[wix-users] EXT: Re: Running elevated functions from non-elevated UI

Rob Mensching rob at firegiant.com
Wed Feb 23 12:22:19 PST 2022


After WiX v4 a bit.

Since WiX v3.14 will include changes, including breaking changes, we think are useful to help migrate people to WiX v4 it can't release before WiX v4. :)


-----Original Message-----
From: Steven Ogilvie <stogilvie at genetec.com> 
Sent: Wednesday, February 23, 2022 11:54 AM
To: WiX Toolset Users Mailing List <wix-users at lists.wixtoolset.org>; Nir Bar <nir.bar at panel-sw.com>; Rob Mensching <rob at firegiant.com>
Subject: RE: [wix-users] EXT: Re: Running elevated functions from non-elevated UI

Hi Rob,

When (approximately) will WiX 3.14 be released?

Cheers,

Steve

> -----Original Message-----
> From: wix-users <wix-users-bounces at lists.wixtoolset.org> On Behalf Of 
> Rob Mensching via wix-users
> Sent: February 23, 2022 2:25 PM
> To: WiX Toolset Users Mailing List <wix-users at lists.wixtoolset.org>; 
> Nir Bar <nir.bar at panel-sw.com>
> Cc: Rob Mensching <rob at firegiant.com>
> Subject: Re: [wix-users] EXT: Re: Running elevated functions from non- 
> elevated UI
> 
> All of our focus is on WiX v4. If it doesn't land this year, I'm going 
> to be very disappointed in myself.
> 
> WiX v3.14 exists to help migrate a codebase to WiX v4.
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: wix-users <wix-users-bounces at lists.wixtoolset.org> On Behalf Of 
> Vanniekerk, Tyrel (GE Healthcare) via wix-users
> Sent: Wednesday, February 23, 2022 11:12 AM
> To: Nir Bar <nir.bar at panel-sw.com>; WiX Toolset Users Mailing List 
> <wix- users at lists.wixtoolset.org>
> Cc: Vanniekerk, Tyrel (GE Healthcare) <tyrel.vanniekerk at ge.com>
> Subject: Re: [wix-users] EXT: Re: Running elevated functions from non- 
> elevated UI
> 
> I am curious if any of the fixes/changes listed for this NuGet package 
> have been implemented for the official WiX toolset code?  It seems 
> like those are useful fixes and should probably end up in the main WiX code.
> 
> I am currently running v3.11.2 of WiX, released way back in 2019.  The 
> current unreleased build is v3.14.0.5722.  I am curious if there is a 
> summary of changes between those two versions and when we might see a 
> new official release of version 3?  I have looked at version 4 and it 
> seems promising, but I am guessing it might be years yet to see a full 
> v4 release with build support, VS studio templates etc.
> 
> From: Nir Bar <nir.bar at panel-sw.com>
> Sent: Wednesday, February 23, 2022 1:29 AM
> To: WiX Toolset Users Mailing List <wix-users at lists.wixtoolset.org>
> Cc: Vanniekerk, Tyrel (GE Healthcare) <tyrel.vanniekerk at ge.com>
> Subject: Re: [wix-users] EXT: Re: Running elevated functions from non- 
> elevated UI
> 
> WARNING: This email originated from outside of GE. Please validate the 
> sender's email address before clicking on links or attachments as they 
> may not be safe.
> You can use my custom WiX build
> https://can01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww
> .nuget.org%2Fpackages%2FPanelSW.Custom.WiX%2F&data=04%7C01%
> 7Cstogilvie%40genetec.com%7C82c48d6558914fe41b2a08d9f702311c%7C7ba
> 8d2fb46604a19802e4d015a17e167%7C0%7C0%7C637812411070835141%7CUn
> known%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6
> Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000&sdata=%2B5acridEyzagkvdowTSU
> kQVYrsJzn9yFitAB7olTy1A%3D&reserved=0
> Bundle/@RunAsAdmin="yes" attribute creates a bootstrapper that 
> requires elevation when launched
> 
> 
> --
> Nir Bar
> WiX Expert
> 
> 
> ---- On Tue, 22 Feb 2022 20:11:45 +0200 Vanniekerk, Tyrel (GE 
> Healthcare) via wix-users <wix-users at lists.wixtoolset.org<mailto:wix-
> users at lists.wixtoolset.org>> wrote ----
> 
> It would be nice. In the end, just allowing the installer to run 
> elevated (or elevate when it starts) would solve the issue. There are 
> just too many calls, regular checks and looking up a list of 
> certificates or if a web site is running in IIS etc. that require elevated permissions.
> 
> Using named pipes, remoting, web API etc. all have issues. They would 
> likely be blocked or disabled and they open up various security 
> concerns. You could write to a file and have the exe check the file 
> and write to another file, but that also has issues.
> 
> One could create your own setup.exe that escalates, then calls the WiX 
> setup.exe, but that also would fail when you run modify mode for 
> instance. I have noticed that some OS'es (not sure which) will elevate 
> when you click modify, but most will not. So for us that means you 
> have to get the setup.exe on your ISO, run that as administrator and 
> then click modify instead of running through the Windows UI.
> 
> All these workarounds because of a requirement.
> 
> My thought is that there is no bullet proof way to run an elevated exe 
> and communicate with it that would not get blocked at some companies.
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: wix-users 
> <wix-users-bounces at lists.wixtoolset.org<mailto:wix-users-
> bounces at lists.wixtoolset.org>> On Behalf Of Sean Hall via wix-users
> Sent: Tuesday, February 22, 2022 11:50 AM
> To: WiX Toolset Users Mailing List <wix- 
> users at lists.wixtoolset.org<mailto:wix-users at lists.wixtoolset.org>>
> Cc: Sean Hall <r.sean.hall at gmail.com<mailto:r.sean.hall at gmail.com>>
> Subject: EXT: Re: [wix-users] Running elevated functions from 
> non-elevated UI
> 
> https://can01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fgith
> u b.com%2Fwixtoolset%2Fissues%2Fissues%2F6358&data=04%7C01%7Cs
> togilvie%40genetec.com%7C82c48d6558914fe41b2a08d9f702311c%7C7ba8d2
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> wk2wNWVjpDktp6qRU5R%2FL4%3D&reserved=0
> 
> On Tue, Feb 22, 2022 at 11:35 AM Vanniekerk, Tyrel (GE Healthcare) via 
> wix- users <wix-users at lists.wixtoolset.org<mailto:wix-
> users at lists.wixtoolset.org>> wrote:
> 
> > Hi,
> >
> > I have some time to look at this again, so I am trying to revisit 
> > the elevated permissions issue in the installer UI. Our current 
> > solution is that we give an error if the installer is not running 
> > with elevated permissions and if they run it "As Administrator", then everything works.
> > It would be easier if one could just get the installer to elevate, 
> > but that's not an option.
> >
> > Assuming then that an installer with a custom bootstrapper UI is 
> > running in the prescribed WiX toolset mode, what suggestions do you 
> > have to run some check that requires elevated permissions? There are 
> > cases where we might have to check more than one thing per install 
> > and I would prefer not to have to call another exe that will 
> > escalate, do the check and return a result somehow, just to have 
> > call it again and escalate again when the user goes back to the 
> > previous page or we need to
> check something else.
> >
> > I was thinking I would create an exe that I can start if I need to 
> > escalate and communicate with that exe to make multiple calls for 
> > various checks. Just not sure what would be a good way to talk 
> > between the installer UI and the exe. Remoting is an option or web 
> > API or something like that.
> >
> > Any ideas? Every solution I have though of seems rather clunky.
> >
> > Thanks,
> > Tyrel
> >
> >
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