DCOM security levels
- Last UpdatedMay 28, 2025
- 1 minute read
Access to a COM server is governed by Windows security and controlled by access control lists (ACLs), which grant specific users or groups permission to use that server. In addition, system-level policies and settings determine how users are authenticated and how permissions are granted.
DCOM security is implemented on several levels:
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System-level ACLs, settings and policies define the minimum level of security for all DCOM components (the Edit Limits ACLs in dcomcnfg utility).
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Default ACLs and security levels are used if a DCOM component does not explicitly set a security level (the Edit Defaults ACLs in dcomcnfg utility).
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Custom ACLs and security levels can be specified for individual DCOM servers using the Windows dcomcnfg utility.
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Custom security can be implemented in code by the DCOM server (CoInitializeSecurity).