Authentication to SharePoint using secure authentication and CSOM in a .NET application

Question

I'm using CSOM for making REST API calls to a SharePoint list from a C# application. This needs credentials (of course), however I've found that it needs a username and a password in plain text. Something like code below:

using (ClientContext context = new ClientContext("https://site.sharepoint.com")) { context.AuthenticationMode = ClientAuthenticationMode.FormsAuthentication; context.FormsAuthenticationLoginInfo = new FormsAuthenticationLoginInfo("[email protected]", "P@ssw0rd"); // Rest of the code context.ExecuteQuery(); // <-- error on this line }

I've two issues with this code:

However I use the correct credentials, it's given me this error on the marked line:

The user's login name or password is not valid.
Security. It's not secure to add the credentials in plain text in the code.

I've also tried code below, but I get a 403 response (also with the correct credentials) and it's not secure too.

using (ClientContext context = new ClientContext("https://site.sharepoint.com")) { context.Credentials = new NetworkCredential("[email protected]", "P@ssw0rd"); // Rest of the code context.ExecuteQuery(); // <-- error on this line }

In the header stand this:

Access denied. Before opening files in this location: you must first browse to the web site and select the option to login automatically.

How can I solve this, especially the second issue?

Jack Le · Accepted Answer · 2019-03-17 12:10:10Z

Sharepoint Online requires SecureString object as password. You can do something like this:

 SecureString se = new SecureString(); foreach (var cc in password) { se.AppendChar(cc); } var cre = new SharePointOnlineCredentials("[email protected]", se); using (ClientContext context = new ClientContext("https://site.sharepoint.com")) { context.Credentials = cre; // Rest of the code context.ExecuteQuery(); }

To solve the plain text password problem, you can store it in the Windows Credential Manager then retrieve it using this Library CredentialManager

Yes you can do that but SecureString requires a plain text password too. — H. Pauwelyn
– H. Pauwelyn, Commented Mar 17, 2019 at 12:15
That's why I recommend CredentialManager class which returns SharePointOnlineCredential object var credential = CredentialManager.GetSharePointOnlineCredential(name); — Jack Le
– Jack Le, Commented Mar 17, 2019 at 12:18

Stack Exchange Network

Authentication to SharePoint using secure authentication and CSOM in a .NET application

1 Answer 1

Hot Network Questions

Authentication to SharePoint using secure authentication and CSOM in a .NET application

1 Answer 1

Related

Hot Network Questions