Introduction

Download EaseFilter Filter Driver SDK Setup File
Download EaseFilter Filter Driver SDK Zip File

A file system filter driver is an optional driver that adds value to or modifies the behavior of a file system. A file system filter driver is a kernel-mode component that runs as part of the Microsoft Windows NT executive. A file system filter driver can filter I/O operations for one or more file systems or file system volumes. Depending on the nature of the driver, filter can mean log, observe, modify, or even prevent. Typical applications for file system filter drivers include antivirus utilities, encryption programs, and hierarchical storage management systems.

Developing file system filter driver  is certainly a challenge job, it will take you months to  learn and get used to the file system filter driver development. The EaseFilter File System Control Filter Driver SDK can simplify your development and to provide you with a robust and well-tested file system filter driver that works well with all versions and patch releases of the Windows operating systems supported by Microsoft, it provides you a fully tested framework of the filter driver to support all IRP, tracing, logging, communication with user mode application, even you are a user mode developer and only knows c#, c++ or any other language, you can fully control your file system without  having the file system knowledge.

EaseFilter Control File System Filter Driver SDK

The EaseFilter control file system filter driver SDK includes two components (EaseFlt.sys and FilterAPI.dll), The EaseFlt.sys and FilterAPI.dll are different for 32bit and 64bit windows system.  EaseFlt.sys is the file system filter driver which provides a complete, modular environment for building active file system filters. FilterAPI.dll is a user mode DLL which is responsible for the communication between filter driver and your use mode application ,and it is also a wrapper DLL which exports the API to the user mode applications.

EaseFlt.sys includes the following modules:

·         Initialization module:

It is responsible for the registration of the filter driver, IRP.

 

·         Code tracing  module:

WPP tracing for debug purpose.

 

·         Event log module:

It is responsible for the event log setting related features.

 

·         Context module:

It is responsible for the context tracking. It is very important module which tracks the file I/O operations.

 

·         Communication module:

It is responsible for the communication with the user mode applications.

 

·         configuration module:

It is responsible for all the configuration settings.

 

·         Filter rules module:

It is responsible for the managed folders or files setup, which will be controlled by the control filter.

 

·         IRP base modules:

It is responsible for the IRP control code implementation if the IRP was registered in Initialization module.

 

FilterAPI DLL

It will create two communication channels with control filter driver, one is the data channel which provides the filter driver send data to the user mode application, another one is the control channel which is the user mode application send the control commands to the filter driver. This DLL provides the interfaces for the user mode applications to manipulate the control filter driver.

Use the control filter driver SDK step by step

 

Use for C++ application

Copy the correct version (32bit or 64bit) EaseFlt.sys, FilterAPI.DLL, FilterAPI.h and FilterAPI.lib to your folder. FilterAPI.h file  includes all the functions and structures used for connecting to the filter driver.  WinDataStructures.h file is part of the structures of windows API which is used in the example, for more structures please reference Microsoft MSDN website.

For monitor filter, it will only display the file system call messages which include  process Id, Thread Id, file name, user name, file system I/O type , etc.

For Control filter, the filter  will block and wait for the response if that I/O was registered, so it is better handle this request as soon as possible, or it will block the system call.

Use for C# application

Copy the correct version (32bit or 64bit) EaseFlt.sys , FilterAPI.DLL  and ,EaseFilter.cs  to your folder. EaseFilter.cs has the structures and APIs  used for connecting to the filter driver.

Set up the filter

Install the filter driver with InstallDriver() method if the driver has not been installed yet. After filter driver was installed, the filter was loaded, if not you can load the filter with command “Fltmc  load  EaseFlt” in dos prompt.  To remove the filter driver from the system, call UninstallDriver() method.

Start the filter

1.  Activate the filter with API SetRegistrationKey(). You can buy a license key with the link: http://www.EaseFilter.com/Order.htm   or email us  info@EaseFilter.com  to request a trial license key

2.  After register the callback function with API RegisterMessageCallback, filter is started.

 

BOOL ret = RegisterMessageCallback( FilterConnectionThreadsCount, MessageCallback, DisconnectCallback);

 

3. Setup the filter configuration after filter was started. First select the filter type, then add filter rule and register the I/O request:

 

BOOL ret = SetFilterType(FILE_SYSTEM_CONTROL);

BOOL ret = AddFilterRule((~ALLOW_OPEN_WITH_WRITE_ACCESS)&ALLOW_MAX_RIGHT_ACCESS ,L”C:\\MyMonitorFolder*”,L””);

BOOL ret = RegisterIORequest( POST_CREATE|POST_CLEANUP);

We provide C++ example and C# example to demonstrate how to use the EaseFilter File System Monitor and Control Filter.

Control file system I/O is very easy with the EaseFilter Control File System Filter Driver SDK.Here is some examples to demostrate how to use it:

 

1.   Not allow  modification for .doc extension files  in folder c:\protectFolder, you can do the following setting:

//Here is the example which you can’t modify all the .doc files, can’t write, can’t change security, can’t change file information ( creation time,last write time,file attributes..)

 

ULONG accessFlag = (~ALLOW_WRITE_ACCESS)& (~ALLOW_SET_INFORMATION)& (~ALLOW_SET_SECURITY_ACCESS)&  ALLOW_MAX_RIGHT_ACCESS;

WCHAR* filterMask = L”c:\\protectFolder\\*.doc”;

          AddFilterRule(accessFlag,filterMask,L"");

2.   Exclude  all files in folder c:\protectFolder\excludeFolder from all your filter rules:

 

//Here is the example show you how to exclude the folder from the filter rule.

//The filter driver will by pass all the I/O for folder c:\protectFolder\excludeFolder

 

ULONG accessFlag = EXCLUDE_FILTER_RULE;

WCHAR* filterMask = L”c:\\protectFolder\\excludeFolder\\*”;

AddFilterRule(accessFlag,filterMask,L"");

 

3.   Reparse open for all the files in folder c:\test to the folder d:\reparse:

 

//Here is the reparse example, when you open the files in folder c:\test, it will open the same file name in the folder d:\reparse

 

ULONG accessFlag = REPARSE_FILE_OPEN;

WCHAR* filterMask = L”c:\\test\\*”;

WCHAR* reparseMask = L”d:\\reparse\\*”;

AddFilterRule(accessFlag,filterMask, reparseMask);

 

4.   Hide all files with extension .txt from folder c:\test, when you browse the folder, all the .txt files will be hidden from the file list.

 

ULONG accessFlag = HIDE_FILES_IN_DIRECTORY_BROWSING;

WCHAR* filterMask = L”c:\\test\\*”;

WCHAR* reparseMask = L”*.txt”;

AddFilterRule(accessFlag,filterMask,reparseMask);

 

5.   Not allow file information modification for all files in folder c:\protectFolder:

 

//Here is the example you can’t change the file information( file time, attribute, file size..) for all the files in folder c:\protectFolder

 

//remove set information access access permission

ULONG accessFlag = (~ALLOW_SET_INFORMATION) & ALLOW_MAX_RIGHT_ACCESS;

WCHAR* filterMask = L”c:\\protectFolder\\*”;

AddFilterRule(accessFlag,filterMask,L"");

 

6.   Not allow renaming file operation for all files in folder c:\protectFolder:

 

ULONG accessFlag = (~ALLOW_FILE_RENAME) & ALLOW_MAX_RIGHT_ACCESS;

WCHAR* filterMask = L”c:\\protectFolder\\*”;

AddFilterRule(accessFlag,filterMask,L"");

 

7.   Not allow  file deletion for all files in folder c:\protectFolder:

 

ULONG accessFlag = (~ALLOW_FILE_DELETE) & ALLOW_MAX_RIGHT_ACCESS;

WCHAR* filterMask = L”c:\\protectFolder\\*”;

AddFilterRule(accessFlag,filterMask,L"");

 

8.   Not allow changing the file size for all files in folder c:\protectFolder:

 

ULONG accessFlag = (~ALLOW_FILE_SIZE_CHANGE) & ALLOW_MAX_RIGHT_ACCESS;

WCHAR* filterMask = L”c:\\protectFolder\\*”;

AddFilterRule(accessFlag,filterMask,L"");

 

9.   Not allow browsing the folder c:\protectFolder, when browse the folder, you will get access denied error.

 

ULONG accessFlag = (~ALLOW_DIRECTORY_LIST_ACCESS) & ALLOW_MAX_RIGHT_ACCESS;

WCHAR* filterMask = L”c:\\protectFolder\\*”;

AddFilterRule(accessFlag,filterMask,L"");

Here is the examples how to modify the I/O data before it passes to the file system or after returns from the file system.

 

1.  Test read request data modification.

 

Here is the example when you open and read the file’s content from the folder c:\protectFolder, it will invoke your call back function, And you can return your own customized data.

 

          Set the filter rule and register the pre-read requests:

 

ULONG accessFlag = ALLOW_OPEN_WITH_READ_ACCESS |ALLOW_READ_ACCESS;

WCHAR* filterMask = L”c:\\protectFolder\\*”;

          AddFilterRule(accessFlag,filterMask,L"");

 

ULONG requestRegistration = PRE_FASTIO_READ|PRE_CACHE_READ|PRE_NOCACHE_READ|PRE_PAGING_IO_READ| POST_FASTIO_READ| POST_CACHE_READ| POST_NOCACHE_READ| POST_PAGING_IO_READ;

          RegisterIoRequest(requestRegistration);

 

          In your message callback function you can handle the request as following:

 

      BOOL

__stdcall

MessageCallback(

                        IN          PMESSAGE_SEND_DATA pSendMessage,

      IN OUT      PMESSAGE_REPLY_DATA pReplyMessage)

{

 

            //make sure the replyMessage buffer is not NULL.

            if(pReplyMessage)

            {

                  switch( pSendMessage->MessageType )

                  {

                       

                        case PRE_FASTIO_READ:

                        case PRE_CACHE_READ:

                        case PRE_NOCACHE_READ:

                        case PRE_PAGING_IO_READ:

                        {

                        //

                        //Return your own data without go down to the file system.

                        //

ULONG dataLength = (ULONG)strlen(GetReplaceData());

 

                              if( pSendMessage->Length < dataLength )

                              {

                                    dataLength = pSendMessage->Length;

                              }

 

                              memcpy(pReplyMessage->DataBuffer,GetReplaceData(),dataLength);

                              pReplyMessage->DataBufferLength = dataLength;

 

                              pReplyMessage->FilterStatus = FILTER_MESSAGE_IS_DIRTY|FILTER_COMPLETE_PRE_OPERATION|FILTER_DATA_BUFFER_IS_UPDATED;

                              pReplyMessage->ReturnStatus = STATUS_SUCCESS;

}

 

                        case POST_FASTIO_READ:

                        case POST_CACHE_READ:

                        case POST_NOCACHE_READ:

                        case POST_PAGING_IO_READ:

                        {

                              //

                              //Modify the data which returns from the file system.

                              //

                       

                              if( IsTestFile(pSendMessage->FileName,pSendMessage->FileNameLength) )

                              {

//Only control the files which is my test file.

     

                                    memcpy(pReplyMessage->DataBuffer,pSendMessage->DataBuffer,pSendMessage->DataBufferLength);

                                    //merge test data to the beginning of the buffer.

                                    ULONG dataLength = (ULONG)strlen(GetReplaceData());

 

                                    if( pSendMessage->Length < dataLength )

                                    {

                                          dataLength = pSendMessage->Length;

                                    }

 

                                    memcpy(pReplyMessage->DataBuffer,GetReplaceData(),dataLength);

                                    pReplyMessage->DataBufferLength = dataLength;

 

                                                     

                                    pReplyMessage->FilterStatus = FILTER_MESSAGE_IS_DIRTY|FILTER_DATA_BUFFER_IS_UPDATED;

                                    pReplyMessage->ReturnStatus = STATUS_SUCCESS;

                              }

}

}

            }

}

2.  Test write request data modification. Change the write data before it goes down to the file system.

The AddFilterRule is the same as read request test.

ULONG requestRegistration = PRE_FASTIO_WRITE | PRE_CACHE_WRITE | PRE_NOCACHE_WRITE | PRE_PAGING_IO_WRITE;

          RegisterIoRequest(requestRegistration);

 

In the message callback function you can handle the write request as following:

      case PRE_FASTIO_WRITE:

      case PRE_CACHE_WRITE:

      case PRE_NOCACHE_WRITE:

      case PRE_PAGING_IO_WRITE:

      {

            //

            //Modiy the write data buffer before it goes down to the file system.

            //

                       

            memcpy(pReplyMessage->DataBuffer,pSendMessage->DataBuffer,pSendMessage->DataBufferLength);

            //merge test data to the beginning of the buffer.

            ULONG dataLength = (ULONG)strlen(GetReplaceData());

            if( pSendMessage->Length < dataLength )

            {

                  dataLength = pSendMessage->Length;

            }

 

            memcpy(pReplyMessage->DataBuffer,GetReplaceData(),dataLength);

            pReplyMessage->DataBufferLength = dataLength;

 

            pReplyMessage->FilterStatus = FILTER_MESSAGE_IS_DIRTY|FILTER_DATA_BUFFER_IS_UPDATED;

            pReplyMessage->ReturnStatus = STATUS_SUCCESS;

}

3.  Test query information request.

The AddFilterRule is the same as read request test.

ULONG requestRegistration = PRE_QUERY_INFORMATION | POST_QUERY_INFORMATION;

RegisterIoRequest(requestRegistration);

 

In the message callback function you can handle the query information request as following:

case PRE_QUERY_INFORMATION:

      {

                       

            //

            //Return your own information without go down to the file system, here is the example

            //when the user querys the basic information for the creation time,change time,file attributes,

            //You return your own basic information to the user.

            //

            if( pSendMessage->InfoClass == FileBasicInformation )

            {

 

                  //Here is only the example for the FileBasicInformation class, for other classes, you do the same thing.

                             

FILE_BASIC_INFORMATION basicInfo;

                  basicInfo.ChangeTime = basicInfo.LastWriteTime

                  = basicInfo.CreationTime = basicInfo.LastAccessTime = GetTestFileTime();

                  basicInfo.FileAttributes = FILE_ATTRIBUTE_READONLY;

 

                  memcpy(pReplyMessage->DataBuffer,&basicInfo,sizeof(FILE_BASIC_INFORMATION));

                  pReplyMessage->DataBufferLength = sizeof(FILE_BASIC_INFORMATION);

                  pReplyMessage->FilterStatus = FILTER_MESSAGE_IS_DIRTY|FILTER_COMPLETE_PRE_OPERATION|FILTER_DATA_BUFFER_IS_UPDATED;

                  pReplyMessage->ReturnStatus = STATUS_SUCCESS;

            }

}

      case POST_QUERY_INFORMATION:

      {

                       

            //

            //Change the information which returns from the file system,here is the example

            //when the user querys the basic information for the creation time,change time,file attributes,

            //You change the basic information which returns from the file system with your own basic information.

            //

                       

            if( IsTestFile(pSendMessage->FileName,pSendMessage->FileNameLength) )

            {                      

                  if( pSendMessage->InfoClass == FileBasicInformation )

                  {

                        PFILE_BASIC_INFORMATION basicInfo = (PFILE_BASIC_INFORMATION)pSendMessage->DataBuffer;

                        basicInfo->ChangeTime = basicInfo->LastWriteTime = GetTestFileTime();

                        basicInfo->FileAttributes |= FILE_ATTRIBUTE_READONLY;

 

                        memcpy(pReplyMessage->DataBuffer,basicInfo,sizeof(FILE_BASIC_INFORMATION));

                        pReplyMessage->DataBufferLength = sizeof(FILE_BASIC_INFORMATION);

                        pReplyMessage->FilterStatus = FILTER_MESSAGE_IS_DIRTY|FILTER_DATA_BUFFER_IS_UPDATED;

                        pReplyMessage->ReturnStatus = STATUS_SUCCESS;

                  }

 

                  //for other information class is the same process.

            }

                                   

}

 

4.  Test set information request.

The AddFilterRule is the same as read request test.

ULONG requestRegistration = PRE_SET_INFORMATION;

RegisterIoRequest(requestRegistration);

 

In the message callback function you can handle the set information request as following:

 

case PRE_SET_INFORMATION:

      {

                       

            //

            //Change the information before write down to the file system.Here is the example when the user changes the file

            //information, before the request goes down to the file system, you complete the request with your own data.

            //

                       

            if( IsTestFile(pSendMessage->FileName,pSendMessage->FileNameLength) )

            {                

                  if( pSendMessage->InfoClass == FileBasicInformation )

                  {

                        PFILE_BASIC_INFORMATION basicInfo = (PFILE_BASIC_INFORMATION)pSendMessage->DataBuffer;

                        basicInfo->ChangeTime = basicInfo->LastWriteTime = GetTestFileTime();

                        basicInfo->FileAttributes = FILE_ATTRIBUTE_READONLY;

 

                        memcpy(pReplyMessage->DataBuffer,basicInfo,sizeof(FILE_BASIC_INFORMATION));

                        pReplyMessage->DataBufferLength = sizeof(FILE_BASIC_INFORMATION);

 

                        pReplyMessage->FilterStatus = FILTER_MESSAGE_IS_DIRTY|FILTER_DATA_BUFFER_IS_UPDATED;

                        pReplyMessage->ReturnStatus = STATUS_SUCCESS;

 

                  }

 

                  //for other information class is the same process.

            }

      }

 

5.  Test change the directory browse request data.

The AddFilterRule is the same as read request test.

ULONG requestRegistration = POST_DIRECTORY;

RegisterIoRequest(requestRegistration);

 

In the message callback function you can handle the directory request as following:

 

      case POST_DIRECTORY:

      {

            //

            //Change the information which returns from the file system. Here is the example how to hide all the files whose file size greater than 1024 bytes.

            // Add ReadOnly to all the file’s FileAttributes, change FileSize to test file size for all files;

            //

 

            if(STATUS_SUCCESS == pSendMessage->Status && IsTestFolder(pSendMessage->FileName) )

            {                            

                  //here we use FileBothDirectoryInformation as example, for other classes, you can do the same operation.

     

                  if( pSendMessage->InfoClass == FileBothDirectoryInformation )

                  {

                        memcpy(pReplyMessage->DataBuffer,pSendMessage->DataBuffer,pSendMessage->DataBufferLength);

                        pReplyMessage->DataBufferLength = pSendMessage->DataBufferLength;

                        pReplyMessage->ReturnStatus = STATUS_SUCCESS;

 

                        PFILE_BOTH_DIR_INFORMATION          fileBothDirInfo = (PFILE_BOTH_DIR_INFORMATION)pReplyMessage->DataBuffer;

                        ULONG returnBufferLength = 0;

                        ULONG totalBufferLength = pReplyMessage->DataBufferLength;

 

                        if( NULL == fileBothDirInfo )

                        {

                              PrintErrorMessage(L"POST_DIRECTORY return empty databuffer",0);

                        }

 

                        BOOL isDatabufferUpdated = FALSE;

 

                        while( fileBothDirInfo )

                        {

                              ULONG nextOffset = fileBothDirInfo->NextEntryOffset;

 

                              PrintMessage(L"FileName:%ws Attributes:0x%0x FileSize:%I64d\n"

                                          ,fileBothDirInfo->FileName,fileBothDirInfo->FileAttributes,fileBothDirInfo->EndOfFile.QuadPart);

 

                              //You can modify the data of the fileBothDirInfo, but must be careful to change the size of the entry.

                              //This structure must be aligned on a LONGLONG (8-byte) boundary. If a buffer contains two or more of these structures,

                              //the NextEntryOffset value in each entry, except the last, falls on an 8-byte boundary.

 

                              //Test: Hide all the files whose file size greater than 1024 bytes.

                              if( fileBothDirInfo->EndOfFile.QuadPart > 1024 )

                              {                      

                                    if( nextOffset != 0 )

                                    {

                                          PrintMessage(L"File %ws is filtered",fileBothDirInfo->FileName);

                                          memmove (fileBothDirInfo,(PUCHAR)fileBothDirInfo + nextOffset,totalBufferLength - returnBufferLength - nextOffset );

                                          isDatabufferUpdated = TRUE;

                                          continue;

                                    }

                                    else

                                    {

                                          fileBothDirInfo->NextEntryOffset = 0;

                                    }

                              }

 

                              //Test: Add ReadOnly to the FileAttributes, change FileSize to test file size for all files;

                              if(NULL == (fileBothDirInfo->FileAttributes & FILE_ATTRIBUTE_DIRECTORY) )

                              {

                                    PrintMessage(L"File %ws attributs:0x%0x was added ReadOnly,Filesize:%I64d was changed to 1234567890"

                                          ,fileBothDirInfo->FileName,fileBothDirInfo->FileAttributes,fileBothDirInfo->EndOfFile.QuadPart);

 

                                    fileBothDirInfo->FileAttributes |= FILE_ATTRIBUTE_READONLY;

                                    fileBothDirInfo->EndOfFile.QuadPart = GetTestFileSize();

                                    isDatabufferUpdated = TRUE;

                              }

 

                              returnBufferLength += nextOffset;

                                         

                              if( nextOffset == 0)

                              {

                                    returnBufferLength += sizeof(FILE_BOTH_DIR_INFORMATION) + fileBothDirInfo->FileNameLength - sizeof(WCHAR);

                                    fileBothDirInfo = NULL;

                              }

                              else

                              {

                                    fileBothDirInfo = (PFILE_BOTH_DIR_INFORMATION)((PUCHAR)fileBothDirInfo + nextOffset);

                              }

 

                        }

 

                        pReplyMessage->DataBufferLength = returnBufferLength;

 

                        //if you filter out all the files, you can return no more files status. The system won't generate another request.

                        if( returnBufferLength == 0 )

                        {

                              pReplyMessage->ReturnStatus = STATUS_NO_MORE_FILES;  

                        }

 

                        if( isDatabufferUpdated )

                        {

                              PrintMessage(L"Update directory buffer,original length:%d new length:%d",pSendMessage->DataBufferLength,pReplyMessage->DataBufferLength);

                              pReplyMessage->FilterStatus = FILTER_MESSAGE_IS_DIRTY|FILTER_DATA_BUFFER_IS_UPDATED;

                        }

                  }

            }

 

      }