How do you take file ownership with PowerShell?

Question

Issue: I wish to programmaticly (with PowerShell) take ownership of a file that I have absolutely no permissions on.

Update: I've thoroughly rewritten the question to give steps to reproduce the issue. Here's what I'm doing:

##########################################################
# Logon as UserA
##########################################################

$file = "C:\temp\file.txt"
new-item C:\temp -type dir
new-item $file -type file

# Remove inheritence
$isProtected = $true
$preserveInheritance = $true
$FileSecurity = Get-ACL $file
$FileSecurity.SetAccessRuleProtection($isProtected, $preserveInheritance)
Set-ACL $file -AclObject $FileSecurity

# Remove authenticated users
$user = "Authenticated Users"
$permission = "Modify"
$Account = New-Object System.Security.Principal.NTAccount($user)
$FileSystemRights = [System.Security.AccessControl.FileSystemRights]$permission
$InheritanceFlag = [System.Security.AccessControl.InheritanceFlags]"ContainerInherit, ObjectInherit"
$PropagationFlag = [System.Security.AccessControl.PropagationFlags]"None"
$AccessControlType =[System.Security.AccessControl.AccessControlType]::Allow
$FileSystemAccessRule = New-Object System.Security.AccessControl.FileSystemAccessRule($Account, $FileSystemRights, $InheritanceFlag, $PropagationFlag, $AccessControlType)
$FileSecurity = Get-ACL $file
$FileSecurity.RemoveAccessRuleAll($FileSystemAccessRule)
Set-ACL $file -AclObject $FileSecurity

# Remove local users
$user = "BUILTIN\Users"
$permission = "ReadAndExecute"
$Account = New-Object System.Security.Principal.NTAccount($user)
$FileSystemRights = [System.Security.AccessControl.FileSystemRights]$permission
$InheritanceFlag = [System.Security.AccessControl.InheritanceFlags]"ContainerInherit, ObjectInherit"
$PropagationFlag = [System.Security.AccessControl.PropagationFlags]"None"
$AccessControlType =[System.Security.AccessControl.AccessControlType]::Allow
$FileSystemAccessRule = New-Object System.Security.AccessControl.FileSystemAccessRule($Account, $FileSystemRights, $InheritanceFlag, $PropagationFlag, $AccessControlType)
$FileSecurity = Get-ACL $file
$FileSecurity.RemoveAccessRuleAll($FileSystemAccessRule)
Set-ACL $file -AclObject $FileSecurity

# Give the current user Full Control
$user = $env:username
$permission = "FullControl"
$FileSystemRights = [System.Security.AccessControl.FileSystemRights]$permission
$AccessControlType =[System.Security.AccessControl.AccessControlType]::Allow
$Account = New-Object System.Security.Principal.NTAccount($user)
$FileSystemAccessRule = New-Object System.Security.AccessControl.FileSystemAccessRule($Account, $FileSystemRights, $AccessControlType)
$FileSecurity = Get-ACL $file
$FileSecurity.AddAccessRule($FileSystemAccessRule)
Set-ACL $file -AclObject $FileSecurity

# Remove local administrators
$user = "BUILTIN\Administrators"
$permission = "FullControl"
$Account = New-Object System.Security.Principal.NTAccount($user)
$FileSystemRights = [System.Security.AccessControl.FileSystemRights]$permission
$InheritanceFlag = [System.Security.AccessControl.InheritanceFlags]"ContainerInherit, ObjectInherit"
$PropagationFlag = [System.Security.AccessControl.PropagationFlags]"None"
$AccessControlType =[System.Security.AccessControl.AccessControlType]::Allow
$FileSystemAccessRule = New-Object System.Security.AccessControl.FileSystemAccessRule($Account, $FileSystemRights, $InheritanceFlag, $PropagationFlag, $AccessControlType)
$FileSecurity = Get-ACL $file
$FileSecurity.RemoveAccessRuleAll($FileSystemAccessRule)
Set-ACL $file -AclObject $FileSecurity

# Set the owner to be the current user
$user = $env:username
$Account = New-Object System.Security.Principal.NTAccount($user)
$FileSecurity = new-object System.Security.AccessControl.FileSecurity
$FileSecurity.SetOwner($Account)
[System.IO.File]::SetAccessControl($file, $FileSecurity)

##########################################################
# Log off the server as UserA and logon as UserB
##########################################################

$file = "C:\temp\file.txt"

# Take ownership
$user = $env:username
$Account = New-Object System.Security.Principal.NTAccount($user)
$FileSecurity = new-object System.Security.AccessControl.FileSecurity
$FileSecurity.SetOwner($Account)
[System.IO.File]::SetAccessControl($file, $FileSecurity)

This is throwing the error:

Exception calling "SetAccessControl" with "2" argument(s): "Attempted to perform an unauthorized operation."
At line:1 char:35
+ [System.IO.File]::SetAccessControl <<<< ($path, $FileSecurity)
    + CategoryInfo          : NotSpecified: (:) [], MethodInvocationException
    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : DotNetMethodException

Additional notes:

• $error[0].innerexception is null.
• The steps taken as UserA ensured that userB has absolutely no permissions on C:\temp\file.txt.
• running [System.IO.File]::GetAccessControl($path) throws a similar error (which is expected)
• I am of course right-clicking PowerShell and choosing "Run as Administrator".
• I've tried disabling UAC, but that does not make a difference.
• I can take ownership through the GUI so there should be a way to do this programmatically with PowerShell.

What am I doing wrong?

Update and answer:

The accepted answer I posted, works, but seems to be overkill. Simply referencing the file via a UNC path seems to do the trick:

$file = "\\localhost\\c$\temp\file.txt"

# Take ownership
$user = $env:username
$Account = New-Object System.Security.Principal.NTAccount($user)
$FileSecurity = new-object System.Security.AccessControl.FileSecurity
$FileSecurity.SetOwner($Account)
[System.IO.File]::SetAccessControl($file, $FileSecurity)

Solution

I've figured this out. I can only be done with SE_RESTORE_NAME permissions.

I learned how to do that from: http://cosmoskey.blogspot.com/2010/07/setting-owner-on-acl-in-powershell.html

And with a comment from: http://fixingitpro.com/2011/07/08/set-owner-with-powershell-%E2%80%9Cthe-security-identifier-is-not-allowed-to-be-the-owner-of-this-object%E2%80%9D/

Here's the full command that works for me:

$code = @"
using System;
using System.Runtime.InteropServices;

namespace CosmosKey.Utils
{
public class TokenManipulator
{


  [DllImport("advapi32.dll", ExactSpelling = true, SetLastError = true)]
  internal static extern bool AdjustTokenPrivileges(IntPtr htok, bool disall,
  ref TokPriv1Luid newst, int len, IntPtr prev, IntPtr relen);


  [DllImport("kernel32.dll", ExactSpelling = true)]
  internal static extern IntPtr GetCurrentProcess();


  [DllImport("advapi32.dll", ExactSpelling = true, SetLastError = true)]
  internal static extern bool OpenProcessToken(IntPtr h, int acc, ref IntPtr
  phtok);


  [DllImport("advapi32.dll", SetLastError = true)]
  internal static extern bool LookupPrivilegeValue(string host, string name,
  ref long pluid);


  [StructLayout(LayoutKind.Sequential, Pack = 1)]
  internal struct TokPriv1Luid
  {
   public int Count;
   public long Luid;
   public int Attr;
  }

  internal const int SE_PRIVILEGE_DISABLED = 0x00000000;
  internal const int SE_PRIVILEGE_ENABLED = 0x00000002;
  internal const int TOKEN_QUERY = 0x00000008;
  internal const int TOKEN_ADJUST_PRIVILEGES = 0x00000020;

  public const string SE_ASSIGNPRIMARYTOKEN_NAME = "SeAssignPrimaryTokenPrivilege";
  public const string SE_AUDIT_NAME = "SeAuditPrivilege";
  public const string SE_BACKUP_NAME = "SeBackupPrivilege";
  public const string SE_CHANGE_NOTIFY_NAME = "SeChangeNotifyPrivilege";
  public const string SE_CREATE_GLOBAL_NAME = "SeCreateGlobalPrivilege";
  public const string SE_CREATE_PAGEFILE_NAME = "SeCreatePagefilePrivilege";
  public const string SE_CREATE_PERMANENT_NAME = "SeCreatePermanentPrivilege";
  public const string SE_CREATE_SYMBOLIC_LINK_NAME = "SeCreateSymbolicLinkPrivilege";
  public const string SE_CREATE_TOKEN_NAME = "SeCreateTokenPrivilege";
  public const string SE_DEBUG_NAME = "SeDebugPrivilege";
  public const string SE_ENABLE_DELEGATION_NAME = "SeEnableDelegationPrivilege";
  public const string SE_IMPERSONATE_NAME = "SeImpersonatePrivilege";
  public const string SE_INC_BASE_PRIORITY_NAME = "SeIncreaseBasePriorityPrivilege";
  public const string SE_INCREASE_QUOTA_NAME = "SeIncreaseQuotaPrivilege";
  public const string SE_INC_WORKING_SET_NAME = "SeIncreaseWorkingSetPrivilege";
  public const string SE_LOAD_DRIVER_NAME = "SeLoadDriverPrivilege";
  public const string SE_LOCK_MEMORY_NAME = "SeLockMemoryPrivilege";
  public const string SE_MACHINE_ACCOUNT_NAME = "SeMachineAccountPrivilege";
  public const string SE_MANAGE_VOLUME_NAME = "SeManageVolumePrivilege";
  public const string SE_PROF_SINGLE_PROCESS_NAME = "SeProfileSingleProcessPrivilege";
  public const string SE_RELABEL_NAME = "SeRelabelPrivilege";
  public const string SE_REMOTE_SHUTDOWN_NAME = "SeRemoteShutdownPrivilege";
  public const string SE_RESTORE_NAME = "SeRestorePrivilege";
  public const string SE_SECURITY_NAME = "SeSecurityPrivilege";
  public const string SE_SHUTDOWN_NAME = "SeShutdownPrivilege";
  public const string SE_SYNC_AGENT_NAME = "SeSyncAgentPrivilege";
  public const string SE_SYSTEM_ENVIRONMENT_NAME = "SeSystemEnvironmentPrivilege";
  public const string SE_SYSTEM_PROFILE_NAME = "SeSystemProfilePrivilege";
  public const string SE_SYSTEMTIME_NAME = "SeSystemtimePrivilege";
  public const string SE_TAKE_OWNERSHIP_NAME = "SeTakeOwnershipPrivilege";
  public const string SE_TCB_NAME = "SeTcbPrivilege";
  public const string SE_TIME_ZONE_NAME = "SeTimeZonePrivilege";
  public const string SE_TRUSTED_CREDMAN_ACCESS_NAME = "SeTrustedCredManAccessPrivilege";
  public const string SE_UNDOCK_NAME = "SeUndockPrivilege";
  public const string SE_UNSOLICITED_INPUT_NAME = "SeUnsolicitedInputPrivilege";

  public static bool AddPrivilege(string privilege)
  {
   try
   {
    bool retVal;
    TokPriv1Luid tp;
    IntPtr hproc = GetCurrentProcess();
    IntPtr htok = IntPtr.Zero;
    retVal = OpenProcessToken(hproc, TOKEN_ADJUST_PRIVILEGES | TOKEN_QUERY, ref htok);
    tp.Count = 1;
    tp.Luid = 0;
    tp.Attr = SE_PRIVILEGE_ENABLED;
    retVal = LookupPrivilegeValue(null, privilege, ref tp.Luid);
    retVal = AdjustTokenPrivileges(htok, false, ref tp, 0, IntPtr.Zero, IntPtr.Zero);
    return retVal;
   }
   catch (Exception ex)
   {
    throw ex;
   }

  }
  public static bool RemovePrivilege(string privilege)
  {
   try
   {
    bool retVal;
    TokPriv1Luid tp;
    IntPtr hproc = GetCurrentProcess();
    IntPtr htok = IntPtr.Zero;
    retVal = OpenProcessToken(hproc, TOKEN_ADJUST_PRIVILEGES | TOKEN_QUERY, ref htok);
    tp.Count = 1;
    tp.Luid = 0;
    tp.Attr = SE_PRIVILEGE_DISABLED;
    retVal = LookupPrivilegeValue(null, privilege, ref tp.Luid);
    retVal = AdjustTokenPrivileges(htok, false, ref tp, 0, IntPtr.Zero, IntPtr.Zero);
    return retVal;
   }
   catch (Exception ex)
   {
    throw ex;
   }

  }
}
}
"@

# Take ownership
add-type $code
[void][CosmosKey.Utils.TokenManipulator]::AddPrivilege([CosmosKey.Utils.TokenManipulator]::SE_RESTORE_NAME)
$file = "\\$env:computername\c$\temp\file.txt"
$user = $env:username
$Account = New-Object System.Security.Principal.NTAccount($user)
$FileSecurity = new-object System.Security.AccessControl.FileSecurity
$FileSecurity.SetOwner($Account)
[System.IO.File]::SetAccessControl($file, $FileSecurity)
[void][CosmosKey.Utils.TokenManipulator]::RemovePrivilege([CosmosKey.Utils.TokenManipulator]::SE_RESTORE_NAME)