Question

Can I GetObject() or CreateObject() from an already-running VB6 ActiveX EXE from a different user

Asked by: docstar

I have an ActiveX EXE which is launched by a service on system start.  It does various background tasks, but I also want to expose a class, called "CommChannel" to a VB6 application that may be running.

I've tried using CreateObject("myservername.CommChannel"), but this always launches a new instance of the EXE rather than creating an object from the one already running.  Thus, it does not get me the communication I want.

Alternately, I've tried to instantiate the CommChannel class in advance in my ActiveX EXE, register it in the "ROT" via some code I found (below), and then access it from my VB App with GetObject(,"myservername.CommChannel").  This fails to instantiate it.

Either CreateObject or GetObject will do what I want when my ActiveX EXE is running under the same user name as the application.  But how do I communicate with the one launched by the service (under -- generally speaking -- another user name) ?

Private Type GUIDs
    Data1 As Long
    Data2 As Integer
    Data3 As Integer
    Data4(0 To 7) As Byte
End Type
 
'Declares needed to register object in the ROT (Run Object Table)
Private Const ACTIVEOBJECT_STRONG = 0
Private Const ACTIVEOBJECT_WEAK = 1
Private Declare Function CLSIDFromProgID Lib "ole32.dll" (ByVal ProgID As Long, rclsid As GUIDs) As Long
Private Declare Function CoDisconnectObject Lib "ole32.dll" (ByVal pUnk As IUnknown, pvReserved As Long) As Long
Private Declare Function RegisterActiveObject Lib "oleaut32.dll" (ByVal pUnk As IUnknown, rclsid As GUIDs, ByVal dwFlags As Long, pdwRegister As Long) As Long
Private Declare Function RevokeActiveObject Lib "oleaut32.dll" (ByVal dwRegister As Long, ByVal pvReserved As Long) As Long
Private OLEInstance As Long
 
Public Sub AddToROT()
 
    Dim mGuid As GUIDs
    Dim lp As Long
 
    'The magic happens here
    'This code is responsible for creating the entry in the ROT
    'Make sure to insert the correct qualified object (class) that
    'you want in the ROT.
    OLEInstance = 0
    lp = CLSIDFromProgID(StrPtr(App.EXEName & "." & TypeName(Me)), mGuid)
 
    If lp = 0 Then
        lp = RegisterActiveObject(Me, mGuid, ACTIVEOBJECT_WEAK, OLEInstance)
    End If
    
    If lp <> 0 Then Err.Raise lp
 
End Sub
 
Public Sub RemoveFromROT()
 
    'Once we are done with the main program, lets clean up the rot
    'by removing the entry for our ActiveX Server/DLL
    If OLEInstance <> 0 Then
        RevokeActiveObject OLEInstance, 0
    End If
    CoDisconnectObject Me, 0
 
End Sub

                                  
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Asked On
2009-09-04 at 10:03:40ID24708306
Tags

Visual Basic 6 COM Server

Topics

ActiveX

,

Visual Basic Programming

Participating Experts
1
Points
500
Comments
3

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Answers

 

by: Arthur_WoodPosted on 2009-09-05 at 10:02:35ID: 25266917

I would be very surprised if you could accomplish what you are asking.  The security hole that would be exposed would be HUGE.  What would keep ANY other user from attaching to your running object, and the doing who knows what mischief.

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