Lookup user id and name from the source (read: no environmental variables consulted). Cross-platform compatible (Windows, *nix).

getuser.py

import os

class UserNotFound(Exception): pass

### Windows ###
if os.name == 'nt':
    import ctypes
    from ctypes import windll, wintypes

    class WinError:     # [1]
        InvalidParameter = 87
        InvalidSid = 1337

    class NtStatus:     # [2]
        Success         = 0x00000000
        NoneMapped      = 0xC0000073

    class AccessMask:   # [3]
        Delete                      = 0x00010000
        ReadControl                 = 0x00020000
        WriteDAC                    = 0x00040000
        WriteOwner                  = 0x00080000
        Synchronize                 = 0x00100000
        StandardRightsRequired      = 0x000F0000
        StandardRightsRead          = ReadControl
        StandardRightsWrite         = ReadControl
        StandardRightsExecute       = ReadControl
        StandardRightsAll           = 0x001F0000
        SpecificRightsAll           = 0x0000FFFF

    class TokenAccessLevels:        # See [4] and TokenAccessLevels.cs in Mono source
        AssignPrimary       = 1<<0
        Duplicate           = 1<<1
        Impersonate         = 1<<2
        Query               = 1<<3
        QuerySource         = 1<<4
        AdjustPrivileges    = 1<<5
        AdjustGroups        = 1<<6
        AdjustDefault       = 1<<7
        AdjustSessionId     = 1<<8
        Read                = AccessMask.StandardRightsRead | Query
        Write               = AccessMask.StandardRightsWrite | AdjustPrivileges | AdjustGroups | AdjustDefault
        AllAccess           = AccessMask.StandardRightsRequired | 0x1FF
        MaximumAllowed      = 0x2000000

    class TokenInformationClass:    # [5]
        User,\
        Groups,\
        Privileges,\
        Owner,\
        PrimaryGroup,\
        DefaultDacl,\
        Source,\
        Type,\
        ImpersonationLevel,\
        Statistics,\
        RestrictedSids,\
        SessionId,\
        GroupsAndPrivileges,\
        SessionReference,\
        SandBoxInert,\
        AuditPolicy,\
        Origin,\
        ElevationType,\
        LinkedToken,\
        Elevation,\
        HasRestrictions,\
        AccessInformation,\
        VirtualizationAllowed,\
        VirtualizationEnabled,\
        IntegrityLevel,\
        UIAccess,\
        MandatoryPolicy,\
        LogonSid,\
        IsAppContainer,\
        Capabilities,\
        AppContainerSid,\
        AppContainerNumber,\
        UserClaimAttributes,\
        DeviceClaimAttributes,\
        RestrictedUserClaimAttributes,\
        RestrictedDeviceClaimAttributes,\
        DeviceGroups,\
        RestrictedDeviceGroups,\
        SecurityAttributes,\
        IsRestricted,\
        = range(1, 41)

    class SidNameUse:   # [6]
        TypeUser,\
        TypeGroup,\
        TypeDomain,\
        TypeAlias,\
        TypeWellKnownGroup,\
        TypeDeletedAccount,\
        TypeInvalid,\
        TypeUnknown,\
        TypeComputer,\
        TypeLabel,\
        = range(1, 11)

    # Type declarations
    pSID = wintypes.HANDLE
    ENUM = ctypes.c_uint
 
    class SidAndAttributes(ctypes.Structure):   # [7]
        _fields_ = (
            ('Sid', pSID),
            ('Attributes', wintypes.DWORD),
        )

    class TokenUser(ctypes.Structure):          # [8]
        _fields_ = (
            ('User', SidAndAttributes),
        )

    _GetCurrentProcess = windll.kernel32.GetCurrentProcess      # [9]
    _GetCurrentProcess.restype = wintypes.HANDLE

    _OpenProcessToken = windll.advapi32.OpenProcessToken        # [10]
    _OpenProcessToken.restype = wintypes.BOOL
    _OpenProcessToken.argtypes = (
        wintypes.HANDLE,                # ProcessHandle
        wintypes.DWORD,                 # DesiredAccess
        ctypes.POINTER(wintypes.HANDLE) # TokenHandle (out)
    )

    _GetTokenInformation = windll.advapi32.GetTokenInformation  # [11]
    _GetTokenInformation.restype = wintypes.BOOL
    _GetTokenInformation.argtypes = (
        wintypes.HANDLE,    # TokenHandle
        ENUM,               # TokenInformationClass
        ctypes.c_void_p,    # TokenInformation (out)
        wintypes.DWORD,     # TokenInformationLength
        wintypes.PDWORD     # ReturnLength (out)
    )

    _ConvertStringSidToSid = windll.advapi32.ConvertStringSidToSidW     # [12]
    _ConvertStringSidToSid.restype = wintypes.BOOL
    _ConvertStringSidToSid.argtypes = (
        wintypes.LPWSTR,        # StringSid
        ctypes.POINTER(pSID),   # Sid (out)
    )

    _CovertSidToStringSid = windll.advapi32.ConvertSidToStringSidW      # [13]
    _CovertSidToStringSid.restype = wintypes.BOOL
    _CovertSidToStringSid.argtypes = (
        pSID,                           # Sid
        ctypes.POINTER(wintypes.LPWSTR) # StringSid (out)
    )

    _LocalFree = windll.kernel32.LocalFree      # [14]
    _LocalFree.restype = None
    _LocalFree.argtypes = (wintypes.HANDLE,)

    _IsValidSid = windll.advapi32.IsValidSid    # [15]
    _IsValidSid.restype = wintypes.BOOL
    _IsValidSid.argtypes = (pSID,)

    _LookupAccountSid = windll.advapi32.LookupAccountSidW   # [16]
    _LookupAccountSid.restype = wintypes.BOOL
    _LookupAccountSid.argtypes = (
        wintypes.LPWSTR,        # lpSystemName (optional)
        pSID,                   # lpSid
        wintypes.LPWSTR,        # lpName (out, optional)
        wintypes.LPDWORD,       # cchName (in/out)
        wintypes.LPWSTR,        # lpReferencedDomainName (out, optional)
        wintypes.LPDWORD,       # cchReferencedDomainName (in/out)
        ctypes.POINTER(ENUM),   # peUse (out)
    )

    class Sid:
        def __init__(self, sid):
            if isinstance(sid, str):
                self.pointer = pSID()
                status = _ConvertStringSidToSid(sid, self.pointer)
                if status == WinError.InvalidSid:
                    raise ValueError('Not a valid sid: %s' % sid)
                elif not status:
                    raise ctypes.WinError()
            else:
                if not _IsValidSid(sid):
                    raise ValueError('Invalid sid: %s' % sid)
                self.pointer = sid

        def __str__(self):
            buf = wintypes.LPWSTR()
            if not _CovertSidToStringSid(self.pointer, buf):
                raise ctypes.WinError()
            string_sid = buf.value
            _LocalFree(buf)
            return string_sid

    def _getpsid():
        proc_token = wintypes.HANDLE()
        if not _OpenProcessToken(_GetCurrentProcess(), TokenAccessLevels.Read, proc_token):
            raise ctypes.WinError()

        # Get required length by calling with a 0 length buffer
        length = wintypes.DWORD()
        _GetTokenInformation(proc_token, TokenInformationClass.User, None, 0, length)

        buf = ctypes.create_string_buffer(length.value)
        if not _GetTokenInformation(proc_token, TokenInformationClass.User, buf, len(buf), length):
            raise ctypes.WinError()

        token_user = ctypes.cast(buf, ctypes.POINTER(TokenUser)).contents
        return token_user.User.Sid


    def getuid():
        return str(Sid(_getpsid()))

    def lookup_username(uid=None):
        sid = Sid(uid or _getpsid())

        use = ENUM()
        cchName = wintypes.DWORD()
        cchReferencedDomainName = wintypes.DWORD()

        # Get required lengths by calling with 0 length buffers
        _LookupAccountSid(None, sid.pointer, None, cchName, None, cchReferencedDomainName, use)

        name = ctypes.create_unicode_buffer(cchName.value)
        domain = ctypes.create_unicode_buffer(cchReferencedDomainName.value)

        status = _LookupAccountSid(None, sid.pointer, name, cchName, domain, cchReferencedDomainName, use)
        if status == NtStatus.NoneMapped:
            raise UserNotFound('No such sid: %s' % sid)
        elif not status:
            raise ctypes.WinError()

        if use.value != SidNameUse.TypeUser:
            raise ValueError('Not a user sid: %s' % sid)

        return name.value

### Posix ###
else:
    import pwd
    from os import getuid

    def lookup_username(uid=None):
        if uid is None: uid = getuid()
        try:
            return pwd.getpwuid(uid)[0]
        except (KeyError, TypeError):
            raise UserNotFound('No such uid: %s' % uid)


__all__ = (getuid, lookup_username)

if __name__ == '__main__':
    print('%s %s' % (getuid(), lookup_username()))

# References:
# [1] http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/ms681381
# [2] http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc704588
# [3] http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/aa374892
# [4] http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa374905
# [5] http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/aa379626
# [6] http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/aa379601
# [7] http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/aa379595
# [8] http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/aa379634
# [9] http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/ms683179
# [10] http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa379295
# [11] http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/aa446671
# [12] http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa376402
# [13] http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/aa376399
# [14] http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/aa366730
# [15] http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/aa379151
# [16] http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/windows/desktop/aa379166

zzz-LICENSE.txt

The MIT License (MIT)

Copyright (c) 2014 Michael Kropat

Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy
of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal
in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights
to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell
copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is
furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:

The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in
all copies or substantial portions of the Software.

THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR
IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY,
FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE
AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER
LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM,
OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN
THE SOFTWARE.

Thanks for putting this together! Looks like there's a small typo on L183. Should be uid instead of sid:

@illusional Fixed. Thanks!