System.Security.SecurityException when writing to

Question

I’m working on trying to port an ASP.NET app from Server 2003 (and IIS6) to Server 2008 (IIS7).

When I try and visit the page on the browser I get this:

Server Error in ‘/’ Application.

Security Exception

Description: The application attempted to perform an operation not allowed by the security policy. To grant this application the required permission please contact your system administrator or change the application’s trust level in the configuration file.

Exception Details: System.Security.SecurityException: The source was not found, but some or all event logs could not be searched. Inaccessible logs: Security

Source Error:

An unhandled exception was generated during the execution of the current web request. Information regarding the origin and the location of the exception can be identified using the exception stack trace below.

Stack Trace:

[SecurityException: The source was not found, but some or all event logs could not be searched. Inaccessible logs: Security.]

System.Diagnostics.EventLog.FindSourceRegistration(String source, String machineName, Boolean readOnly) +562 System.Diagnostics.EventLog.SourceExists(String source, String machineName) +251

[snip]

These are the things I’ve done to try and solve it:

1. Give “Everyone” full access permission to the key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\EventLog\Security. This worked. But naturally I can’t do this in production. So I deleted the “Everyone” permission after running the app for a few minutes and the error re-appeared.

2. I created the source in the Application log and the Security log (and I verified it exists via regedit) during installation with elevated permissions but the error remained.

3. I gave the app a full trust level in the web.config file (and using appcmd.exe) but to no avail.

Does anyone have an insight as to what could be done here?

PS: This is a follow up to this question. I followed the given answers but to no avail (see #2 above).

Answer 1

I had this issue when running an app within VS. All I had to do was run the program as Administrator once, then I could run from within VS.

To run as Administrator, just navigate to your debug folder in windows explorer. Right-click on the program and choose Run as administrator.

Answer 2

I try almost everything in here to solve this problem... I share here the answer that help me:

Another way to resolve the issue :

• in IIS console, go to application pool managing your site, and note the identity running it (usually Network Service)
• make sure this identity can read KEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Eventlog (rigth-click, authorisations)
• now change the identity of this application pool to Local System, apply, and switch back to Network Service

Credentials will be reloaded and EventLog reacheable

in http://geekswithblogs.net/timh/archive/2005/10/05/56029.aspx , thanks Michael Freidgeim

Answer 3

FYI...my problem was that accidently selected "Local Service" as the Account on properties of the ProcessInstaller instead of "Local System". Just mentioning for anyone else who followed the MSDN tutorial as the Local Service selection shows first and I wasn't paying close attention....

Answer 4

Had a similar issue with all of our 2008 servers. The security log stopped working altogether because of a GPO that took the group Authenticated Users and read permission away from the key HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\EventLog\security

Putting this back per Microsoft's recommendation corrected the issue. I suspect giving all authenticated users read at a higher level will also correct your problem.