HttpContext.Current.User is null under windows authentication (integrated pipeline)

Question

In the web.config:

Answer 1

I think this is a symptom of listening on the wrong event. You should probably listen for Application.PostAuthenticateRequest.

Running a sample piece of code using a project I have that authenticates against my local domain's Active Directory to ask if the User object is nothing:

Code

Sub Application_AuthenticateRequest(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As EventArgs)
    Debug.WriteLine("Authenticate Request: " & (HttpContext.Current.User Is Nothing))
End Sub

Sub Application_PostAuthenticateRequest(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As EventArgs)
    Debug.WriteLine("Post-authenticate Request: " & (HttpContext.Current.User Is Nothing))
End Sub

Output

Authenticate Request: True

Post-authenticate Request: False

Following the PostAuthenticateRequest event, the HttpContext.Current.User.Identity property is an instance of System.Security.Principal.GenericIdentity for unauthenticated requests.