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AcceptSecurityContext function (sspi.h)

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The AcceptSecurityContext (CredSSP) function lets the server component of a transport application establish a security context between the server and a remote client. The remote client calls the InitializeSecurityContext (CredSSP) function to start the process of establishing a security context. The server can require one or more reply tokens from the remote client to complete establishing the security context.

Syntax

KSECDDDECLSPEC SECURITY_STATUS SEC_ENTRY AcceptSecurityContext(
  [in, optional]      PCredHandle    phCredential,
  [in, optional]      PCtxtHandle    phContext,
  [in, optional]      PSecBufferDesc pInput,
  [in]                unsigned long  fContextReq,
  [in]                unsigned long  TargetDataRep,
  [in, out, optional] PCtxtHandle    phNewContext,
  [in, out, optional] PSecBufferDesc pOutput,
  [out]               unsigned long  *pfContextAttr,
  [out, optional]     PTimeStamp     ptsExpiry
);

Parameters

[in, optional] phCredential

A handle to the server credentials. To retrieve this handle, the server calls the AcquireCredentialsHandle (CredSSP) function with either the SECPKG_CRED_INBOUND or SECPKG_CRED_BOTH flag set.

[in, optional] phContext

A pointer to a CtxtHandle structure. On the first call to AcceptSecurityContext (CredSSP), this pointer is NULL. On subsequent calls, phContext specifies the partially formed context returned in the phNewContext parameter by the first call.

[in, optional] pInput

A pointer to a SecBufferDesc structure generated by a client call to InitializeSecurityContext (CredSSP). The structure contains the input buffer descriptor.

The first buffer must be of type SECBUFFER_TOKEN and contain the security token received from the client. The second buffer should be of type SECBUFFER_EMPTY.

[in] fContextReq

-Bit flags that specify the attributes required by the server to establish the context. Bit flags can be combined by using bitwise-OR operations. This parameter can be one or more of the following values.

Value Meaning
ASC_REQ_ALLOCATE_MEMORY
 Credential Security Support Provider (CredSSP) will allocate output buffers. When you have finished using the output buffers, free them by calling the FreeContextBuffer function.
ASC_REQ_CONNECTION
 The security context will not handle formatting messages.
ASC_REQ_DELEGATE
 The server is allowed to impersonate the client. Ignore this flag for constrained delegation.
ASC_REQ_EXTENDED_ERROR
 When errors occur, the remote party will be notified.
ASC_REQ_REPLAY_DETECT
 Detect replayed packets.
ASC_REQ_SEQUENCE_DETECT
 Detect messages received out of sequence.
ASC_REQ_STREAM
 Support a stream-oriented connection.
 

For possible attribute flags and their meanings, see Context Requirements. Flags used for this parameter are prefixed with ASC_REQ, for example, ASC_REQ_DELEGATE.

The requested attributes may not be supported by the client. For more information, see the pfContextAttr parameter.

[in] TargetDataRep

The data representation, such as byte ordering, on the target. This parameter can be either SECURITY_NATIVE_DREP or SECURITY_NETWORK_DREP.

[in, out, optional] phNewContext

A pointer to a CtxtHandle structure. On the first call to AcceptSecurityContext (CredSSP), this pointer receives the new context handle. On subsequent calls, phNewContext can be the same as the handle specified in the phContext parameter.

[in, out, optional] pOutput

A pointer to a SecBufferDesc structure that contains the output buffer descriptor. This buffer is sent to the client for input into additional calls to InitializeSecurityContext (CredSSP). An output buffer may be generated even if the function returns SEC_E_OK. Any buffer generated must be sent back to the client application.

On output, this buffer receives a token for the security context. The token must be sent to the client. The function can also return a buffer of type SECBUFFER_EXTRA.

[out] pfContextAttr

A pointer to a set of bit flags that indicate the attributes of the established context. For a description of the various attributes, see Context Requirements. Flags used for this parameter are prefixed with ASC_RET, for example, ASC_RET_DELEGATE.

Do not check for security-related attributes until the final function call returns successfully. Attribute flags not related to security, such as the ASC_RET_ALLOCATED_MEMORY flag, can be checked before the final return.

[out, optional] ptsExpiry

A pointer to a TimeStamp structure that receives the expiration time of the context. We recommend that the security package always return this value in local time.

Note  Until the last call of the authentication process, the expiration time for the context can be incorrect because more information will be provided during later stages of the negotiation. Therefore, ptsTimeStamp must be NULL until the last call to the function.
 

Return value

This function returns one of the following values.

Return code/value Description
SEC_E_INCOMPLETE_MESSAGE
0x80090318L
 The function succeeded. The data in the input buffer is incomplete. The application must read additional data from the client and call AcceptSecurityContext (CredSSP) again.
SEC_E_INSUFFICIENT_MEMORY
0x80090300L
 The function failed. There is not enough memory available to complete the requested action.
SEC_E_INTERNAL_ERROR
0x80090304L
 The function failed. An error occurred that did not map to an SSPI error code.
SEC_E_INVALID_HANDLE
0x80100003L
 The function failed. The handle passed to the function is not valid.
SEC_E_INVALID_TOKEN
0x80090308L
 The function failed. The token passed to the function is not valid.
SEC_E_LOGON_DENIED
0x8009030CL
 The logon failed.
SEC_E_NO_AUTHENTICATING_AUTHORITY
0x80090311L
 The function failed. No authority could be contacted for authentication. This could be due to the following conditions:
  • The domain name of the authenticating party is incorrect.
  • The domain is unavailable.
  • The trust relationship has failed.
SEC_E_NO_CREDENTIALS
0x8009030EL
 The function failed. The credentials handle specified in the phCredential parameter is not valid.
SEC_E_OK
0x00000000L
 The function succeeded. The security context received from the client was accepted. If the function generated an output token, the token must be sent to the client process.
SEC_E_UNSUPPORTED_FUNCTION
0x80090302L
 The function failed. The fContextReq parameter specified a context attribute flag (ASC_REQ_DELEGATE or ASC_REQ_PROMPT_FOR_CREDS) that was not valid.
SEC_I_COMPLETE_AND_CONTINUE
0x00090314L
 The function succeeded. The server must call CompleteAuthToken and pass the output token to the client. The server must then wait for a return token from the client before making another call to AcceptSecurityContext (CredSSP).
SEC_I_COMPLETE_NEEDED
0x00090313L
 The function succeeded. The server must finish building the message from the client before calling CompleteAuthToken.
SEC_I_CONTINUE_NEEDED
0x00090312L
 The function succeeded. The server must send the output token to the client and wait for a returned token. The returned token should be passed in pInput for another call to AcceptSecurityContext (CredSSP).

Remarks

The AcceptSecurityContext (CredSSP) function is the server counterpart to the InitializeSecurityContext (CredSSP) function.

When the server receives a request from a client, it uses the fContextReq parameter to specify what it requires of the session. In this fashion, a server can require that clients be capable of using a confidential or integrity-checked session; it can reject clients that cannot meet that demand. Alternatively, a server can require nothing; whatever the client requires or can provide is returned in the pfContextAttr parameter.

The fContextReq and pfContextAttr parameters are bitmasks that represent various context attributes. For a description of the various attributes, see Context Requirements.

Note  While the pfContextAttr parameter is valid on any successful return, you should examine the flags pertaining to security aspects of the context only on the final successful return. Intermediate returns can set, for example, the ISC_RET_ALLOCATED_MEMORY flag.
 
The caller is responsible for determining whether the final context attributes are sufficient. For example, if confidentiality (encryption) was requested but could not be established, some applications may choose to shut down the connection immediately. If the security context cannot be established, the server must free the partially created context by calling the DeleteSecurityContext function. For information about when to call the DeleteSecurityContext function, see DeleteSecurityContext.\

After the security context has been established, the server application can use the QuerySecurityContextToken function to retrieve a handle to the user account to which the client certificate was mapped. Also, the server can use the ImpersonateSecurityContext function to impersonate the user.

Requirements

Requirement Value
Minimum supported client Windows Vista [desktop apps only]
Minimum supported server Windows Server 2008 [desktop apps only]
Target Platform Windows
Header sspi.h (include Security.h)
Library Secur32.lib
DLL Secur32.dll

See also

DeleteSecurityContext

InitializeSecurityContext (CredSSP)

SSPI Functions