UAC: what kind of permissions are given?

[DayLaborer]

If a non-admin user tries to access to which they do not have permissions they get a UAC popup prompting for an admin password. If an admin password is entered, my understanding is that they then permanently get rights to that folder.

What sort of permissions do they get: read, read-write, etc.? What's the rule for this?

Thanks,
Eliezer

 

[linney]

It probably depends on the location of the file or folder in question as to whether the access permissions are permanently changed or not.

If the file is in another Admin users folder and access is given via UAC then the permissions for full control may stick. If the file or folder is in a more sensitive location such as the Windows or Program Files folder then the access seems to be only temporary.

One way to check is to look at the permissions via the Security Tab and see what the listed permissions actually are.

 

[DayLaborer]

My wife is a not a techie but she (along with me) is an admin on our home PC. If my kids do "something" to get a UAC prompt, is there no way for her to know the effect of entering her password before she does so?! That seems bizarre! Isn't there some rule for allowing a program to run or access to a file/folder - as far as whether it's a one time thing or permanent access and the level of access?

Thanks,
Eliezer

 

[linney]

When a standard user attempts to run an application that requires an administrator access token, UAC requires that the user provide valid administrator credentials. The "UAC User Experience" section in this document details this process".

"The UAC elevation prompts are color-coded to be application-specific, enabling for immediate identification of an application's potential security risk".

See the paragraph "UAC User Experience"

Understanding and Configuring User Account Control in Windows Vista

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc709628(WS.10).aspx