine.config.comments usually located in
\Windows\Microsoft.Net\Framework\v2.x\Config
-->
<configuration>
<appSettings/>
<connectionStrings/>
<system.web>
<authorization>
<allow users="*" />
</authorization>
</system.web>
</configuration>
Update:
I've went to the folder and under Authentication, I've changed anonymous authentication from IIS_USR to pool. This seems to have correct it.
I will reward anyone who provides a very good explanation and resources for understanding this setting. Also, how to apply it globally would be good to know -- for all folders.

Since you answered your own question, here is the explanation that might help
Authorization deals with who IIS will offer resources to. Those resources, however, have their own security as they are just files on a file system.
The Authentication element in the config assists in determining how IIS will identify a user's requests after its accepted and as it accesses resources beyond/external to IIS.
This is set at the site level, typically in the applicationHost.config file for your server. It can, if properly setup, be overridden at the site level.
IIS.net pages about this:
http://www.iis.net/ConfigReference/system.webServer/security/authorization/add
http://www.iis.net/ConfigReference/system.webServer/security/authentication/anonymousAuthentication
The .config version of what you did in the UI is:
<location path="/yourSite">
<system.webServer>
<security>
<authentication>
<anonymousAuthentication enabled="true" username="" />
</authentication>
</security>
</system.webServer>
</location>
On the anon. auth method, the username field is who IIS will impersonate when resources are accessed. When you don't specify one, it defaults to use the identity of the apppool.
Now, as to why this mattered ... check the actual file on disk (the .css). If this fixed the problem that would mean IUSR doesn't have access to read that file.

You don't have a location defined for your authorization. You also don't specify what sort of authentication you're using within the web.config (if any).
<location path="/">
<system.web>
<authorization>
<allow users="*"/>
</authorization>
</system.web>
</location>

Related

Restrict downloads to authenticated users - IIS, Asp.NET MVC

I have two virtual directories under my site in IIS 7.5.
Unauthenticated users should not be allowed to access these files.
We are using ASP.NET Identity for authentication for the site if this has any bearing on the answer.
A lot of answers/googling seem to point towards using forms authentication in web.config, but As far as i know, ASP.NET Identity doesn't use this.
How would i go about doing this?
EDIT:
Some more info. These two virtual directories are set up in IIS with a specific user in the Physical Path Credentials.
In your virtual directory, you need create a web.config file with this content:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>
<configuration>
<system.web>
<authorization>
<deny users="?"/>
</authorization>
</system.web >
<appSettings>
</appSettings>
</configuration>

Web.config: Allow all users on given path at machine level

I have successfully setup Elmah at machine level in order to have error logging for all web applications. Now I want to add the RSS feed of each application to Outlook. Problem is applications are secured and won't allow Outlook to access RSS feed (at my.web.application.com/elmah.axd/rss). Since I can't ask Outlook to login in the app, I figured I'd give access to anybody to the elmah path and restrict by IP address (actually restricting to our local network), with the following config:
<location path="elmah.axd">
<system.web>
<authorization>
<allow users="*" />
</authorization>
</system.web>
<system.webServer>
<security>
<ipSecurity allowUnlisted="false">
<clear/>
<add ipAddress="127.0.0.1" allowed="true" />
<add ipAddress="10.0.0.0" allowed="true" subnetMask="255.255.255.0" />
</ipSecurity>
</security>
</system.webServer>
</location>
This actually works when put in the application's Web.config: I have access to the elmah.axd page without logging in. Perfect. Now I wanted to do this at machine level so every application behaves the same. So I put it at the same places I put the Elmah config, that is:
C:\Windows\Microsoft.NET\Framework64\v4.0.30319\Config\web.config
C:\Windows\Microsoft.NET\Framework64\v2.0.50727\CONFIG\web.config
C:\Windows\System32\inetsrv\config\applicationHost.config (IIS config)
Although putting the config there made Elmah respond on every web application, it doesn't work with that security config: the applications still ask to login... What need I do to make it work at machine level ?
Would it be that in machine level web.config the path is not relative to the applications ? but then how can I make it work ? (I also tried ~/elmah.axd without success...)
Check for overrides in each application's configuration.
The local configuration settings override settings in parent
configuration files.
Source: https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms178685%28v=vs.140%29.aspx

Unauthenticated Users Can't See Images In Virtual Directory Using IIS 7.5

I have a website that is hosted on my local machine for development. I have a virtual directory named "content" that contains the images for my website (mapped to the physical path "C:\Content" in IIS). The problem is that when a user is not logged into my website, the images don't show up. I've tried putting a web.config file in the content folder using this
<?xml version="1.0"?>
<configuration>
<system.web>
<authorization>
<allow users="*" />
</authorization>
</system.web>
</configuration>
but that doesn't work. I've also tried adding this to my website's web.config file
<location path="Content">
<system.web>
<authorization>
<allow users="*" />
</authorization>
</system.web>
</location>
but that's not working either. Any suggestions?
The <system.web><authorization> element only refers to content handled by the ASP.NET runtime, not IIS itself (which is <system.webServer> and has a totally different schema). However the Cassini/dev server in VS does use <system.web><authorization> for all resources because ASP.NET handles every request under Cassini.
Check your IIS Authentication rules, as well as your NTFS ACLs. Ensure that Anonymous Authentication is enabled and the correct user identity is set. You can do this in IIS Manager.

Authorization settings for a folder in ASP.NET

I have an asp.net web site, I want restrict all users to access a folder named "log" and I have this element in web.config:
<location path="log">
<system.web>
<authorization>
<deny users="*"/>
</authorization>
</system.web>
</location>
and this element before it in system.web:
<authorization>
<allow users="*"/>
</authorization>
but still I have access to this url: http://www.mydomain.com/log/log.txt
Any ideas?
Thanks.
.txt files are not handled by ASP.NET by default. You'll have to block access to the folder from within IIS.
If you're using IIS 7 you can use Request Filtering to achieve this.
to avoid this confusions I usually create one web.config file at the directories i need to set different permissions.
If you place a web.config file inside your log folder it will work ok (and it will become easier to check the applied permissions at the folder)
Example:
<?xml version="1.0"?>
<configuration xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/.NetConfiguration/v2.0">
<system.web>
<authorization>
<deny users="*"/>
</authorization>
</system.web>
</configuration>
I typed up a summary since many were facing the same situation regarding subfolder authentication.
Subfolder Authorization
ASP.NET can only have a single
authentication mode for one
application.
The different
applications CANNOT share resource
among them.
Scenario
Let's say the home page should not prompt login dialog. It should let users pass through without whatever login is. However, in the same applicatiopn, in a different folder presumably, another page needs to check user permission against database table using user network login ID. By default IE treats all web site with only hostname a Intranet. By its default intranet setting, it will not prompt the login dialog and pass user login and password to the application if Windows Authentication is used. However, the tricky party is, if the application has an actual domain, IE will think it is an Internet site, and it will prompt the login and password if Windows Authentication is used.
The only way to not to promopt login dialog for Internet site using Windows Authentication, is to also turn on the anonymous authentication in IIS. However, you will lose the ability to capture the login info because the Anonymous has precedence over the Windows Authentication. The good news is there is a way to resolve that issue. If an application subfolder needs to capture the login information, you will need to overwrite the parent authorization in Location element in web.config.
1 In IIS, configure Authentication as follows:
Enable Anonymous Authentication,
Enable Windows Authentication
2 Add the followings in Web.Config.
<authentication mode="Windows" />
<authorization>
<allow users="*" />
</authorization>
<!-- secured is the relative subfolder name. deny anonymous user, so only the authenticated login will pass through -->
<location path="secured" allowOverride="true">
<system.web>
<authorization>
<deny users="?" />
</authorization>
</system.web>
</location>

ASP.NET Web Service inside Forms Authentication Application

I have an existing ASP.NET application that implements Forms Authentication site-wide. The application is deployed in multiple instances (e.g., customer1, customer2, test, dev, etc...), with a separate database per instance. SSL is in play. Instance configuration is via an XML config file.
I have a new requirement to allow upload/download of certain data, which I would like to implement as a public web service.
My initial thought here was to selectively disable forms authentication for a subdirectory of the application (e.g., ~/Services), and then do authentication via a SOAP header or similar.
However, I'm not finding a way to selectively disable forms auth.
Question: Is there a way to do this? I've tried the <location> tag in web config to no avail.
If not, what are your recommendations for how to set this up? I can think of the following options:
1) Create a new "Services" project in my solution, and then configure a separate IIS ASP.NET application on that directory in each instance. (Pro: easy access to instance configuration, which may be needed in the future. Con: configuration burden for each relevant instance).
2) Create a separate "Services" solution that references needed assemblies from the application solution and host it as a separate ASP.NET application. Then, lookup the db connection string based on the UserName provided in SOAP Header. (Pro: single app to configure in IIS. Con: No easy access to instance config.)
3) ??
Clarification: I did see the answer here: Override ASP.NET forms authentication for a single page, but the use of a location tag is not helping (requests for the web service are still redirected). The relevant sections in my web.config look like this:
<system.web>
<authentication mode="Forms">
<forms loginUrl="Login.aspx"/>
</authentication>
<authorization>
<deny users="?"/>
<allow users="*"/>
</authorization>
</system.web>
<location path="~/Services/MyService.asmx">
<system.web>
<authentication mode="None" />
<authorization>
<allow users="*" />
</authorization>
</system.web>
</location>
I would think the location tag would work, where you specify the services folder and allow all users, something like:
<location path="services">
<system.web>
<authorization>
<allow users="*"/>
</authorization>
</system.web>
</location>
But you said that didn't work, have you tried putting a web.config file in the services folder and disabling forms authentication and allowing all users in that file?
You could also have a (overriding) web.config file in the services folder with the access control set to anonymous.
what worked for me was to allow users all users access in the folder where my webservices is located.
Firstly i added a configuration file in that folder and inserted the code below to allow all users.
<authorization>
<allow users="*"/>
</authorization>
</system.web>

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