[THIN] Re: Microsoft Standard User Analyzer

  • From: "Joe Shonk" <joe.shonk@xxxxxxxxx>
  • To: <thin@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • Date: Mon, 18 Dec 2006 07:05:13 -0700

Looks like a great tool.  Is there a link for anyone who wants to download
it?

 

Joe

 

  _____  

From: thin-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:thin-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf
Of Rick Mack
Sent: Sunday, December 17, 2006 1:36 PM
To: thin@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [THIN] Microsoft Standard User Analyzer

 

Hi People,

 

Microsoft have released a new application deployment tool that is going to
make life hugely easier in terms of getting difficult applications ported to
terminal services. 

 

To quote Microsoft:

The Standard User Analyzer helps developers and IT professionals diagnose
issues that would prevent a program from running properly without
administrator privileges. On Windows Vista, even administrators run most
programs with standard user privileges by default, so it is important to
ensure that your application does not have administrator access as a
dependency. 

Using the Standard User Analyzer to test your application can identify the
following administrator dependencies and return the results in a graphical
interface:

Details of functions provided: 

 


Tab

Details


File

Lists file system access issues. 

For example, an application attempting to write to a file that normally only
administrators can access.

 


Registry

Lists system registry access issues. 

For example, an application attempting to write to a registry key under
HKLM, which is a location that normally only administrators can access.

 


INI

Lists WriteProfile APIs issues. 

WriteProfile APIs were originally used for 16-bit Windows but are still
popular some modern applications. 

One example is the Calculator in Windows XP. If the view is changed from
"Standard" to "Scientific", calc.exe calls WriteProfile API to write into
windows\win.ini, which is only writable by administrator users. 

 


Token

Lists access token checking issues. 

If an application explicitly checks for the "Builtin\Administrators"
security identifier (SID) in a user's access token, the application most
likely will not work for a standard user.

 


Privilege

Lists privilege issues. 

For example, if an application explicitly enables "SeDebugPrivilege", it
will not work for a standard user.

 


Name Space

Lists issues that are caused when an application creates system objects
(e.g. events, memory mappings) in restricted namespace. Applications that
have this error will not work for a standard user.

 


Other Objects

Lists issues related to accessing objects other than files and registry
keys. 

 


Process

Lists issues related to process elevation. 

On Vista, if an application uses CreateProcess API to launch executables
that require elevation, the application will not work for a standard user.

 

 

This basically extends the LUA Analyzer so that you can see any activity by
the application that requires increased privileges on the users part. 

 

No more privilege auditting and messing around with the registry and file
monitors plus you'll get an idea whether vitualiztion will be able to "fix"
things.

 

If only we could have had this tool a few years ago.

 

regards,

 

Rick

-- 
Ulrich Mack
Commander Australia

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