We Keep Coding

Cannot get LDAP connection working - always "Unknown error"

I'm researching what I need to build an Active Directory search tool which ultimately will be used in a C# ASP.NET web app.
I know very little about AD (and don't particularly want to know any more than necessary) so I've asked our tech ops to set up a dummy instance on a server. This they've done giving it the domain dummy.local
I now need to work out my LDAP connection string. Here I'm completely stuck. I'm using a user account which is a member of Domain Admins. After loads of hunting round the web I've tried all sorts of things to work out the various components of the LDAP connection string. For example, if I run the following in cmd.exe for that domain admin user on the server...
dsquery user -samid "username" | dsget user -memberof -expand
...this gives me the following information:
"CN=Domain Admins,CN=Users,DC=dummy,DC=local"
"CN=Remote Desktop Users,CN=Builtin,DC=dummy,DC=local"
"CN=Users,CN=Builtin,DC=dummy,DC=local"
"CN=Administrators,CN=Builtin,DC=dummy,DC=local"
"CN=Domain Users,CN=Users,DC=dummy,DC=local"
"CN=Denied RODC Password Replication Group,CN=Users,DC=dummy,DC=local"
I've also run the following in a C# console app...
using (var context = new PrincipalContext(ContextType.Domain))
using (var comp = ComputerPrincipal.FindByIdentity(context, Environment.MachineName))
{
Console.WriteLine(String.Join(",", comp.DistinguishedName.Split(',').SkipWhile(s => !s.StartsWith("OU=")).ToArray()));
}
...and this gives me the following:
OU=Domain Controllers,DC=dummy,DC=local
I thought I therefore had all the properties I needed to build my LDAP connection string. I ended up with this:
LDAP://COMSECWEBDEV.dummy.local/ou=Domain Controllers,/cn=Domain Admins,/cn=Users,/dc=dummy,/dc=local
I've tried using this connection string, with the username and password of the domain admin which I know is correct, but everything I try always gives me the same error:
System.Runtime.InteropServices.COMException (0x80005000): Unknown error (0x80005000)
at System.DirectoryServices.DirectoryEntry.Bind(Boolean throwIfFail)
at System.DirectoryServices.DirectoryEntry.Bind()
at System.DirectoryServices.DirectoryEntry.get_AdsObject()
at System.DirectoryServices.DirectorySearcher.FindAll(Boolean findMoreThanOne)
at System.DirectoryServices.DirectorySearcher.FindOne()
Since this error gives me no detail I have no idea what I'm doing wrong. I'm sure I'm just not getting the connection string right, but I've no idea how to work out the correct string.
For completeness, here is the console code which I'm testing with:
static void Main(string[] args)
{
var connString = ConfigurationSettings.AppSettings["lc"];
var username = ConfigurationSettings.AppSettings["lu"];
var password = ConfigurationSettings.AppSettings["lpw"];
using (DirectoryEntry de = new DirectoryEntry(connString, username, password))
{
DirectorySearcher search = new DirectorySearcher(de);
search.PageSize = 1001;// To Pull up more than 100 records.
DirectorySearcher directorySearcher = new DirectorySearcher(de);
directorySearcher.Filter = string.Format("(&(objectClass=user)(objectCategory=user) (sAMAccountName={0}))", username);
directorySearcher.PropertiesToLoad.Add("msRTCSIP-PrimaryUserAddress");
try
{
var result = directorySearcher.FindOne();
var found = false;
if (result != null)
{
if (result.Properties["msRTCSIP-PrimaryUserAddress"] != null)
{
found = true;
Console.WriteLine("Found: " + result.Properties["msRTCSIP-PrimaryUserAddress"][0]);
}
}
if (!found)
{
Console.WriteLine("Sad face");
}
}
catch (Exception x)
{
Console.WriteLine(x.Message);
}
Console.WriteLine("------------");
}
}

I was trying to figure out how to properly format a LDAP connection string last week, and found this entry over on serverfault:
How can I figure out my LDAP connection string?
I noticed you had a "/" between each OU or DC entry - I didn't include those in mine, and I don't see them included in the above example either.
I'm far from an expert (obviously) but just figured I would throw it out there.

Check Password Reset on Active Directory Server

I need to reset windows password of any user through my .Net application. I am using the user's username to get its Directory Entry from AD server. I got these two different methods for changing password :
entry.Invoke("ChangePassword", oldPass, newPass);
&
entry.Invoke("SetPassword", "pass#123");
But I am getting the following error when am trying these methods on live AD server :
Access is denied. (Exception from HRESULT: 0x80070005 (E_ACCESSDENIED))
I have 2 AD servers. One of them is live and another is for testing purpose. I just want to check if my code is working or not. Since, access is denied on live server I can not change and check later my own password through code.
And if I am using the test AD server to change password, I don't know how to check whether the pasword is changed or not.
Kindly give any suggestions to check if my code is working properly or not.
Thanks in advance.

I think you're not getting a proper context setup before you call the invoke. Here's what I use for something similar. You'll need to set your own variables:
I'm using System.DirectoryServices.AccountManagement to get the functions.
//Domain related info
string _DCToUse = "myserver.domain.local";
string _ADConDomain = "DC=domain,DC=local";
string _AdDomain = "domain";
string _ADAdminUser = "administrator";
string _ADAdminPass = "password";
//User specific
string _UserName = "jsmith";
string _CurrentPass = "oldPass";
string _NewPass = "newPass";
PrincipalContext principalContext =
new PrincipalContext(ContextType.Domain, _DCToUse,
_ADConDomain, _ADDomain+#"\"+_ADAdminUser, _ADAdminPass);
UserPrincipal user = UserPrincipal.FindByIdentity(principalContext, _UserName);
if (user == null)
{
string ADErrorMsg = "Couldn't find user, check your spelling.";
return Changed;
}
user.ChangePassword(oldPass, newPass);
user.Save();

to retrieve windows login-password via asp.net

public Object IsAuthenticated()
{
String domainAndUsername = strDomain + "\\" + strUser;
***DirectoryEntry entry = new DirectoryEntry(_path, domainAndUsername, strPass);***
SearchResult result;
try
{
//Bind to the native AdsObject to force authentication.
DirectorySearcher search = new DirectorySearcher(entry) { Filter = ("(SAMAccountName=" + strUser + ")") };
search.PropertiesToLoad.Add("givenName"); // First Name
search.PropertiesToLoad.Add("sn"); // Last Name
search.PropertiesToLoad.Add("cn"); // Last Name
result = search.FindOne();
if (null == result)
{
return null;
}
//Update the new path to the user in the directory.
_path = result.Path;
_filterAttribute = (String)result.Properties["cn"][0];
}
catch (Exception ex)
{
return new Exception("Error authenticating user. " + ex.Message);
}
return user;
}
In the above code segment, is there a way to retrieve the user's Windows login password so that the LDAP authentication works without asking the user his password another time?
Can the value for "strPass",that is being passed when DirectoryEntry object is being created, be retrieved by any way?

The password does not exist anywhere. It would be a big security hole if it did.
Also, BTW, get rid of the try/catch block. It's doing nothing but hiding the reason for the exception.

Use the ActiveDirectoryMemebershipProvider - You can authenticate without writing code, thus eliminating the login scenario you currently have.

You could set up Windows Authentication in your ASP.NET app.
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ff647405.aspx
Once you set this up, only authenticated users have access to the protected parts of your site.
This gives you access some key bits of information.
For example:
System.Web.HttpContext.Current.User.Identity.Name - gives the name (domain\username) of an authenticated user.
System.Web.HttpContext.Current.User.IsInRole("role_name_here") - will tell you if the authenticated user is in a given role.
Authentication can be tricky to do for the first time - please do not ask a user for their windows password - this is a security risk - allow IIS and the .NET framework take care of this for you. The article above may be a bit long and seem a bit complicated but it has a lot of good information in it.

Adding User to AD Security Group fails after user creation

I am using a WCF service to expose certain Active Directory management functions to our help desk staff without giving them the group membership required to manipulate AD directly. Adding users to and removing users from groups is working like a champ with existing users, but every time I create a new user it throws back this fun code:
The server is unwilling to process the request. (Exception from HRESULT: 0x80072035)
The code I use to add the user to the group is
public bool AddGroupToUser(string userDn, string groupDn)
{
try
{
DirectoryEntry groupEntry = LdapTools.GetDirectoryEntry(groupDn);
groupEntry.Properties["member"].Add(userDn);
groupEntry.CommitChanges();
groupEntry.Close();
return true;
}
catch (DirectoryServicesCOMException)
{
return false;
}
}
Everything I've read on the subject is rather vague and I can't seem to find out WHY the exception is being triggered. Any ideas?
UPDATE
This is the code I use to create the user in AD:
try
{
DirectoryEntry container = GetDirectoryEntry(storageOu);
DirectoryEntry newUser = container.Children.Add("CN=" + employee.FullName, "user");
newUser.Properties["sAMAccountName"].Value = employee.Username;
newUser.Properties["displayName"].Value = employee.FullName;
newUser.Properties["givenName"].Value = employee.FirstName;
newUser.Properties["sn"].Value = employee.LastName;
newUser.Properties["department"].Value = departmentName;
newUser.Properties["userPrincipalName"].Value = employee.Username + "#APEX.Local";
newUser.CommitChanges();
newUser.Invoke("SetPassword", new object[] { employee.Password });
newUser.CommitChanges();
AdsUserFlags userSettings = AdsUserFlags.NormalAccount;
newUser.Properties["userAccountControl"].Value = userSettings;
newUser.CommitChanges();
ldapPath = newUser.Path;
newUser.Close();
container.Close();
}
catch (DirectoryServicesCOMException e)
{
// Something went wrong... what???
}
catch (Exception e)
{
// Something else went wrong
}
The new user can login, and can be manipulated using the standard MS tools.

Apparently, unless I'm missing an important step here, the issue is time. When forcing the system to sleep for 8 seconds before attempting to add groups to the new user the process works. If I do it any sooner than the 8 second mark it fails.
I'm marking this answer as correct unless anybody can provide me a better solution.

Try:
public bool AddUserToGroup(string userName, string groupName)
{
bool done = false;
GroupPrincipal group = GroupPrincipal.FindByIdentity(context, groupName);
if (group == null)
{
group = new GroupPrincipal(context, groupName);
}
UserPrincipal user = UserPrincipal.FindByIdentity(context, userName);
if (user != null & group != null)
{
group.Members.Add(user);
group.Save();
done = (user.IsMemberOf(group));
}
return done;
}
Reference:
http://www.c-sharpcorner.com/UploadFile/dhananjaycoder/activedirectoryoperations11132009113015AM/activedirectoryoperations.aspx

As it mentioned in here, can you tell us that you set the password of the newly created users? In the reference, it says that you should SetPassword of the user before doing anything with it.

Time issue could occur from a Active Directory replication issue.
Once, I gave a product to my customer which creates user over Active Directory, which has over 10.000 records in it, with the given informations on a SharePoint form and then program adds the user to a SharePoint group. The problem was, SharePoint throws an error about the newly created user, it says user does not exist in AD.
So, one of out system engineer told us about the replication opearation on the Active Directory that it could be the source of the problem and it was true.
For the solution, program tries to do the job for 10 times with 1 second sleeps. No problem occurred so far. So as a solution, I would suggest you to check out the AD for the existence of replication method.
P.S: When I asked questions to my customers system engineers about the replication operation, they all rejected the existence of AD replication operation and told me that the program has the problem. They believed me when we created a new user in AD from a computer, we couldn't see the user for 5 seconds on an another computer.

Authenticating an ADAM user against ADAM from C# - cannot bind

I have set up an ADAM instance and added some test users. From c# I can bind to ADAM using a windows account but I cannot bind using one of the ADAM users. (I can successfully bind the adam users in ldp) & I have made sure the users are enabled by setting msDS-UserAccountDisabled attribute to false.
When I bind with my windows account I can successfully search & bring back properties for ADAM users but I am still struggling to authenticate them, when I try and bind with an ADAM user account I get the error :
Error: System.Runtime.InteropServices.COMException (0x8007052E): Logon failure: unknown user name or bad password. at System.DirectoryServices.DirectoryEntry.Bind(Boolean throwIfFail)
Here is the code I am using:
string userName = txtUserName.Text;
string password = txtPassword.Text;
string ADConnectionString = "LDAP://localhost:389/CN=sandbox,DC=ITOrg";
DirectoryEntry entry = new DirectoryEntry(ADConnectionString);
entry.Username = "myComputer\\Administrator";
entry.Password = "myPassword";
try
{
DirectorySearcher searcher = new DirectorySearcher(entry);
searcher.Filter = "(&(objectClass=user)(CN=" + userName + "))";
SearchResultCollection result = searcher.FindAll();
if (result.Count > 0)
{
//bind with simple bind
using (DirectoryEntry de = new DirectoryEntry(result[0].Path, userName, password,AuthenticationTypes.None))
{
if (de.Guid != null) // this is the line where it dies
{
Label1.Text = "Successfully authenticated";
Label2.Text = result[0].Properties["displayName"][0].ToString();
Label3.Text = result[0].Properties["telephoneNumber"][0].ToString();
} else
{
Lable1.Text = "Unable to Authenticate";
}
}
}
else
{
Lable1.Text = "UserName :" + userName + " not found";
}
} catch(Exception ex)
{
Label1.Text = "Error searching: " + ex.ToString();
}
Thanks in advance for any help, much appreciated!

It is probably a username format problem. When authenticating an ADAM user in SDS, you must use LDAP simple bind and use a name format supported by ADAM. ADAM technically allows you to use Digest auth as well, but that is not available in SDS (only SDS.Protocols), so that doesn't apply to your code approach.
You ARE using simple bind because you have AuthenticationTypes.None set so that part is ok. The part that is likely wrong then is the username format.
ADAM accepts the user's full DN, their displayName (if set and unique) and/or the userPrincipalName (if set and unique) as a "bindable" username, so start with the full DN of the user and seee if that works. If so, you can try the other user name values as well. Note that you can put whatever you want for displayName or userPrincipalName in ADAM. There is no validation. Just make sure the values are unique.
If you really want to do some type of bind authentication thing against ADAM, you'll get better perf and scale by using the ValidateCredentials method of PrincipalContext in .NET 3.5.
This kind of stuff is documented and discussed in the forums over at http://www.directoryprogramming.net all the time and is a place I frequent much more often since it is my site. :) A friend tipped me off to this post or I would have never seen it.