[Bug] MsalCacheHelper.CreateAsync or MsalCacheHelper.RegisterCache not creating cache file.

[TovTyvold]

Library version used

4.61.1

.NET version

.Net Framework 4.8

Scenario

PublicClient - desktop app

Is this a new or an existing app?

The app is in production, and I have upgraded to a new version of MSAL

Issue description and reproduction steps

This is an attempt to take issue #4681 , as the issue is relevant to us and no further discussion was ongoing in that issue.

MsalCacheHelper.CreateAsync(StorageCreationProperties) does create a folder for the MsalCache, but MsalCacheHelper.RegisterCache(ITokenCache) fails to create the msal-cache file.
If a series of CreateAsync and RegisterCache calls are made, one can observer the msal-cache LOCK file appearing and disappearing, implying creation of some sort.

This issue started appearing ever since we upgraded the Microsoft.Identity.Client.Extensions.Msal library from 2.19.3 to 4.61.1.
Microsoft.Identity.Client was also upgraded from 4.38.0 to 4.61.1. The code has not been altered in any way, only the csproj files.

Prior the upgrades, the cache file was getting created and everything was fine. However, after upgrade the cache file is not getting created and we are getting continuous login popups. The authentication is valid and the request goes through, but for each request we get a popup(since the caching fails).

IPublicClientApplication.GetAccountsAsync continuously returns no accounts since there is no cache file.

It seems like either CreateAsync and RegisterCache fails to do what it does. No exception is thrown so there is little to work with.

Relevant code snippets

string CacheFileName = "msal-cache";
string CacheDir = Path.Combine(Environment.GetFolderPath(Environment.SpecialFolder.LocalApplicationData), "MsalCache");
IMsalHttpClientFactory httpClientFactory = new AuthenticationClientFactory(env);
var pca = PublicClientApplicationBuilder
    .Create(env.ClientId)
    .WithAuthority(env.Authority)
    .WithRedirectUri("some-redirect")
    .WithHttpClientFactory(httpClientFactory)
    .Build();

var storagePropertiesBuilder =
     new StorageCreationPropertiesBuilder(CacheFileName, CacheDir);
StorageCreationProperties storageProperties = storagePropertiesBuilder.Build();
var cacheHelper = await MsalCacheHelper.CreateAsync(storageProperties);
cacheHelper.RegisterCache(pca.UserTokenCache);

Expected behavior

A cache-file is created in its designated place.

Identity provider

Microsoft Entra ID (Work and School accounts and Personal Microsoft accounts)

Regression

2.19.3

Solution and workarounds

No response

[TovTyvold]

Attaching a TraceSource to the MsalCacheHelper outs this:

Initialized` ' Storage'
Registering token cache with on disk storage
Done initializing
Before access
Acquiring lock for token cache
Before access, the store has changed
Reading Data
An exception was encountered while reading data from the Storage : System.IO.FileNotFoundException: Could not load file or assembly 'System.Security.Cryptography.ProtectedData, Version=4.0.3.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b03f5f7f11d50a3a' or one of its dependencies. The system cannot find the file specified.
File name: 'System. Security.Cryptography.ProtectedData, Version=4.0.3.0, Culture-neutral,
at Microsoft . Identity .Client . Extensions.Msa1.DpApiEncryptedFi1eAccessor.Read()
at Microsoft . Identity. Client . Extensions .Msa1. Storage. ReadData()
Post-policy reference: System. Security.Cryptography.ProtectedData, Version—4.0.3.0, Culture—neutral,
Attempting download of new URL..
Attempting download of new URL..
Attempting download of new URL..
Error: 0 Could not read the token cache. Ignoring. See previous error message.
After access
Released lock

It looks like the MSAL extension is looking for System. Security.Cryptography.ProtectedData, Version—4.0.3.0, even though i only have any reference or bind to System. Security.Cryptography.ProtectedData, Version—8.0.0.0 and all versions in between 0.0.0.0-8.0.0.0 should go to 8.0.0.0. Because of this, the binding fails to find the correct assembly and it fails.
Although this is probably some configuration on my side, that this does not throw in my application is really weird, as it fails to find the correct assembly bindings AND fails to create the token cache.