How can I start a Windows service from an application without administrator rights?

Starting a Windows Service without Administrator Rights from an Application

In some scenarios, you may desire to control a Windows service from a separate application without the need for administrative privileges. However, the default permissions for services often prevent users from performing this task.

Solution: Modifying Service Permissions

The solution involves modifying the service's security descriptor to grant permission to non-administrators. Here's how to do it:

1. Open the Service Handle: Acquire a service handle with WRITE_DAC permission.
2. Create a Security Descriptor: Construct a security descriptor using the Security Descriptor Definition Language (SDDL) to specify the desired permissions. In this example, we grant the "start service" right to interactive users:

<code class="c++">wchar_t sddl[] = L"D:("
  L"(A;;CCLCSWRPWPDTLOCRRC;;;SY)" // Default permissions for local system
  L"(A;;CCDCLCSWRPWPDTLOCRSDRCWDWO;;;BA)" // Default permissions for administrators
  L"(A;;CCLCSWLOCRRC;;;AU)" // Default permissions for authenticated users
  L"(A;;CCLCSWRPWPDTLOCRRC;;;PU)" // Default permissions for power users
  L"(A;;RP;;;IU)" // Added permission: start service for interactive users
  ;</code>

3. Convert SDDL to Security Descriptor: Use the ConvertStringSecurityDescriptorToSecurityDescriptor function to convert the SDDL string into a security descriptor.
4. Set Service Security: Assign the modified security descriptor to the service object using the SetServiceObjectSecurity function.

By following these steps, you can grant non-administrator users the ability to start and stop the service from within your application, without compromising system security.

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