Credential provider usage scenario: CPUS_UNLOCK_WORKSTATION removed from Windows 10

Question

I'm developing a custom credential provider and need to know at runtime if the scenario is a login or an unlock of the session. For this, I check the CREDENTIAL_PROVIDER_USAGE_SCENARIO returned by the SetUsageScenario of the ICredentialProvider interface.

On Windows 10, independently if I'm at login or when the session is locked, I always get CPUS_LOGON as usage scenario, while on previous version of Windows, CPUS_UNLOCK_WORKSTATION was returned when the session was locked and CPUS_LOGON at the login.

So it seems that changes appeared since Windows 10 that are not reported on MSDN.

Is there any other way to detect if the usage scenario is a session locked?

Answer 1

Of all the answers, Justin's one is the more informative one, but nobody provides a workaround to properly restore the Windows7 behavior. Scott's answer mentions turning off Fast User Switching, but that turns off a feature that is available in Windows7, making it not a proper workaround. After carefully reading all the information available and several attempts, I found the following policies that allows only the previous logged user to unlock the machine, hence forcing the LogonUI framework to issue CPUS_UNLOCK_WORKSTATION scenario, but still allowing fast user switch:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

; Computer Configuration -> Windows Settings -> Security Settings ->
; Local Policies -> Security Options "Interactive logon: Do not display last user name"
; Set to "Enabled": asks to unlock the machine only to currently logged user
; https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/security/threat-protection/security-policy-settings/interactive-logon-do-not-display-last-user-name
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System]
"dontdisplaylastusername"=dword:00000001

; Computer Configuration -> Administrative Templates -> Windows Components ->
; Windows Logon Options -> "Sign-in last interactive user automatically after a system-initiated restart"
; Set to "Enabled": Prevents last signed user to log in and lock automatically
; after a restart
; https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/identity/ad-ds/manage/component-updates/winlogon-automatic-restart-sign-on--arso-
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System]
"DisableAutomaticRestartSignOn"=dword:00000001

; Similar in bevahior to "dontdisplaylastusername" but also disables Fast User
; Switching, which was available in Windows7
; https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/client-management/mdm/policy-csp-windowslogon#windowslogon-hidefastuserswitching
;[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System]
;"HideFastUserSwitching"=dword:00000001

Answer 2

If you turn fast user switching off, you will get the CPUS_UNLOCK_WORKSTATION messages upon locking. Otherwise you will only receive CPUS_LOGON. If you manually lock the PC using the windows API call from code to lock with fast user switching turned on, it will lock sending CPUS_UNLOCK_WORKSTATION and then immediately log off sending CPUS_LOGON.I Hope this helps, i don't have the reputation score to post an answer of my own so i edited this comment.

Answer 3

I am currently investigating the same issue and may have a work around until Microsoft can update the documentation.

Although I still receive a CPUS_LOGON, we are still inside the same session as the locked user. By using the function WTSQuerySessionInformationW, you can verify that there is currently a user logged in to the current session. From there, you can proceed as if you were in a CPUS_UNLOCK_WORKSTATION usage scenario.

UPDATE (1/18/2016): It seems Microsoft has finally updated their documentation on this issue. See the excerpt below from the CREDENTIAL_PROVIDER_USAGE_SCENARIO documentation:

Starting in Windows 10, the CPUS_LOGON and CPUS_UNLOCK_WORKSTATION user scenarios have been combined. This enables the system to support multiple users logging into a machine without creating and switching sessions unnecessarily. Any user on the machine can log into it once it has been locked without needing to back out of a current session and create a new one. Because of this, CPUS_LOGON can be used both for logging onto a system or when a workstation is unlocked. However, CPUS_LOGON cannot be used in all cases. Because of policy restrictions imposed by various systems, sometimes it is necessary for the user scenario to be CPUS_UNLOCK_WORKSTATION. Your credential provider should be robust enough to create the appropriate credential structure based on the scenario given to it. Windows will request the appropriate user scenario based on the situation. Some of the factors that impact whether or not a CPUS_UNLOCK_WORKSTATION scenario must be used include the following. Note that this is just a subset of possibilities.

• The operating system of the device.
• Whether this is a console or remote session.
• Group policies such as hiding entry points for fast user switching, or interactive logon that does not display the user's last name.

Credential providers that need to enumerate the currently user logged into the system as the default tile can keep track of the current user or leverage APIs such as WTSQuerySessionInformation to obtain that information

Answer 4

You might try SENS (System Event Notification Service). This is a Microsoft provided notification service.

https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/cc185680(v=vs.85).aspx

It has different events for logon/logoff and screen lock/unlock notifications. It uses a COM+ interface. I am not familiar with the requirements of credential providers so I don't know if the service will run within the context you require or if the timing of the event arrival will meet your needs but it is something you might investigate.