ActiveDirectoryMembershipProvider "A local error has occurred."

Question

I ran into an issue while trying to use LDAP authentication against our Netowrks NIDs in ASP.NET MVC4. I am using ASP.NET's built in ActiveDirectoryMembershipProvider that is designed for exactly this purpose. I know I am successfully contacting the server because if I change the username or password I get an invalid login error.

Unfortunately the error that I am receiving is very nondescript. The stack trace says the error is of type ConfigurationErrorsException which leads me to believe that I just haven't configured something properly.

Here is my connection string from Web.config:

<connectionStrings>
    <add name="ADConnectionString" connectionString="LDAP://authenticate.ad.mydomain.com/OU=NIDs,OU=Accounts,DC=ad,DC=mydomain,DC=com" />
</connectionStrings>

MembershipProvider configuration from Web.config:

  <authentication mode="Forms">
      <forms name=".ADAuthCookie" loginUrl="~/Account/Login" timeout="2880" slidingExpiration="false" protection="All" />
  </authentication>
  <membership defaultProvider="ADMembershipProvider">
      <providers>
          <clear />
          <add name="ADMembershipProvider"
               type="System.Web.Security.ActiveDirectoryMembershipProvider"
               connectionProtection="Secure"
               connectionStringName="ADConnectionString"
               connectionUsername="XXXXXXXXXX"
               connectionPassword="XXXXXXXXXX"
               attributeMapUsername="sAMAccountName"/>
      </providers>
  </membership>

I am operating under the assumption that the application is successfully contacting the AD server because if I modify anything in my Username/Password I get an invalid server login error.

Currently whenever I try to authenticate I get the following error: A local error has occurred.

Stack trace from event log:

    Exception type: ConfigurationErrorsException
    Exception message: A local error has occurred.
 (C:\Users\wchristie\Documents\Visual Studio 2010\Projects\EZIDManager\EZIDManager\web.config line 26)
   at System.Web.Configuration.ProvidersHelper.InstantiateProvider(ProviderSettings providerSettings, Type providerType)
   at System.Web.Configuration.ProvidersHelper.InstantiateProviders(ProviderSettingsCollection configProviders, ProviderCollection providers, Type providerType)
   at System.Web.Security.Membership.InitializeSettings(Boolean initializeGeneralSettings, RuntimeConfig appConfig, MembershipSection settings)
   at System.Web.Security.Membership.Initialize()
   at System.Web.Security.Membership.get_Provider()
   at System.Web.Security.Membership.ValidateUser(String username, String password)
   at EZIDManager.Controllers.AccountController.Login(LoginModel model, String returnUrl) in C:\Users\wchristie\Documents\Visual Studio 2010\Projects\EZIDManager\EZIDManager\Controllers\AccountController.cs:line 24
   at lambda_method(Closure , ControllerBase , Object[] )
   at System.Web.Mvc.ActionMethodDispatcher.Execute(ControllerBase controller, Object[] parameters)
   at System.Web.Mvc.ReflectedActionDescriptor.Execute(ControllerContext controllerContext, IDictionary`2 parameters)
   at System.Web.Mvc.ControllerActionInvoker.InvokeActionMethod(ControllerContext controllerContext, ActionDescriptor actionDescriptor, IDictionary`2 parameters)
   at System.Web.Mvc.Async.AsyncControllerActionInvoker.<>c__DisplayClass42.<BeginInvokeSynchronousActionMethod>b__41()
   at System.Web.Mvc.Async.AsyncResultWrapper.<>c__DisplayClass8`1.<BeginSynchronous>b__7(IAsyncResult _)
   at System.Web.Mvc.Async.AsyncResultWrapper.WrappedAsyncResult`1.End()
   at System.Web.Mvc.Async.AsyncControllerActionInvoker.EndInvokeActionMethod(IAsyncResult asyncResult)
   at System.Web.Mvc.Async.AsyncControllerActionInvoker.<>c__DisplayClass37.<>c__DisplayClass39.<BeginInvokeActionMethodWithFilters>b__33()
   at System.Web.Mvc.Async.AsyncControllerActionInvoker.<>c__DisplayClass4f.<InvokeActionMethodFilterAsynchronously>b__49()
   at System.Web.Mvc.Async.AsyncControllerActionInvoker.<>c__DisplayClass37.<BeginInvokeActionMethodWithFilters>b__36(IAsyncResult asyncResult)
   at System.Web.Mvc.Async.AsyncResultWrapper.WrappedAsyncResult`1.End()
   at System.Web.Mvc.Async.AsyncControllerActionInvoker.EndInvokeActionMethodWithFilters(IAsyncResult asyncResult)
   at System.Web.Mvc.Async.AsyncControllerActionInvoker.<>c__DisplayClass25.<>c__DisplayClass2a.<BeginInvokeAction>b__20()
   at System.Web.Mvc.Async.AsyncControllerActionInvoker.<>c__DisplayClass25.<BeginInvokeAction>b__22(IAsyncResult asyncResult)
   at System.Web.Mvc.Async.AsyncResultWrapper.WrappedAsyncResult`1.End()
   at System.Web.Mvc.Async.AsyncControllerActionInvoker.EndInvokeAction(IAsyncResult asyncResult)
   at System.Web.Mvc.Controller.<>c__DisplayClass1d.<BeginExecuteCore>b__18(IAsyncResult asyncResult)
   at System.Web.Mvc.Async.AsyncResultWrapper.<>c__DisplayClass4.<MakeVoidDelegate>b__3(IAsyncResult ar)
   at System.Web.Mvc.Async.AsyncResultWrapper.WrappedAsyncResult`1.End()
   at System.Web.Mvc.Controller.EndExecuteCore(IAsyncResult asyncResult)
   at System.Web.Mvc.Async.AsyncResultWrapper.<>c__DisplayClass4.<MakeVoidDelegate>b__3(IAsyncResult ar)
   at System.Web.Mvc.Async.AsyncResultWrapper.WrappedAsyncResult`1.End()
   at System.Web.Mvc.Controller.EndExecute(IAsyncResult asyncResult)
   at System.Web.Mvc.Controller.System.Web.Mvc.Async.IAsyncController.EndExecute(IAsyncResult asyncResult)
   at System.Web.Mvc.MvcHandler.<>c__DisplayClass8.<BeginProcessRequest>b__3(IAsyncResult asyncResult)
   at System.Web.Mvc.Async.AsyncResultWrapper.<>c__DisplayClass4.<MakeVoidDelegate>b__3(IAsyncResult ar)
   at System.Web.Mvc.Async.AsyncResultWrapper.WrappedAsyncResult`1.End()
   at System.Web.Mvc.MvcHandler.EndProcessRequest(IAsyncResult asyncResult)
   at System.Web.Mvc.MvcHandler.System.Web.IHttpAsyncHandler.EndProcessRequest(IAsyncResult result)
   at System.Web.HttpApplication.CallHandlerExecutionStep.System.Web.HttpApplication.IExecutionStep.Execute()
   at System.Web.HttpApplication.ExecuteStep(IExecutionStep step, Boolean& completedSynchronously)

A local error has occurred.

   at System.DirectoryServices.ActiveDirectory.Domain.GetDomain(DirectoryContext context)
   at System.Web.Security.DirectoryInformation.InitializeDomainAndForestName()
   at System.Web.Security.ActiveDirectoryMembershipProvider.Initialize(String name, NameValueCollection config)
   at System.Web.Configuration.ProvidersHelper.InstantiateProvider(ProviderSettings providerSettings, Type providerType)

A local error has occurred.

   at System.DirectoryServices.DirectoryEntry.Bind(Boolean throwIfFail)
   at System.DirectoryServices.DirectoryEntry.Bind()
   at System.DirectoryServices.DirectoryEntry.get_AdsObject()
   at System.DirectoryServices.PropertyValueCollection.PopulateList()
   at System.DirectoryServices.PropertyValueCollection..ctor(DirectoryEntry entry, String propertyName)
   at System.DirectoryServices.PropertyCollection.get_Item(String propertyName)
   at System.DirectoryServices.ActiveDirectory.Utils.CheckCapability(DirectoryEntry rootDSE, Capability capability)
   at System.DirectoryServices.ActiveDirectory.Domain.GetDomain(DirectoryContext context)

Has anyone encountered this issue or know what might cause this error? This is my first time using ActiveDirectoryMembershipProvider any assistance or advice is much appreciated.

Answer 1

I've determined the cause of this error is the account I am using doesn't have rights to bind to the AD Domain.

Answer 2

Your connection string is probably wrong. Try something like this:

connectionString="LDAP://mydomain.com/CN=Users,DC=mydomain,DC=com" />

You can also try using dsquery user -name YourUserName to get the proper connection string.