Sitecore preview feature switches active domain to extranet

Question

In our sitecore based website, we have custom sitecore modules for the use of sitecore administrators. Inside each module we do a credential check to see whether the current user is a sitecore user.

using Sitecore.Security.Authentication;

if (AuthenticationManager.GetActiveUser().Domain.Name != "sitecore")
{
   //not permitted to use the admin module
}

This check allows the administrators to use the custom module as long as they are logged into the sitecore portal. But the problem is whenever they use the sitecore "Preview" feature to preview some item, currently active user gets changed to "extranet\Anonymous". From this point onwards, our custom module thinks that the user is not a sitecore admin, and denies access to the module.

How to overcome this problem? We need this security check for our admin module as well as the preview feature.

Thanks in advance!

PS. Saw this on known issues when investigating further. http://sdn.sitecore.net/Products/Sitecore%20V5/Sitecore%20CMS%206/ReleaseNotes/KnownIssues%20Recommended/Users%20in%20Preview%20mode%20do%20not%20have%20access%20to%20restricted%20pages%20unless%20they%20log%20in%20on%20the%20website.aspx

Which version of Sitecore do you use? At which point of page lifecycle you check for the user's domain? I've checked it in my project, and during preview I'm getting "sitecore" domain for admin user. Does Sitecore.Context.User.GetDomainName() returns extranet for you as well? Are you sure the SecurityDisabler is not used in the code for preview? — Marek Musielak
Thanks for trying it out Maras. We are using Sitecore 6.6.0 (rev. 120918). I check for the domain in Page_Load. Sitecore.Context.User.GetDomainName() also give the same result. No we don't use the SecurityDisabler in the public website. (we occasionally use it in custom agents) — ravinsp

dmgdotnet dmgdotnet · Accepted Answer · 2013-05-27T03:56:06

The Preview application browses the site in the context of the extranet\anonymous user to show how the site looks/behaves for website visitors by hiding secure content etc. To perform the checks you are after in your module you could use Sitecore.Publishing.PreviewManager.GetShellUser() combined with Sitecore.Context.PageMode to get the logic you are looking for.

Sitecore preview feature switches active domain to extranet

1 Answers