AddressAccessDeniedException: HTTP could not register URL http://+:8080/api/ - how to: "netsh http add urlacl" programatically from .NET Process?

Question

I'm working on a project in .NET Framework 4.6.1, C# and WinForms (offline desktop app). I come from web-dev and I'm not very familiar with desktop apps.

For part of the app, I am using HttpSelfHostServer to give me API functionality.

        var config = new HttpSelfHostConfiguration("http://localhost:8080/api/");

        config.Routes.MapHttpRoute(
        "default", "api/{controller}/{action}/{id}", new { id = RouteParameter.Optional });
        config.EnableCors(new EnableCorsAttribute(origins: "*", headers: "*", methods: "*"));

        // pass in config to new server instance
        HttpSelfHostServer server = new HttpSelfHostServer(config);

        server.OpenAsync().Wait();
        Console.WriteLine("Press Enter to quit.");
        Console.ReadLine();

This throws an error: AddressAccessDeniedException: HTTP could not register URL http://+:8080/api/. Your process does not have access rights to this namespace

I have tried:

1. Use the netsh http add urlacl url=http://+:8080/api/ user=everyone command from the CMD as Administrator which fixes the issue but this is a bad solution. The end-user of the app should not have to use the command line.

2. Programatically run the above command:

        var netshProcess = new Process
        {
            StartInfo =
            {
                FileName = "cmd",
                Arguments = "netsh http add urlacl url=http://+:8080/api/ user=everyone",
                UseShellExecute = true,
                Verb = "runas",
   
                //WindowStyle = ProcessWindowStyle.Hidden
            }
        };
   
        try
        {
            netshProcess.Start();
   
        }
        catch (Exception portRegisterError)
        {
            Console.WriteLine(portRegisterError);
            throw;
        }
   

According to similar issues that I have found this should execute the command with Admin rights but all it does in my case is: opens Windows User Acces Control to confirm, then opens the command prompt window with no commands passed in (resulting in throwing the same AddressAccessDeniedException).

What am I missing?

I know that all this may seem like a 'hacky' way to do things but for various reasons, I do not have much choice in this and I just have to make this work one way or another without asking the end-user to do stuff.

I'd apriaciate any advice.

Many thanks.