HUGE BUG in zip and UAC: copy a file from a zip.

When you copy a file from a zip (integrated zip function) to any folder in
c:\program files\ in order to replace a file, the copy fails and the target
folder will be empty! You lose the files!

reproduction steps:
1. suppose in c:\program files\app1\ you have these 3 files:
file1.exe, file2.dll, file2.txt
2. suppose in your Documents folder you have a zip contains file1.exe,
file2.dll, file2.txt
3. explorer the zip and copy the 3 files to c:\program files\app1\
4. give the UAC consent
.... but the copy will fail and the whole app1 folder will be empty. COPY IS
FAILED AND YOU LOSE OLD FILES.

 

Hi Bill,

No bug it is, as a standard or admin user account will not have sufficient
privileges to overwrite files in the C:\Program Files directory unless the
commands are run from an elevated prompt. It's not UAC but rather
permissions that are involved here. Keep in mind that programs in Vista are
run from the user's appdata folder, not the program files directory. This is
by design to keep malware from extending throughout the system even if one
user chooses to run it.

 

So does it sound sensible that this deletes files?

You really don't need to bother downloading hardware if the OS does the
deleting for you...

Would it not make more sense to fail with an error message to say
insufficient privileges - can't perform the requested operation?

 

Got an address for me where I can download some more 8800 GTXs?
Or how about a DVD-RAM drive that can take cartridges. I am DYING for a
couple of those...

--
Stephan
2003 Yamaha R6

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I tried what was described: I created three file and copied them to the app1
directory under program files. I created a zip file on my desktop and copied
the three file to the app1 dir. logged in as admin. they copied as they
should have. the only time I need to elevate a process was when coping the
first set of files to the Program files/app1 dir. UAC told me I did not have
permission to do this.

 

YOU WRONG!!! Because if I copy a file to c:\program files\ I'll get an UAC
prompt and it's copied with success!!! This fails only when I copy a file
from the zip archive in explorer'shell and old files are also deleted!!!

 

YOU WRONG!!! Because if I copy a file to c:\program files\ I'll get an UAC
prompt and it's copied with success!!! This fails only when I copy a file
from the zip archive in explorer's shell and old files are also deleted!!!

 

Not repro.

When I tried these steps on my machine, I got a UAC prompt, then the files
were copied from the ZIP file to the C:\Program Files\apps1 directory, as
expected. I was logged in as a Standard User.

You're undoubtedly seeing a real issue on your machine - but it doesn't seem
to be the universal experience for all users. You might need to delineate
the specific conditions required to reproduce the problem: for example, the
user context in which the files where copied; the specific permissions which
had been applied to the original files; etc. You can use the "icacls"
command to get a precise listing of the file permissions in the
app1\directory, before and after you attempt to copy the ZIP files into it;
eg:

C:\Program Files>icacls .\app1 > C:\TEMP\app1acl.txt

C:\Program Files>icacls .\app1\* >> C:\TEMP\app1acl.txt

You could also use a tool like Process Monitor
(http://www.microsoft.com/technet/sysinternals/utilities/processmonitor.mspx)
to see exactly why the original ZIP files are being deleted.

If you have a consistent repro scenario which can be repro'ed on a random
machine, then ... yeah, it should be reported to Microsoft. Data loss is
always serious, and should be taken seriously. Although it is also true
that the Program Files direcory is "special" on Vista, it has a very
specific set of permissions which prevent random manipulation of files. This
is "by design" and is a security measure to prevent hijacks or other abuses
(what if the zipp'ed file1.exe was a virus?). Applications which need to
update files under the Program Files directory should do so, by calling on
the Windows Installer Services, instead of doing direct file I/O. (Mind you,
I use at least one app, a fine product, which nevertheless distributes
updates as ZIP'ed files to be copied into the program directory. Bugger I've
written to that vendor, suggesting they use a more secure and Vista-friendly
update mechanism).

Regards,

 

Yeah I meant Malware of course, I have plenty free if you're still
interested

 

you didn't understand me!!!!
if I copy a file to c:\program files\app1\ I get an UAC prompt, I give the
consent and then it's copied with success!
instead, if I copy a file from a zip archive to c:\program files\app1\ it
fails!!!
And the files in folder \app1 are deleted!!!
There are 2 bugs: wrong elevation with zip + files deleted in \app1

try these steps: Standard user + UAC on
1. create a new folder in c:\program files\sysinternals\processexplorer
(give UAC consent in order to create it in that protected location)
2. with IE7, download this file
http://download.sysinternals.com/Files/ProcessExplorer.zip to your Downloads
folder (or Documents folder)
3. extract the zip, select the files and copy them to c:\program
files\sysinternals\processexplorer, give UAC consent, and the files are
copied with success.
4. now, don't extract the zip, but enter into zip using the built-in zip
vista's feature, select the files and copy them to c:\program
files\sysinternals\processexplorer, accept to replace the files, give UAC
consent
..... and the copy will fail: denied access
..... and the c:\program files\sysinternals\processexplorer folder is void
---> old files have been deleted!

 

you didn't understand me!!!!
if I copy a file to c:\program files\app1\ I get an UAC prompt, I give the
consent and then it's copied with success!
instead, if I copy a file from a zip archive to c:\program files\app1\ it
fails!!!
And the files in folder \app1 are deleted!!!
There are 2 bugs: wrong elevation with zip + files deleted in \app1

try these steps: Standard user + UAC on
1. create a new folder in c:\program files\ , for example I created
c:\program files\sysinternals\processexplorer
(give UAC consent in order to create it in that protected location)
2. with IE7, download this file
http://download.sysinternals.com/Files/ProcessExplorer.zip to your Downloads
folder (or Documents folder)
3. extract the zip, select the files and copy them to c:\program
files\sysinternals\processexplorer, give UAC consent, and the files are
copied with success.
4. now, don't extract the zip, but enter into zip using the built-in zip
vista's feature, select the files and copy them to c:\program
files\sysinternals\processexplorer, accept to replace the files, give UAC
consent
..... and the copy will fail: denied access
..... and the c:\program files\sysinternals\processexplorer folder is void
---> old files have been deleted!

 

Well, I'm pretty sure I got the general idea.

I still cannot reproduce the problem. Here's what I did:

- 32-bit Vista Ultimate, clean install, fully patched via Windows Update;
- log in as Administrative user;
- open Command Prompt as Administrator;
- C:\Program Files>mkdir Test;
- download ProcessMonitor.zip to Public\Downloads;
- copy 3 files from ZIP to C:\Program Files\test;
- there is now C:\Program Files\test dir containing 3 files. So far, so
good;
- log out.
- log in again, this time as a Standard (non-Admin) user;
- open one Explorer Window with focus on C:\Program Files\test;
- open second Explorer window with
C:\Users\Public\Downloads\ProcessMonitor.zip selected, showing 3 archived
files;
- select the 3 files in the ZIP file;
- right-click, drag-n-drop files to C:\Program Files\Test;
- release right mouse button, choose "Copy" from context menu, to copy the
files from the ZIP archive to the Test directory;
- I get a "Copy File: There is already a file with the same name in this
location. Copy and replace?" dialogue;
- I select "Copy and replace" for ProcMon.CHM;
- I repeat for Procmon.EXE and EULA.TXT;
- I get a "Destination Folder Access Denied" dialogue: "You'll need to
provide administrator permission to copy to this folder, Continue, Skip,
Cancel";
- I press Continue;
- I get UAC "Windows needs your permission to continue" dialogue. I enter
Admin user password and click OK;
- Message box "Copying 3 items" appears, files are copied;
- I highlight the C:\Program Files\Test directory in Explorer and press F5
to refresh the view;
- I see 3 files in the directory. Double-clicking the EXE launches the
program, double-clicking EULA.TXT opens it in Notepad etc;
- normal operations were preserved. No errors or data loss can be seen.

If I have misunderstood the repro scenario, please explain what I need to do
to repro the bug.

To be clear, I don't doubt that you are seeing a problem on your machine,
there. However, the problem you are seeing does not seem to be the universal
or common experience for other Vista users. Therefore, it may be caused by
some local condition or circumstance on your machine. In order to delineate
the parameters of the bug, you will need to isolate what those particular or
specific conditions might be; and work out whether they are intrinsic to
Vista, or caused by some custom configuration, conflict with 3rd party
software, etc. Otherwise your bug report is not useful, and may even be in
error.

 

I just tried it for you..

I created a directory c:\program files\test (got UAC prompt)
I copied from the unzipped directory the three files in processexplorer.zip
I have. (no UAC prompt)
I then copied the same files from the zip archive (no UAC prompt but I did
get do you want to over write these files with... prompt).
All appeared to work.
That was using explorer and ^c ^v
Home premium BTW.
HTH.

 

I followed your directions and it worked as expected for me. The only
difference, I did not download the file from the link you provided, I used
my own.