C# .NET Bug - Environment.CurrentDirectory does not work with escalated privileges

In a arduous session to figure out some production code, I have discovered that Environment.CurrentDirectory does not work in when running with elevated privileges.

Specifically if you set app.config to get your app to run as Administrator with UAC prompt

 <requestedExecutionLevel level="requireAdministrator" uiAccess="false" />

this will return the location of the exe, not the current directory the exe is run from.

Super frustrating and a bug in .NET.

Here's the simple source code

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using System; using System.Collections.Generic; using System.Linq; using System.Text; namespace TestExe { class Program { static void Main(string[] args) { Console.WriteLine(Environment.CurrentDirectory); Console.Read(); } } }

Here's app.config code

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<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?> <asmv1:assembly manifestVersion="1.0" xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:asm.v1" xmlns:asmv1="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:asm.v1" xmlns:asmv2="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:asm.v2" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"> <assemblyIdentity version="1.0.0.0" name="MyApplication.app"/> <trustInfo xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:asm.v2"> <security> <requestedPrivileges xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:asm.v3"> <!-- UAC Manifest Options If you want to change the Windows User Account Control level replace the requestedExecutionLevel node with one of the following. <requestedExecutionLevel level="asInvoker" uiAccess="false" /> <requestedExecutionLevel level="requireAdministrator" uiAccess="false" /> <requestedExecutionLevel level="highestAvailable" uiAccess="false" /> Specifying requestedExecutionLevel node will disable file and registry virtualization. If you want to utilize File and Registry Virtualization for backward compatibility then delete the requestedExecutionLevel node. --> <requestedExecutionLevel level="requireAdministrator" uiAccess="false" /> </requestedPrivileges> </security> </trustInfo> <compatibility xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:compatibility.v1"> <application> <!-- A list of all Windows versions that this application is designed to work with. Windows will automatically select the most compatible environment.--> <!-- If your application is designed to work with Windows Vista, uncomment the following supportedOS node--> <!--<supportedOS Id="{e2011457-1546-43c5-a5fe-008deee3d3f0}"></supportedOS>--> <!-- If your application is designed to work with Windows 7, uncomment the following supportedOS node--> <!--<supportedOS Id="{35138b9a-5d96-4fbd-8e2d-a2440225f93a}"/>--> <!-- If your application is designed to work with Windows 8, uncomment the following supportedOS node--> <!--<supportedOS Id="{4a2f28e3-53b9-4441-ba9c-d69d4a4a6e38}"></supportedOS>--> <!-- If your application is designed to work with Windows 8.1, uncomment the following supportedOS node--> <!--<supportedOS Id="{1f676c76-80e1-4239-95bb-83d0f6d0da78}"/>--> </application> </compatibility> <!-- Enable themes for Windows common controls and dialogs (Windows XP and later) --> <!-- <dependency> <dependentAssembly> <assemblyIdentity type="win32" name="Microsoft.Windows.Common-Controls" version="6.0.0.0" processorArchitecture="*" publicKeyToken="6595b64144ccf1df" language="*" /> </dependentAssembly> </dependency>--> </asmv1:assembly>

Here's output running TestExe.exe from the c:\windows\system32 directory