How to bypass UAC prompts from LocalServiceControl (for Hikvision devices)

We recently encountered a situation where upgrading our Hikvision NVR to the latest available version left us feeling regretful.

The update came with the ability to view the NVR by means of Edge/Chrome using the LocalServiceComponents.exe installer – however, as many of you are aware, LocalServiceControl.exe wants administrative access – which many users do not have.

Through experimentation, we discovered an effective solution to suppress the access warning whilst also still allowing the plug-in to load normally.

This article delves into the technical details of the issue and provides step-by-step instructions for resolving it.

Once you’re done, you should be able to see the cameras normally without being bothered by the warning of the UAC prompts.

How to Get Rid of Windows Warning When Accessing Hikvision NVR or Cameras

To pinpoint the cause behind LocalServiceControl.exe prompting for administrative credentials, we turned to LuaBugLight.exe, a tool running on a Windows 10 virtual machine.

Through analysis, we identified what triggers LocalServiceControl.exe to prompt for credentials:

• Read/Write access to registry key: “Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\WinSock2”
• Read/Write access to: “C:\Program Files (x86)\LocalServiceComponents\”
• User to be in the Administrators group.

While rectifying the first two requirements was relatively straightforward using a Group Policy that granted “Everyone” full control, the third requirement proved to be more complex.

The Solution –  We successfully resolved the issue by following these steps:

1. 1. Download and install the latest Windows ADK. The link is here: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-hardware/get-started/adk-install
   2. Install the “Application Compatibility Tools”.
   3. Launch the “Compatibility Administrator (32-bit)”.
   4. Right click “New Database(1) [Untitled_1]] –> Create New –> Application Fix
   5. Give it a name (For example, ocalServiceControl Shim) –> Click “Browse” –> Navigate to “C:\Program Files(x86)\LocalServiceComponents\LocalServiceControl.exe” –> Open –> Next –> Next.
   6. On the “Compatibility Fixes” screen – select “ForceAdminAccess” –> Next –> (Here uncheck everything in the hopes of avoiding issues with future potential updates/version changes) –> Finish.
   7. Save and name it. If you’re trying to stay consistent you can reuse “LocalServiceControl Shim” (or whatever name you used).
   8. You can then run “sdbinst -q “C:\Share\LocalServiceControl Shim.sdb”” – which should install the shim. Reboot to have everything applied.

Following the implementation of these steps, our NVR system now operates without the previous administrative access issues.

These instructions have been successfully tested on both Windows 10 and Windows 11 platforms.

(Many thanks to furay20 for creating and testing out this method.)

What are Windows UAC Prompts?

Windows User Account Control (UAC) prompts are a security feature in the Microsoft Windows operating system.

UAC is designed to prevent unauthorized changes to the system by requiring user consent or administrator credentials for certain actions that could potentially affect the system’s settings or installed software.

When an application or a user tries to perform a task that requires elevated privileges, such as installing software, changing system settings, or modifying files in protected system directories, Windows displays a UAC prompt.

This prompt appears as a dialog box that asks for confirmation or requests the user to enter administrator credentials.

By default, UAC is enabled in Windows, and the level of prompting can be adjusted in the User Account Control settings. The available options are:

Always notify: This is the highest level of UAC security. The user is prompted for consent or to enter administrator credentials every time a task requires elevated privileges.

Notify me only when programs try to make changes to my computer: This is the default setting. The user is notified when an application attempts to make system changes, but not for Windows settings changes.

Notify me only when programs try to make changes to my computer (do not dim my desktop): Similar to the previous option, but UAC prompts do not dim the desktop.

Never notify: UAC is effectively disabled, and no prompts are shown. This is not recommended for security reasons unless the user is an advanced user who understands the risks.