Running C# code with referenced DLL in PowerShell

Question

I know how to run C# code in PowerShell.
But in my C# code I want to use a referenced DLL (specifically NtApiDotNet).
I installed it with NuGet in Visual Studio and it works fine because the referenced DLL is referenced by Visual Studio.
When I use the code inside PowerShell I don't see an option to reference the C# code to this DLL.
I tried to load the DLL with [Reflection.Assembly]::LoadFile("c:\path\file.dll") | Out-Null but it need to be loaded inside the C# code and therefore it doesn't help me.

I also tried to load it like that:

Add-Type -Path "C:\Users\myuser\Downloads\NtApiDotNet.dll"

But it didn't work.

This is the powershell code:

$code = @"
using System;
using NtApiDotNet;

namespace ConsoleApplication2
{
    public class Program
    {
        public static void Main()
        {
            NtSection section = null;
            Console.WriteLine("C# code from PowerShell");
        }
    }
}
"@

$location = [PsObject].Assembly.Location
$compileParams = New-Object System.CodeDom.Compiler.CompilerParameters
$assemblyRange = @("System.dll", $location)
$compileParams.ReferencedAssemblies.AddRange($assemblyRange)
$compileParams.GenerateInMemory = $True
Add-Type -TypeDefinition $code -CompilerParameters $compileParams -passthru | Out-Null
[ConsoleApplication2.Program]::Main()

Because I don't reference the DLL I am getting the following error:

Add-Type : c:\Users\myuser\AppData\Local\Temp\s1fssauz.0.cs(2) : The type or namespace name 'NtApiDotNet' could not
be found (are you missing a using directive or an assembly reference?)
c:\Users\myuser\AppData\Local\Temp\s1fssauz.0.cs(1) : using System;
c:\Users\myuser\AppData\Local\Temp\s1fssauz.0.cs(2) : >>> using NtApiDotNet;
c:\Users\myuser\AppData\Local\Temp\s1fssauz.0.cs(3) :
At line:24 char:1
+ Add-Type -TypeDefinition $code -CompilerParameters $compileParams -pa ...
+ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    + CategoryInfo          : InvalidData: (Microsoft.Power...peCompilerError:AddTypeCompilerError) [Add-Type], Except
   ion
    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : SOURCE_CODE_ERROR,Microsoft.PowerShell.Commands.AddTypeCommand

Add-Type : Cannot add type. Compilation errors occurred.
At line:24 char:1
+ Add-Type -TypeDefinition $code -CompilerParameters $compileParams -pa ...
+ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    + CategoryInfo          : InvalidData: (:) [Add-Type], InvalidOperationException
    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : COMPILER_ERRORS,Microsoft.PowerShell.Commands.AddTypeCommand

Unable to find type [ConsoleApplication2.Program].
At line:25 char:1
+ [ConsoleApplication2.Program]::Main()
+ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    + CategoryInfo          : InvalidOperation: (ConsoleApplication2.Program:TypeName) [], RuntimeException

How can I reference the DLL so I would be able to use the referenced DLL NtApiDotNet ?

Issue similar to mine can be found here.

E235 · Accepted Answer · 2019-03-24 15:03:26Z

1

I just needed to add the DLL to ReferencedAssemblies.
This is the fixed line:

$assemblyRange = @("System.dll", $location, "C:\Users\myuser\Downloads\NtApiDotNet.dll")

I used the NtApiDotNet.dll from the releases.
When I compiled it according to the readme file:

dotnet build NtApiDotNet\NtApiDotNet.Core.csproj -c Release

The DLL didn't work correctly.

edited Mar 24, 2019 at 15:03

answered Mar 24, 2019 at 14:04

E235

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Comments

lbb1234 · Accepted Answer · 2020-04-12 13:35:14Z

1

I just ran into this problem as well, but fortunately I solved it. To address it, you need to install NtObjectManager module by using Install-Module "NtObjectManager" -Scope CurrentUser. If this not work, make sure you have import NtObjectManager.

answered Apr 12, 2020 at 13:35

lbb1234

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