Can't replicate successful HTTP Request in VBA; Returns 403 Error when made in VBA, but not cURL - vba

Question

This curl request works and gives a 200 response code when made through the windows command line:
curl -v -u user:pass -X GET https://www.website.com/path
When I try to make the same request in VBA, though, I get a 403 error and the response appears empty. I'm using this code:
Set objHTTP = CreateObject("WinHttp.WinHttpRequest.5.1")
objHTTP.Open "GET", "https://www.website.com/path", False
objHTTP.SetCredentials "user", "pass", 0
objHTTP.Send
I've made sure the reference to the WinHttpRequest 5.1 library was set via Tools>>References, but I'm no great shakes at VBA and don't know what else I might be doing wrong to recreate the successful curl request in VBA. C# WebRequest but not cURL Gives Error 403 seems to have a similar problem, but the answerer says curl also gives a 403, which isn't the case for me - and in any event, there doesn't seem to be a version of HttpClient for VBA, at least according to the documentation and this other question: VBA using HttpClient to connect to an external REST API.

Answer 1

I use an alternative in Access without any issues.
Dim WinHttp_ As Object
Set WinHttp_ = CreateObject("MSXML2.XMLHTTP")
WinHttp_.Open "GET", <url>, False, <user>, <password>
WinHttp_.Send
If WinHttp_.Status = 200 Then
'do whatever you need through WinHttp_.ResponseBody or WinHttp_.responseText
End If
Set WinHttp_ = Nothing
You may need to check the WinHttp_.ReadyState before checking the WinHttp_.Status.
https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/hh772834(v=vs.85).aspx

Answer 2

I was able to resolve my issue by switching to MSXML2 and encoding the authorization header in base 64. Not sure why this was necessary, but I'm leaving this here in case some other poor lost soul ends up with the same problem.
Set objHTTP = CreateObject("MSXML2.ServerXMLHTTP")
With objHTTP
.Open "GET", URL, False
.setRequestHeader "Authorization", "Basic " + Base64Encode("user:pass")
.setRequestHeader "Content-Type", "application/json"
.Send Body
End With