Security Guide


JBoss Enterprise Application Platform 6.3

For Use with Red Hat JBoss Enterprise Application Platform 6

Red Hat Customer Content Services

Abstract

This book is a guide to securing Red Hat JBoss Enterprise Application Platform 6 and its patch releases.

Part I. Security for Red Hat JBoss Enterprise Application Platform 6

Chapter 1. Introduction

1.1. About Red Hat JBoss Enterprise Application Platform 6

Red Hat JBoss Enterprise Application Platform 6 (JBoss EAP 6) is a middleware platform built on open standards and compliant with the Java Enterprise Edition 6 specification. It integrates JBoss Application Server 7 with high-availability clustering, messaging, distributed caching, and other technologies.
JBoss EAP 6 includes a new, modular structure that allows service enabling only when required, improving start-up speed.
The Management Console and Management Command Line Interface make editing XML configuration files unnecessary and add the ability to script and automate tasks.
In addition, JBoss EAP 6 includes APIs and development frameworks for quickly developing secure and scalable Java EE applications.

1.2. About Securing JBoss EAP 6

Computer security is the all encompassing term given to the field of information technology that deals with securing the virtual environments that power the digital age. This can include data protection and integrity, application security, risk and vulnerability assessment and authentication and authorization protocols.
Computer data is an all important asset for most organizations. Data protection is vital and forms the core of most businesses. JBoss EAP 6 provides a multi-layered approach to security to take care of data at all stages.
Truly secure systems are the ones that are designed from the ground up with security as the main feature. Such systems use the principle of Security by Design. In such systems, malicious attacks and infiltration's are accepted as part and parcel of normal security apparatus and systems are designed to work around them.
Security can be applied at the operating system, middleware and application level. For more information about security at the operating system level as it applies to RHEL, refer to the Red Hat Enterprise Linux Security Guide.
In the coming chapters, you will read about the different levels and layers of security within JBoss EAP 6. These layers provides the infrastructure for all security functionality within the platform.

Part II. Securing the Platform

Chapter 2. Java Security Manager

2.1. About the Java Security Manager

Java Security Manager
The Java Security Manager is a class that manages the external boundary of the Java Virtual Machine (JVM) sandbox, controlling how code executing within the JVM can interact with resources outside the JVM. When the Java Security Manager is activated, the Java API checks with the security manager for approval before executing a wide range of potentially unsafe operations.
The Java Security Manager uses a security policy to determine whether a given action will be permitted or denied.

2.2. About Java Security Manager Policies

Security Policy
A set of defined permissions for different classes of code. The Java Security Manager compares actions requested by applications against the security policy. If an action is allowed by the policy, the Security Manager will permit that action to take place. If the action is not allowed by the policy, the Security Manager will deny that action. The security policy can define permissions based on the location of code, on the code's signature, or based on the subject's principals.
The Java Security Manager and the security policy used are configured using the Java Virtual Machine options java.security.manager and java.security.policy.
Basic Information

A security policy's entry consists of the following configuration elements, which are connected to the policytool:

CodeBase
The URL location (excluding the host and domain information) where the code originates from. This parameter is optional.
SignedBy
The alias used in the keystore to reference the signer whose private key was used to sign the code. This can be a single value or a comma-separated list of values. This parameter is optional. If omitted, presence or lack of a signature has no impact on the Java Security Manager.
Principals
A list of principal_type/principal_name pairs, which must be present within the executing thread's principal set. The Principals entry is optional. If it is omitted, it signifies that the principals of the executing thread will have no impact on the Java Security Manager.
Permissions
A permission is the access which is granted to the code. Many permissions are provided as part of the Java Enterprise Edition 6 (Java EE 6) specification.

2.3. Run JBoss EAP 6 Within the Java Security Manager

To specify a Java Security Manager policy, you need to edit the Java options passed to the domain or server instance during the bootstrap process. For this reason, you cannot pass the parameters as options to the domain.sh or standalone.sh scripts. The following procedure guides you through the steps of configuring your instance to run within a Java Security Manager policy.

Prerequisites

  • Before you following this procedure, you need to write a security policy, using the policytool command which is included with your Java Development Kit (JDK). This procedure assumes that your policy is located at EAP_HOME/bin/server.policy. As an alternative, write the security policy using any text editor and manually save it as EAP_HOME/bin/server.policy
  • The domain or standalone server must be completely stopped before you edit any configuration files.
Perform the following procedure for each physical host or instance in your domain, if you have domain members spread across multiple systems.

Procedure 2.1. Configure the Security Manager for JBoss EAP 6

  1. Open the configuration file.

    Open the configuration file for editing. This file is located in one of two places, depending on whether you use a managed domain or standalone server. This is not the executable file used to start the server or domain.
    • Managed Domain

      • For Linux: EAP_HOME/bin/domain.conf
      • For Windows: EAP_HOME\bin\domain.conf.bat
    • Standalone Server

      • For Linux: EAP_HOME/bin/standalone.conf
      • For Windows: EAP_HOME\bin\standalone.conf.bat
  2. Add the Java options to the file.

    To ensure the Java options are used, add them to the code block that begins with:
    if [ "x$JAVA_OPTS" = "x" ]; then
    
    You can modify the -Djava.security.policy value to specify the exact location of your security policy. It should go onto one line only, with no line break. Using == when setting the -Djava.security.policy property specifies that the security manager will use only the specified policy file. Using = specifies that the security manager will use the specified policy combined with the policy set in the policy.url section of JAVA_HOME/lib/security/java.security.

    Important

    JBoss Enterprise Application Platform releases from 6.2.2 onwards require that the system property jboss.modules.policy-permissions is set to true.

    Example 2.1. domain.conf

    JAVA_OPTS="$JAVA_OPTS -Djava.security.manager -Djava.security.policy==$PWD/server.policy -Djboss.home.dir=/path/to/EAP_HOME -Djboss.modules.policy-permissions=true"

    Example 2.2. domain.conf.bat

    set "JAVA_OPTS=%JAVA_OPTS% -Djava.security.manager -Djava.security.policy==\path\to\server.policy -Djboss.home.dir=\path\to\EAP_HOME -Djboss.modules.policy-permissions=true"

    Example 2.3. standalone.conf

    JAVA_OPTS="$JAVA_OPTS -Djava.security.manager -Djava.security.policy==$PWD/server.policy -Djboss.home.dir=$JBOSS_HOME -Djboss.modules.policy-permissions=true"

    Example 2.4. standalone.conf.bat

    set "JAVA_OPTS=%JAVA_OPTS% -Djava.security.manager -Djava.security.policy==\path\to\server.policy -Djboss.home.dir=%JBOSS_HOME% -Djboss.modules.policy-permissions=true"
  3. Start the domain or server.

    Start the domain or server as normal.

2.4. Write a Java Security Manager Policy

Introduction

An application called policytool is included with most JDK and JRE distributions, for the purpose of creating and editing Java Security Manager security policies. Detailed information about policytool is linked from http://docs.oracle.com/javase/6/docs/technotes/tools/.

Procedure 2.2. Setup a new Java Security Manager Policy

  1. Start policytool.

    Start the policytool tool in one of the following ways.
    • Red Hat Enterprise Linux

      From your GUI or a command prompt, run /usr/bin/policytool.
    • Microsoft Windows Server

      Run policytool.exe from your Start menu or from the bin\ of your Java installation. The location can vary.
  2. Create a policy.

    To create a policy, select Add Policy Entry. Add the parameters you need, then click Done.
  3. Edit an existing policy

    Select the policy from the list of existing policies, and select the Edit Policy Entry button. Edit the parameters as needed.
  4. Delete an existing policy.

    Select the policy from the list of existing policies, and select the Remove Policy Entry button.

2.5. IBM JRE and the Java Security Manager

IBM JRE uses a default policy provider which does not work correctly with the JBoss Enterprise Application Platform security policy. You must change the JRE configuration to use the standard policy provider, if you want to use the IBM JRE to host JBoss Enterprise Application Platform with the Java Security Manager enabled.
To configure the JRE configuration for the IBM JRE, edit the JAVA_HOME/jre/lib/security/java.security file, and set the policy.provider value to sun.security.provider.PolicyFile.
policy.provider=sun.security.provider.PolicyFile

2.6. Debug Security Manager Policies

You can enable debugging information to help you troubleshoot security policy-related issues. The java.security.debug option configures the level of security-related information reported. The command java -Djava.security.debug=help will produce help output with the full range of debugging options. Setting the debug level to all is useful when troubleshooting a security-related failure whose cause is completely unknown, but for general use it will produce too much information. A sensible general default is access:failure.

Procedure 2.3. Enable general debugging

  • This procedure will enable a sensible general level of security-related debug information.

    Add the following line to the server configuration file.
    • If the JBoss EAP 6 instance is running in a managed domain, the line is added to the bin/domain.conf file for Linux or the bin\domain.conf.bat file for Windows.
    • If the JBoss EAP 6 instance is running as a standalone server, the line is added to the bin/standalone.conf file for Linux, or the bin\standalone.conf.bat file for Windows.
Linux
JAVA_OPTS="$JAVA_OPTS -Djava.security.debug=access:failure"
Windows
set "JAVA_OPTS=%JAVA_OPTS% -Djava.security.debug=access:failure"
Result

A general level of security-related debug information has been enabled.

Chapter 3. Security Realms

3.1. About Security Realms

A security realm is a series of mappings between users and passwords, and users and roles. Security realms are a mechanism for adding authentication and authorization to your EJB and Web applications. JBoss EAP 6 provides two security realms by default:
  • ManagementRealm stores authentication information for the Management API, which provides the functionality for the Management CLI and web-based Management Console. It provides an authentication system for managing JBoss EAP 6 itself. You could also use the ManagementRealm if your application needed to authenticate with the same business rules you use for the Management API.
  • ApplicationRealm stores user, password, and role information for Web Applications and EJBs.
Each realm is stored in a number of files on the filesystem:
  • REALM-users.properties stores usernames and hashed passwords.
  • REALM-roles.properties stores user-to-role mappings.
  • mgmt-groups.properties stores user-to-group mapping file for ManagementRealm. Only used when Role-based Access Control (RBAC) is enabled.
The properties files are stored in the domain/configuration/ and standalone/configuration/ directories. The files are written simultaneously by the add-user.sh or add-user.bat command. When you run the command, the first decision you make is which realm to add your new user to.

3.2. Add a New Security Realm

  1. Run the Management CLI.

    Start the jboss-cli.sh or jboss-cli.bat command and connect to the server.
  2. Create the new security realm itself.

    Run the following command to create a new security realm named MyDomainRealm on a domain controller or a standalone server.
    For a domain instance, use this command:
    /host=master/core-service=management/security-realm=MyDomainRealm:add()
    For a standalone instance, use this command:
    /core-service=management/security-realm=MyDomainRealm:add()
  3. Create the references to the properties file which will store information about the new role.

    Run the following command to create a pointer a file named myfile.properties, which will contain the properties pertaining to the new role.

    Note

    The newly created properties file is not managed by the included add-user.sh and add-user.bat scripts. It must be managed externally.
    For a domain instance, use this command:
    /host=master/core-service=management/security-realm=MyDomainRealm/authentication=properties:add(path=myfile.properties)
    For a standalone instance, use this command:
    /core-service=management/security-realm=MyDomainRealm/authentication=properties:add(path=myfile.properties)
Result

Your new security realm is created. When you add users and roles to this new realm, the information will be stored in a separate file from the default security realms. You can manage this new file using your own applications or procedures.

3.3. Add a User to a Security Realm

  1. Run the add-user.sh or add-user.bat command.

    Open a terminal and change directories to the EAP_HOME/bin/ directory. If you run Red Hat Enterprise Linux or another UNIX-like operating system, run add-user.sh. If you run Microsoft Windows Server, run add-user.bat.
  2. Choose whether to add a Management User or Application User.

    For this procedure, type b to add an Application User.
  3. Choose the realm the user will be added to.

    By default, the only available realm is ApplicationRealm. If you have added a custom realm, you can type its name instead.
  4. Type the username, password, and roles, when prompted.

    Type the desired username, password, and optional roles when prompted. Verify your choice by typing yes, or type no to cancel the changes. The changes are written to each of the properties files for the security realm.

Chapter 4. Encrypt Network Traffic

4.1. Specify Which Network Interface JBoss EAP 6 Uses

Overview

Isolating services so that they are accessible only to the clients who need them increases the security of your network. JBoss EAP 6 includes two interfaces in its default configuration, both of which bind to the IP address 127.0.0.1, or localhost, by default. One of the interfaces is called management, and is used by the Management Console, CLI, and API. The other is called public, and is used to deploy applications. These interfaces are not special or significant, but are provided as a starting point.

The management interface uses ports 9990 and 9999 by default, and the public interface uses port 8080, or port 8443 if you use HTTPS.
You can change the IP address of the management interface, public interface, or both.

Warning

If you expose the management interfaces to other network interfaces which are accessible from remote hosts, be aware of the security implications. Most of the time, it is not advisable to provide remote access to the management interfaces.
  1. Stop JBoss EAP 6.

    Stop JBoss EAP 6 by sending an interrupt in the appropriate way for your operating system. If you are running JBoss EAP 6 as a foreground application, the typical way to do this is to press Ctrl+C.
  2. Restart JBoss EAP 6, specifying the bind address.

    Use the -b command-line switch to start JBoss EAP 6 on a specific interface.

    Example 4.1. Specify the public interface.

    EAP_HOME/bin/domain.sh -b 10.1.1.1

    Example 4.2. Specify the management interface.

    EAP_HOME/bin/domain.sh -bmanagement=10.1.1.1

    Example 4.3. Specify different addresses for each interface.

    EAP_HOME/bin/domain.sh -bmanagement=127.0.0.1 -b 10.1.1.1

    Example 4.4. Bind the public interface to all network interfaces.

    EAP_HOME/bin/domain.sh -b 0.0.0.0
It is possible to edit your XML configuration file directly, to change the default bind addresses. However, if you do this, you will no longer be able to use the -b command-line switch to specify an IP address at runtime, so this is not recommended. If you do decide to do this, be sure to stop JBoss EAP 6 completely before editing the XML file.

4.2. Configure Network Firewalls to Work with JBoss EAP 6

Summary

Most production environments use firewalls as part of an overall network security strategy. If you need multiple server instances to communicate with each other or with external services such as web servers or databases, your firewall must take this into account. A well-managed firewall only opens the ports which are necessary for operation, and limits access to the ports to specific IP addresses, subnets, and network protocols.

A full discussion of firewalls is out of the scope of this documentation.

Prerequisites

  • Determine the ports you need to open.
  • An understanding of your firewall software is required. This procedure uses the system-config-firewall command in Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6. Microsoft Windows Server includes a built-in firewall, and several third-party firewall solutions are available for each platform. On Microsoft Windows Server, you can use PowerShell to configure the firewall.
Assumptions

This procedure configures a firewall in an environment with the following assumptions:

  • The operating system is Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6.
  • JBoss EAP 6 runs on host 10.1.1.2. Optionally, the server has its own firewall.
  • The network firewall server runs on host 10.1.1.1 on interface eth0, and has an external interface eth1.
  • You want traffic on port 5445 (a port used by JMS) forwarded to JBoss EAP 6. No other traffic should be allowed through the network firewall.

Procedure 4.1. Manage Network Firewalls and JBoss EAP 6 to work together

  1. Log into the Management Console.

    Log into the Management Console. By default, it runs on http://localhost:9990/console/.
  2. Determine the socket bindings used by the socket binding group.

    1. Click the Configuration label at the top of the Management Console.
    2. Expand the General Configuration menu. Select the Socket Binding.
    3. The Socket Binding Declarations screen appears. Initially, the standard-sockets group is shown. Choose a different group by selecting it from the combo box on the right-hand side.

    Note

    If you use a standalone server, it has only one socket binding group.
    The list of socket names and ports is shown, eight values per page. You can go through the pages by using the arrow navigation below the table.
  3. Determine the ports you need to open.

    Depending on the function of the particular port and the requirements of your environment, some ports may need to be opened on your firewall.
  4. Configure your firewall to forward traffic to JBoss EAP 6.

    Perform these steps to configure your network firewall to allow traffic on the desired port.
    1. Log into your firewall machine and access a command prompt, as the root user.
    2. Issue the command system-config-firewall to launch the firewall configuration utility. A GUI or command-line utility launches, depending on the way you are logged into the firewall system. This task makes the assumption that you are logged in via SSH and using the command-line interface.
    3. Use the TAB key on your keyboard to navigate to the Customize button, and press the ENTER key. The Trusted Services screen appears.
    4. Do not change any values, but use the TAB key to navigate to the Forward button, and press ENTER to advanced to the next screen. The Other Ports screen appears.
    5. Use the TAB key to navigate to the <Add> button, and press ENTER. The Port and Protocol screen appears.
    6. Enter 5445 in the Port / Port Range field, then use the TAB key to move to the Protocol field, and enter tcp. Use the TAB key to navigate to the OK button, and press ENTER.
    7. Use the TAB key to navigate to the Forward button until you reach the Port Forwarding screen.
    8. Use the TAB key to navigate to the <Add> button, and press the ENTER key.
    9. Fill in the following values to set up port forwarding for port 5445.
      • Source interface: eth1
      • Protocol: tcp
      • Port / Port Range: 5445
      • Destination IP address: 10.1.1.2
      • Port / Port Range: 5445
      Use the TAB key to navigate to the OK button, and press ENTER.
    10. Use the TAB key to navigate to the Close button, and press ENTER.
    11. Use the TAB key to navigate to the OK button, and press ENTER. To apply the changes, read the warning and click Yes.
  5. Configure a firewall on your JBoss EAP 6 host.

    Some organizations choose to configure a firewall on the JBoss EAP 6 server itself, and close all ports that are not necessary for its operation. See Section 4.3, “Network Ports Used By JBoss EAP 6” and determine which ports to open, then close the rest. The default configuration of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 closes all ports except 22 (used for Secure Shell (SSH) and 5353 (used for multicast DNS). While you are configuring ports, ensure you have physical access to your server so that you do not inadvertently lock yourself out.
Result

Your firewall is configured to forward traffic to your internal JBoss EAP 6 server in the way you specified in your firewall configuration. If you chose to enable a firewall on your server, all ports are closed except the ones needed to run your applications.

Procedure 4.2. Configuring Firewall on Microsoft Windows using PowerShell

  1. Switch off firewall for debug purpose to determine whether the current network behavior is related to the firewall configuration.
    Start-Process "$psHome\powershell.exe" -Verb Runas -ArgumentList '-command "NetSh Advfirewall set allprofiles state off"'
  2. Allow UDP connections on port 23364. For example:
    Start-Process "$psHome\powershell.exe" -Verb Runas -ArgumentList '-command "NetSh Advfirewall firewall add rule name="UDP Port 23364" dir=in  action=allow protocol=UDP localport=23364"'
    Start-Process "$psHome\powershell.exe" -Verb Runas -ArgumentList '-command "NetSh Advfirewall firewall add rule name="UDP Port 23364" dir=out action=allow protocol=UDP localport=23364"'

Procedure 4.3. Configure the Firewall on Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 to Allow mod_cluster Advertising

  • To allow mod_cluster advertising on Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7, you must enable the UDP port in the firewall as follows:
    firewall-cmd --permanent --zone=public --add-port=23364/udp

    Note

    224.0.1.105:23364 is the default address and port for mod_cluster balancer advertising UDP multicast.

4.3. Network Ports Used By JBoss EAP 6

The ports used by the JBoss EAP 6 default configuration depend on several factors:
  • Whether your server groups use one of the default socket binding groups, or a custom group.
  • The requirements of your individual deployments.

Note

A numerical port offset can be configured, to alleviate port conflicts when you run multiple servers on the same physical server. If your server uses a numerical port offset, add the offset to the default port number for its server group's socket binding group. For instance, if the HTTP port of the socket binding group is 8080, and your server uses a port offset of 100, its HTTP port is 8180.
Unless otherwise stated, the ports use the TCP protocol.

The default socket binding groups

  • full-ha-sockets
  • full-sockets
  • ha-sockets
  • standard-sockets
Table 4.1. Reference of the default socket bindings
Name Port Multicast Port Description full-ha-sockets full-sockets ha-socket standard-socket
ajp 8009 Apache JServ Protocol. Used for HTTP clustering and load balancing. Yes Yes Yes Yes
http 8080 The default port for deployed web applications. Yes Yes Yes Yes
https 8443 SSL-encrypted connection between deployed web applications and clients. Yes Yes Yes Yes
jacorb 3528 CORBA services for JTS transactions and other ORB-dependent services. Yes Yes No No
jacorb-ssl 3529 SSL-encrypted CORBA services. Yes Yes No No
jgroups-diagnostics 7500 Multicast. Used for peer discovery in HA clusters. Not configurable using the Management Interfaces. Yes No Yes No
jgroups-mping 45700 Multicast. Used to discover initial membership in a HA cluster. Yes No Yes No
jgroups-tcp 7600 Unicast peer discovery in HA clusters using TCP. Yes No Yes No
jgroups-tcp-fd 57600 Used for HA failure detection over TCP. Yes No Yes No
jgroups-udp 55200 45688 Multicast peer discovery in HA clusters using UDP. Yes No Yes No
jgroups-udp-fd 54200 Used for HA failure detection over UDP. Yes No Yes No
messaging 5445 JMS service. Yes Yes No No
messaging-group Referenced by HornetQ JMS broadcast and discovery groups. Yes Yes No No
messaging-throughput 5455 Used by JMS Remoting. Yes Yes No No
mod_cluster 23364 Multicast port for communication between JBoss EAP 6 and the HTTP load balancer. Yes No Yes No
osgi-http 8090 Used by internal components which use the OSGi subsystem. Not configurable using the Management Interfaces. Yes Yes Yes Yes
remoting 4447 Used for remote EJB invocation. Yes Yes Yes Yes
txn-recovery-environment 4712 The JTA transaction recovery manager. Yes Yes Yes Yes
txn-status-manager 4713 The JTA / JTS transaction manager. Yes Yes Yes Yes
Management Ports

In addition to the socket binding groups, each host controller opens two more ports for management purposes:

  • 9990 - The Web Management Console port
  • 9999 - The port used by the Management Console and Management API
Additionally, if HTTPS is enabled for the Management Console, 9443 is also opened as the default port.

4.4. About Encryption

Encryption refers to obfuscating sensitive information by applying mathematical algorithms to it. Encryption is one of the foundations of securing your infrastructure from data breaches, system outages, and other risks.
Encryption can be applied to simple string data, such as passwords. It can also be applied to data communication streams. The HTTPS protocol, for instance, encrypts all data before transferring it from one party to another. If you connect from one server to another using the Secure Shell (SSH) protocol, all of your communication is sent in an encrypted tunnel .

4.5. About SSL Encryption

Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) encrypts network traffic between two systems. Traffic between the two systems is encrypted using a two-way key, generated during the handshake phase of the connection and known only by those two systems.
For secure exchange of the two-way encryption key, SSL makes use of Public Key Infrastructure (PKI), a method of encryption that utilizes a key pair. A key pair consists of two separate but matching cryptographic keys - a public key and a private key. The public key is shared with others and is used to encrypt data, and the private key is kept secret and is used to decrypt data that has been encrypted using the public key.
When a client requests a secure connection, a handshake phase takes place before secure communication can begin. During the SSL handshake the server passes its public key to the client in the form of a certificate. The certificate contains the identity of the server (its URL), the public key of the server, and a digital signature that validates the certificate. The client then validates the certificate and makes a decision about whether the certificate is trusted or not. If the certificate is trusted, the client generates the two-way encryption key for the SSL connection, encrypts it using the public key of the server, and sends it back to the server. The server decrypts the two-way encryption key, using its private key, and further communication between the two machines over this connection is encrypted using the two-way encryption key.

Warning

Red Hat recommends that you explicitly disable SSL in favor of TLSv1.1 or TLSv1.2 in all affected packages.

4.6. Implement SSL Encryption for the JBoss EAP 6 Web Server

Introduction

Many web applications require an SSL-encrypted connection between clients and server, also known as a HTTPS connection. You can use this procedure to enable HTTPS on your server or server group.

Warning

Red Hat recommends that you explicitly disable SSL in favor of TLSv1.1 or TLSv1.2 in all affected packages.

Prerequisites

  • A set of SSL encryption keys and an SSL encryption certificate. You may purchase these from a certificate-signing authority, or you can generate them yourself using command-line utilities. To generate encryption keys using utilities available on Red Hat Enterprise Linux, see Section 4.7, “Generate a SSL Encryption Key and Certificate”.
  • The following details about your specific environment and setup:
    • The full directory name where the certificate files are stored.
    • The encryption password for your encryption keys.
  • Management CLI running and connected to your domain controller or standalone server.
  • Select appropriate cipher suites.
Cipher Suites

There are a number of available cryptographic primitives used as building blocks to form cipher suites. The first table lists recommended cryptographic primitives. The second lists cryptographic primitives which, while they may be used for compatibility with existing software, are not considered as secure as those recommended.

Warning

Red Hat recommends selectively whitelisting a set of strong ciphers to use for cipher-suite. Enabling weak ciphers is a significant security risk. Consult your JDK vendor's documentation before deciding on particular cipher suites as there may be compatibility issues.
Table 4.2. Recommended Cryptographic Primitives
RSA with 2048 bit keys and OAEP
AES-128 in CBC mode
SHA-256
HMAC-SHA-256
HMAC-SHA-1
Table 4.3. Other Cryptographic Primitives
RSA with key sizes larger than 1024 and legacy padding
AES-192
AES-256
3DES (triple DES, with two or three 56 bit keys)
RC4 (strongly discouraged)
SHA-1
HMAC-MD5
For a full listing of parameters you can set for the SSL properties of the connector, see Section 4.8, “SSL Connector Reference”.

Note

This procedure uses commands appropriate for a JBoss EAP 6 configuration that uses a managed domain. If you use a standalone server, modify Management CLI commands by removing the /profile=default from the beginning of any management CLI commands.

Warning

Red Hat recommends that you explicitly disable SSL in favor of TLSv1.1 or TLSv1.2 in all affected packages.

Procedure 4.4. Configure the JBoss Web Server to use HTTPS

  1. Add a new HTTPS connector.

    Create a secure connector, named HTTPS, which uses the https scheme, the https socket binding (which defaults to 8443), and is set to be secure.
    /profile=default/subsystem=web/connector=HTTPS/:add(socket-binding=https,scheme=https,protocol=HTTP/1.1,secure=true)
    
  2. Configure the SSL encryption certificate and keys.

    Configure your SSL certificate, substituting your own values for the example ones. This example assumes that the keystore is copied to the server configuration directory, which is EAP_HOME/domain/configuration/ for a managed domain.
    /profile=default/subsystem=web/connector=HTTPS/ssl=configuration:add(name=https,certificate-key-file="${jboss.server.config.dir}/keystore.jks",password=SECRET, key-alias=KEY_ALIAS, cipher-suite=CIPHERS)
    
  3. Set the protocol to TLSv1.

    /profile=default/subsystem=web/connector=HTTPS/ssl=configuration/:write-attribute(name=protocol,value=TLSv1)
    
  4. Deploy an application.

    Deploy an application to a server group which uses the profile you have configured. If you use a standalone server, deploy an application to your server. HTTPS requests to it use the new SSL-encrypted connection.

4.7. Generate a SSL Encryption Key and Certificate

To use a SSL-encrypted HTTP connection (HTTPS), as well as other types of SSL-encrypted communication, you need a signed encryption certificate. You can purchase a certificate from a Certificate Authority (CA), or you can use a self-signed certificate. Self-signed certificates are not considered trustworthy by many third parties, but are appropriate for internal testing purposes.
This procedure enables you to create a self-signed certificate using utilities which are available on Red Hat Enterprise Linux.

Prerequisites

  • You need the keytool utility, which is provided by any Java Development Kit implementation. OpenJDK on Red Hat Enterprise Linux installs this command to /usr/bin/keytool.
  • Understand the syntax and parameters of the keytool command. This procedure uses extremely generic instructions, because further discussion of the specifics of SSL certificates or the keytool command are out of scope for this documentation.

Procedure 4.5. Generate a SSL Encryption Key and Certificate

  1. Generate a keystore with public and private keys.

    Run the following command to generate a keystore named server.keystore with the alias jboss in your current directory.
    keytool -genkeypair -alias jboss -keyalg RSA -keystore server.keystore -storepass mykeystorepass --dname "CN=jsmith,OU=Engineering,O=mycompany.com,L=Raleigh,S=NC,C=US"
    The following table describes the parameters used in the keytool command:
    Parameter Description
    -genkeypair The keytool command to generate a key pair containing a public and private key.
    -alias The alias for the keystore. This value is arbitrary, but the alias jboss is the default used by the JBoss Web server.
    -keyalg The key pair generation algorithm. In this case it is RSA.
    -keystore The name and location of the keystore file. The default location is the current directory. The name you choose is arbitrary. In this case, the file will be named server.keystore.
    -storepass This password is used to authenticate to the keystore so that the key can be read. The password must be at least 6 characters long and must be provided when the keystore is accessed. In this case, we used mykeystorepass. If you omit this parameter, you will be prompted to enter it when you execute the command.
    -keypass
    This is the password for the actual key.

    Note

    Due to an implementation limitation this must be the same as the store password.
    --dname A quoted string describing the distinguished name for the key, for example: "CN=jsmith,OU=Engineering,O=mycompany.com,L=Raleigh,C=US". This string is a concatenation of the following components:
    • CN - The common name or host name. If the hostname is "jsmith.mycompany.com", the CN is "jsmith".
    • OU - The organizational unit, for example "Engineering"
    • O - The organization name, for example "mycompany.com".
    • L - The locality, for example "Raleigh" or "London"
    • S - The state or province, for example "NC". This parameter is optional.
    • C - The 2 letter country code, for example "US" or "UK",
    When you execute the above command, you are prompted for the following information:
    • If you did not use the -storepass parameter on the command line, you are asked to enter the keystore password. Re-enter the new password at the next prompt.
    • If you did not use the -keypass parameter on the command line, you are asked to enter the key password. Press Enter to set this to the same value as the keystore password.
    When the command completes, the file server.keystore now contains the single key with the alias jboss.
  2. Verify the key.

    Verify that the key works properly by using the following command.
    keytool -list -keystore server.keystore
    You are prompted for the keystore password. The contents of the keystore are displayed (in this case, a single key called jboss). Notice the type of the jboss key, which is PrivateKeyEntry. This indicates that the keystore contains both a public and private entry for this key.
  3. Generate a certificate signing request.

    Run the following command to generate a certificate signing request using the public key from the keystore you created in step 1.
    keytool -certreq -keyalg RSA -alias jboss -keystore server.keystore -file certreq.csr
    You are prompted for the password in order to authenticate to the keystore. The keytool command then creates a new certificate signing request called certreq.csr in the current working directory.
  4. Test the newly generated certificate signing request.

    Test the contents of the certificate by using the following command.
    openssl req -in certreq.csr -noout -text
    The certificate details are shown.
  5. Optional: Submit your certificate signing request to a Certificate Authority (CA).

    A Certificate Authority (CA) can authenticate your certificate so that it is considered trustworthy by third-party clients. The CA supplies you with a signed certificate, and optionally with one or more intermediate certificates.
  6. Optional: Export a self-signed certificate from the keystore.

    If you only need it for testing or internal purposes, you can use a self-signed certificate. You can export one from the keystore you created in step 1 as follows:
    keytool -export -alias jboss -keystore server.keystore -file server.crt
    You are prompted for the password in order to authenticate to the keystore. A self-signed certificate, named server.crt, is created in the current working directory.
  7. Import the signed certificate, along with any intermediate certificates.

    Import each certificate, in the order that you are instructed by the CA. For each certificate to import, replace intermediate.ca or server.crt with the actual file name. If your certificates are not provided as separate files, create a separate file for each certificate, and paste its contents into the file.

    Note

    Your signed certificate and certificate keys are valuable assets. Be cautious with how you transport them between servers.
    keytool -import -keystore server.keystore -alias intermediateCA -file intermediate.ca
    keytool -importcert -alias jboss -keystore server.keystore -file server.crt
  8. Test that your certificates imported successfully.

    Run the following command, and enter the keystore password when prompted. The contents of your keystore are displayed, and the certificates are part of the list.
    keytool -list -keystore server.keystore
Result

Your signed certificate is now included in your keystore and is ready to be used to encrypt SSL connections, including HTTPS web server communications.

4.8. SSL Connector Reference

JBoss Web connectors may include the following SSL configuration attributes. The CLI commands provided are designed for a managed domain using profile default. Change the profile name to the one you wish to configure, for a managed domain, or omit the /profile=default portion of the command, for a standalone server.
Table 4.4. SSL Connector Attributes
Attribute Description CLI Command
name
The display name of the SSL connector.
Attribute name is read-only.
verify-client
The possible values of verify-client differ, based upon whether the HTTP/HTTPS connector is used, or the native APR connector is used.
HTTP/HTTPS Connector

Possible values are true, false, or want. Set to true to require a valid certificate chain from the client before accepting a connection. Set to want if you want the SSL stack to request a client Certificate, but not fail if one is not presented. Set to false (the default) to not require a certificate chain unless the client requests a resource protected by a security constraint that uses CLIENT-CERT authentication.

Native APR Connector

Possible values are optional, require, optionalNoCA, and none (or any other string, which will have the same effect as none). These values determine whether a certification is optional, required, optional without a Certificate Authority, or not required at all. The default is none, meaning the client will not have the opportunity to submit a certificate.

The first example command uses the HTTPS connector.
/profile=default/subsystem=web/connector=HTTPS/ssl=configuration/:write-attribute(name=verify-client,value=want)
The second example command uses the APR connector.
/profile=default/subsystem=web/connector=APR/ssl=configuration/:write-attribute(name=verify-client,value=require)
verify-depth
The maximum number of intermediate certificate issuers checked before deciding that the clients do not have a valid certificate. The default value is 10.
/profile=default/subsystem=web/connector=HTTPS/ssl=configuration/:write-attribute(name=verify-depth,value=10)
certificate-key-file
The full file path and file name of the keystore file where the signed server certificate is stored. With JSSE encryption, this certificate file will be the only one, while OpenSSL uses several files. The default value is the .keystore file in the home directory of the user running JBoss EAP 6. If your keystoreType does not use a file, set the parameter to an empty string.
/profile=default/subsystem=web/connector=HTTPS/ssl=configuration/:write-attribute(name=certificate-key-file,value=../domain/configuration/server.keystore)
certificate-file
If you use OpenSSL encryption, set the value of this parameter to the path to the file containing the server certificate.
/profile=default/subsystem=web/connector=HTTPS/ssl=configuration/:write-attribute(name=certificate-file,value=server.crt)
password
The password for both the truststore and keystore. In the following example, replace PASSWORD with your own password.
/profile=default/subsystem=web/connector=HTTPS/ssl=configuration/:write-attribute(name=password,value=PASSWORD)
protocol
The version of the SSL protocol to use. Supported values depend on the underlying SSL implementation (whether JSSE or OpenSSL). Refer to the Java SSE Documentation.
You can also specify a combination of protocols, which is comma separated. For example, TLSv1, TLSv1.1,TLSv1.2.

Warning

Red Hat recommends that you explicitly disable SSL in favor of TLSv1.1 or TLSv1.2 in all affected packages.
/profile=default/subsystem=web/connector=HTTPS/ssl=configuration/:write-attribute(name=protocol,value=ALL)
/profile=default/subsystem=web/connector=HTTPS/ssl=configuration/:write-attribute(name=protocol,value="TLSv1, TLSv1.1,TLSv1.2")
cipher-suite
A list of the encryption ciphers which are allowed. For JSSE syntax, it must be a comma-separated list. For OpenSSL syntax, it must be a colon-separated list. Ensure that you only use one syntax.
The default is HIGH:!aNULL:!eNULL:!EXPORT:!DES:!RC4:!MD5.
The example only lists two possible ciphers, but real-world examples will likely use more.

Important

Using weak ciphers is a significant security risk. See http://www.nist.gov/manuscript-publication-search.cfm?pub_id=915295 for NIST recommendations on cipher suites.
For a list of available OpenSSL ciphers, see https://www.openssl.org/docs/apps/ciphers.html#CIPHER_STRINGS. Note that the following are not supported: @SECLEVEL, SUITEB128, SUITEB128ONLY, SUITEB192.
/profile=default/subsystem=web/connector=HTTPS/ssl=configuration/:write-attribute(name=cipher-suite, value="TLS_RSA_WITH_AES_128_CBC_SHA,TLS_RSA_WITH_AES_256_CBC_SHA")
key-alias
The alias used to for the server certificate in the keystore. In the following example, replace KEY_ALIAS with your certificate's alias.
/profile=default/subsystem=web/connector=HTTPS/ssl=configuration/:write-attribute(name=key-alias,value=KEY_ALIAS)
truststore-type
The type of the truststore. Various types of truststores are available, including PKCS12 and Java's standard JKS.
/profile=default/subsystem=web/connector=HTTPS/ssl=configuration/:write-attribute(name=truststore-type,value=jks)
keystore-type
The type of the keystore, Various types of keystores are available, including PKCS12 and Java's standard JKS.
/profile=default/subsystem=web/connector=HTTPS/ssl=configuration/:write-attribute(name=keystore-type,value=jks)
ca-certificate-file
The file containing the CA certificates. This is the truststoreFile, in the case of JSSE, and uses the same password as the keystore. The ca-certificate-file file is used to validate client certificates.
/profile=default/subsystem=web/connector=HTTPS/ssl=configuration/:write-attribute(name=certificate-file,value=ca.crt)
ca-certificate-password
The Certificate password for the ca-certificate-file. In the following example, replace the MASKED_PASSWORD with your own masked password.
/profile=default/subsystem=web/connector=HTTPS/ssl=configuration/:write-attribute(name=ca-certificate-password,value=MASKED_PASSWORD)
ca-revocation-url
A file or URL which contains the revocation list. It refers to the crlFile for JSSE or the SSLCARevocationFile for SSL.
/profile=default/subsystem=web/connector=HTTPS/ssl=configuration/:write-attribute(name=ca-revocation-url,value=ca.crl)
session-cache-size
The size of the SSLSession cache. This attribute applies only to JSSE connectors. The default is 0, which specifies an unlimited cache size.
/profile=default/subsystem=web/connector=HTTPS/ssl=configuration/:write-attribute(name=session-cache-size,value=100)
session-timeout
The number of seconds before a cached SSLSession expires. This attribute applies only to JSSE connectors. The default is 86400 seconds, which is 24 hours.
/profile=default/subsystem=web/connector=HTTPS/ssl=configuration/:write-attribute(name=session-timeout,value=43200)

4.9. FIPS 140-2 Compliant Encryption

4.9.1. About FIPS 140-2 Compliance

The Federal Information Processing Standard 140-2 (FIPS 140-2) is a US government computer security standard for the accreditation of cryptographic software modules. FIPS 140-2 compliance is often a requirement of software systems used by government agencies and private sector business.
JBoss EAP 6 uses external modules encryption and can be configured to use a FIPS 140-2 compliant cryptography module.

4.9.2. FIPS 140-2 Compliant Cryptography on IBM JDK

On the IBM JDK, the IBM® JCE (Java™ Cryptographic Extension) IBMJCEFIPS provider and the IBM JSSE (Java Secure Sockets Extension) FIPS 140-2 Cryptographic Module (IBMJSSEFIPS) for Multi-platforms provide FIPS 140-2 compliant cryptography.
For more information on the IBMJCEFIPS provider, refer to the IBM Documentation for IBM JCEFIPS, and the NIST IBMJCEFIPS – Security Policy.
Key storage
Note that the IBM JCE does not provide a keystore. The keys are stored on the computer and do not leave its physical boundary. If the keys are moved between computers they must be encrypted.
To run keytool in FIPS-compliant mode use the -providerClass option on each command like this:
keytool -list -storetype JCEKS -keystore mystore.jck -storepass mystorepass -providerClass com.ibm.crypto.fips.provider.IBMJCEFIPS
Examine FIPS provider information
To examine information about the IBMJCEFIPS used by the server, enable debug-level logging by adding -Djavax.net.debug=true to standalone.conf or domain.conf. Information about the FIPS provider is logged to server.log, for example:
04:22:45,685 INFO  [stdout] (http-/127.0.0.1:8443-1) JsseJCE:  Using MessageDigest SHA from provider IBMJCEFIPS version 1.7
04:22:45,689 INFO  [stdout] (http-/127.0.0.1:8443-1) DHCrypt:  DH KeyPairGenerator  from provider from init IBMJCEFIPS version 1.7
04:22:45,754 INFO  [stdout] (http-/127.0.0.1:8443-1) JsseJCE:  Using KeyFactory DiffieHellman from provider IBMJCEFIPS version 1.7
04:22:45,754 INFO  [stdout] (http-/127.0.0.1:8443-1) JsseJCE:  Using KeyAgreement DiffieHellman from provider IBMJCEFIPS version 1.7
04:22:45,754 INFO  [stdout] (http-/127.0.0.1:8443-1) DHCrypt:  DH KeyAgreement  from provider IBMJCEFIPS version 1.7
04:22:45,754 INFO  [stdout] (http-/127.0.0.1:8443-1) DHCrypt:  DH KeyAgreement  from provider from initIBMJCEFIPS version 1.7

4.9.3. FIPS 140-2 Compliant Passwords

A FIPS compliant password must have the following characteristics:
  1. Must be at least seven (7) characters in length.
  2. Must include characters from at least three (3) of the following character classes:
    • ASCII digits,
    • lowercase ASCII,
    • uppercase ASCII,
    • non-alphanumeric ASCII, and
    • non-ASCII.
If the first character of the password is an uppercase ASCII letter, then it is not counted as an uppercase ASCII letter for restriction 2.
If the last character of the password is an ASCII digit, then it does not count as an ASCII digit for restriction 2.

4.9.4. Enable FIPS 140-2 Cryptography for SSL on Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6

This task describes how to configure the web container (JBoss Web) of JBoss EAP 6 to FIPS 140-2 compliant cryptography for SSL. This task only covers the steps to do this on Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6.
This task uses the Mozilla NSS library in FIPS mode for this feature.

Prerequisites

Procedure 4.6. Enable FIPS 140-2 Compliant Cryptography for SSL

  1. Create the database

    Create the NSS database in a directory own by the jboss user.
    $ mkdir -p  /usr/share/jboss-as/nssdb
    $ chown jboss /usr/share/jboss-as/nssdb 
    $ modutil -create -dbdir /usr/share/jboss-as/nssdb
  2. Create NSS configuration file

    Create a new text file with the name nss_pkcsll_fips.cfg in the /usr/share/jboss-as directory with the following contents:
    name = nss-fips
    nssLibraryDirectory=/usr/lib64
    nssSecmodDirectory=/usr/share/jboss-as/nssdb
    nssModule = fips
    The NSS configuration file must specify:
    • a name,
    • the directory where the NSS library is located, and
    • the directory where the NSS database was created as per step 1.
    If you are not running a 64bit version of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 then set nssLibraryDirectory to /usr/lib instead of /usr/lib64.
  3. Enable SunPKCS11 provider

    Edit the java.security configuration file for your JRE ($JAVA_HOME/jre/lib/security/java.security) and add the following line:
    security.provider.1=sun.security.pkcs11.SunPKCS11  /usr/share/jboss-as/nss_pkcsll_fips.cfg
    Note that the configuration file specified in this line is the file created in step 2.
    Any other security.provider.X lines in this file must have the value of their X increased by one to ensure that this provider is given priority.
  4. Enable FIPS mode for the NSS library

    Run the modutil command as shown to enable FIPS mode:
    modutil -fips true -dbdir /usr/share/jboss-as/nssdb
    Note that the directory specified here is the one created in step 1.
    You may get a security library error at this point requiring you to regenerate the library signatures for some of the NSS shared objects.
  5. Change the password on the FIPS token

    Set the password on the FIPS token using the following command. Note that the name of the token must be NSS FIPS 140-2 Certificate DB.
    modutil -changepw "NSS FIPS 140-2 Certificate DB" -dbdir /usr/share/jboss-as/nssdb
    The password used for the FIPS token must be a FIPS compliant password.
  6. Create certificate using NSS tools

    Enter the following command to create a certificate using the NSS tools.
    certutil -S -k rsa -n jbossweb  -t "u,u,u" -x -s "CN=localhost, OU=MYOU, O=MYORG, L=MYCITY, ST=MYSTATE, C=MY" -d /usr/share/jboss-as/nssdb
  7. Configure the HTTPS connector to use the PKCS11 keystore

    Add a HTTPS connector using the following command in the JBoss CLI Tool:
    /subsystem=web/connector=https/:add(socket-binding=https,scheme=https,protocol=HTTP/1.1,secure=true)
    Then add the SSL configuration with the following command, replacing PASSWORD with the FIPS compliant password from step 5.
    /subsystem=web/connector=https/ssl=configuration:add(name=https,password=PASSWORD,keystore-type=PKCS11,
    cipher-suite="SSL_RSA_WITH_3DES_EDE_CBC_SHA,SSL_DHE_RSA_WITH_3DES_EDE_CBC_SHA,
    TLS_RSA_WITH_AES_128_CBC_SHA,TLS_DHE_DSS_WITH_AES_128_CBC_SHA,
    TLS_DHE_RSA_WITH_AES_128_CBC_SHA,TLS_RSA_WITH_AES_256_CBC_SHA,
    TLS_DHE_DSS_WITH_AES_256_CBC_SHA,TLS_DHE_RSA_WITH_AES_256_CBC_SHA,
    TLS_ECDH_ECDSA_WITH_3DES_EDE_CBC_SHA,TLS_ECDH_ECDSA_WITH_AES_128_CBC_SHA,
    TLS_ECDH_ECDSA_WITH_AES_256_CBC_SHA,TLS_ECDHE_ECDSA_WITH_3DES_EDE_CBC_SHA,
    TLS_ECDHE_ECDSA_WITH_AES_128_CBC_SHA,TLS_ECDHE_ECDSA_WITH_AES_256_CBC_SHA,
    TLS_ECDH_RSA_WITH_3DES_EDE_CBC_SHA,TLS_ECDH_RSA_WITH_AES_128_CBC_SHA,
    TLS_ECDH_RSA_WITH_AES_256_CBC_SHA,TLS_ECDHE_RSA_WITH_3DES_EDE_CBC_SHA,
    TLS_ECDHE_RSA_WITH_AES_128_CBC_SHA,TLS_ECDHE_RSA_WITH_AES_256_CBC_SHA,
    TLS_ECDH_anon_WITH_3DES_EDE_CBC_SHA,TLS_ECDH_anon_WITH_AES_128_CBC_SHA,
    TLS_ECDH_anon_WITH_AES_256_CBC_SHA")
  8. Verify

    Verify that the JVM can read the private key from the PKCS11 keystore by running the following command:
    keytool -list -storetype pkcs11

Example 4.5. XML configuration for HTTPS connector using FIPS 140-2 compliance

<connector name="https" protocol="HTTP/1.1" scheme="https" socket-binding="https" secure="true">
  <ssl name="https" password="****" 
      cipher-suite="SSL_RSA_WITH_3DES_EDE_CBC_SHA,SSL_DHE_RSA_WITH_3DES_EDE_CBC_SHA,
         TLS_RSA_WITH_AES_128_CBC_SHA, TLS_DHE_DSS_WITH_AES_128_CBC_SHA,
         TLS_DHE_RSA_WITH_AES_128_CBC_SHA,TLS_RSA_WITH_AES_256_CBC_SHA,
         TLS_DHE_DSS_WITH_AES_256_CBC_SHA,TLS_DHE_RSA_WITH_AES_256_CBC_SHA,
         TLS_ECDH_ECDSA_WITH_3DES_EDE_CBC_SHA,TLS_ECDH_ECDSA_WITH_AES_128_CBC_SHA,
         TLS_ECDH_ECDSA_WITH_AES_256_CBC_SHA,TLS_ECDHE_ECDSA_WITH_3DES_EDE_CBC_SHA,
         TLS_ECDHE_ECDSA_WITH_AES_128_CBC_SHA,TLS_ECDHE_ECDSA_WITH_AES_256_CBC_SHA,
         TLS_ECDH_RSA_WITH_3DES_EDE_CBC_SHA,TLS_ECDH_RSA_WITH_AES_128_CBC_SHA,
         TLS_ECDH_RSA_WITH_AES_256_CBC_SHA,TLS_ECDHE_RSA_WITH_3DES_EDE_CBC_SHA,
         TLS_ECDHE_RSA_WITH_AES_128_CBC_SHA,TLS_ECDHE_RSA_WITH_AES_256_CBC_SHA,
         TLS_ECDH_anon_WITH_3DES_EDE_CBC_SHA,TLS_ECDH_anon_WITH_AES_128_CBC_SHA,
         TLS_ECDH_anon_WITH_AES_256_CBC_SHA"
      keystore-type="PKCS11"/>
</connector>
Note that the cipher-suite attribute has linebreaks inserted to make it easier to read.

Chapter 5. Secure the Management Interfaces

A common development scenario is to run JBoss EAP 6 with no security on the management interfaces to allow rapid configuration changes.
In production deployment, secure the management interfaces by at least the following methods:
Additionally, the default silent local authentication mode allows local clients (on the server machine) to connect to the Management CLI without requiring a username or password. This is a convenience for local users and Management CLI scripts. To disable this, refer to Section 5.4, “Remove Silent Authentication from the Default Security Realm”.

5.1. Default User Security Configuration

Introduction

All management interfaces in JBoss EAP 6 are secured by default. This security takes two different forms:

  • Local interfaces are secured by a SASL contract between local clients and the server they connect to. This security mechanism is based on the client's ability to access the local filesystem. This is because access to the local filesystem would allow the client to add a user or otherwise change the configuration to thwart other security mechanisms. This adheres to the principle that if physical access to the filesystem is achieved, other security mechanisms are superfluous. The mechanism happens in four steps:

    Note

    HTTP access is considered to be remote, even if you connect to the localhost using HTTP.
    1. The client sends a message to the server which includes a request to authenticate with the local SASL mechanism.
    2. The server generates a one-time token, writes it to a unique file, and sends a message to the client with the full path of the file.
    3. The client reads the token from the file and sends it to the server, verifying that it has local access to the filesystem.
    4. The server verifies the token and then deletes the file.
  • Remote clients, including local HTTP clients, use realm-based security. The default realm with the permissions to configure the JBoss EAP 6 instance remotely using the management interfaces is ManagementRealm. A script is provided which allows you to add users to this realm (or realms you create). For more information on adding users, see the Getting Started chapter of the JBoss EAP 6 Installation Guide. For each user, the username and a hashed password are stored in a file.
    Managed domain
    EAP_HOME/domain/configuration/mgmt-users.properties
    Standalone server
    EAP_HOME/standalone/configuration/mgmt-users.properties
    Even though the contents of the mgmt-users.properties are masked, the file must still be treated as a sensitive file. It is recommended that it be set to the file mode of 600, which gives no access other than read and write access by the file owner.

5.2. Overview of Advanced Management Interface Configuration

The Management interface configuration in the EAP_HOME/domain/configuration/host.xml or EAP_HOME/standalone/configuration/standalone.xml controls which network interfaces the host controller process binds to, which types of management interfaces are available at all, and which type of authentication system is used to authenticate users on each interface. This topic discusses how to configure the Management Interfaces to suit your environment.
The Management subsystem consists of a <management> element that includes the following four configurable child elements. The security realms and outbound connections are each first defined, and then applied to the management interfaces as attributes.
  • <security-realms>
  • <outbound-connections>
  • <management-interfaces>
  • <audit-log>

Note

Refer to the Management Interface Audit Logging section of the Administration and Configuration Guide for more information on audit logging.
Security Realms

The security realm is responsible for the authentication and authorization of users allowed to administer JBoss EAP 6 via the Management API, Management CLI, or web-based Management Console.

Two different file-based security realms are included in a default installation: ManagementRealm and ApplicationRealm. Each of these security realms uses a -users.properties file to store users and hashed passwords, and a -roles.properties to store mappings between users and roles. Support is also included for an LDAP-enabled security realm.

Note

Security realms can also be used for your own applications. The security realms discussed here are specific to the management interfaces.
Outbound Connections

Some security realms connect to external interfaces, such as an LDAP server. An outbound connection defines how to make this connection. A pre-defined connection type, ldap-connection, sets all of the required and optional attributes to connect to the LDAP server and verify the credential.

For more information on how to configure LDAP authentication see Section 5.11.2, “Use LDAP to Authenticate to the Management Interfaces”.
Management Interfaces

A management interface includes properties about how connect to and configure JBoss EAP. Such information includes the named network interface, port, security realm, and other configurable information about the interface. Two interfaces are included in a default installation:

  • http-interface is the configuration for the web-based Management Console.
  • native-interface is the configuration for the command-line Management CLI and the REST-like Management API.
Each of the main configurable elements of the host management subsystem are interrelated. A security realm refers to an outbound connection, and a management interface refers to a security realm.
Associated information can be found in Chapter 5, Secure the Management Interfaces.

5.3. Disable the HTTP Management Interface

In a managed domain, you only need access to the HTTP interface on the domain controller, rather than on domain member servers. In addition, on a production server, you may decide to disable the web-based Management Console altogether.

Note

Other clients, such as JBoss Operations Network, also operate using the HTTP interface. If you want to use these services, and simply disable the Management Console itself, you can set the console-enabled attribute of the HTTP interface to false, instead of disabling the interface completely.
/host=master/core-service=management/management-interface=http-interface/:write-attribute(name=console-enabled,value=false)
To disable access to the HTTP interface, which also disables access to the web-based Management Console, you can delete the HTTP interface altogether.
The following JBoss CLI command allows you to read the current contents of your HTTP interface, in case you decide to add it again.

Example 5.1. Read the Configuration of the HTTP Interface

/host=master/core-service=management/management-interface=http-interface/:read-resource(recursive=true,proxies=false,include-runtime=false,include-defaults=true)
{
    "outcome" => "success",
    "result" => {
        "console-enabled" => true,
        "interface" => "management",
        "port" => expression "${jboss.management.http.port:9990}",
        "secure-port" => undefined,
        "security-realm" => "ManagementRealm"
    }
}
To remove the HTTP interface, issue the following command:

Example 5.2. Remove the HTTP Interface

/host=master/core-service=management/management-interface=http-interface/:remove
To re-enable access, issue the following commands to re-create the HTTP Interface with the default values.

Example 5.3. Re-Create the HTTP Interface

/host=master/core-service=management/management-interface=http-interface:add(console-enabled=true,interface=management,port="${jboss.management.http.port:9990}",security-realm=ManagementRealm)

5.4. Remove Silent Authentication from the Default Security Realm

Summary

The default installation of JBoss EAP 6 contains a method of silent authentication for a local Management CLI user. This allows the local user the ability to access the Management CLI without username or password authentication. This functionality is enabled as a convenience, and to assist local users running Management CLI scripts without requiring authentication. It is considered a useful feature given that access to the local configuration typically also gives the user the ability to add their own user details or otherwise disable security checks.

The convenience of silent authentication for local users can be disabled where greater security control is required. This can be achieved by removing the local element within the security-realm section of the configuration file. This applies to both the standalone.xml for a Standalone Server instance, or host.xml for a Managed Domain. You should only consider the removal of the local element if you understand the impact that it might have on your particular server configuration.
The preferred method of removing silent authentication is by use of the Management CLI, which directly removes the local element visible in the following example.

Example 5.4. Example of the local element in the security-realm

<security-realms>
    <security-realm name="ManagementRealm">
        <authentication>
            <local default-user="$local"/>
            <properties path="mgmt-users.properties" relative-to="jboss.server.config.dir"/>
        </authentication>
    </security-realm>
    <security-realm name="ApplicationRealm">
        <authentication>
            <local default-user="$local" allowed-users="*"/>
            <properties path="application-users.properties" relative-to="jboss.server.config.dir"/>
        </authentication>
        <authorization>
            <properties path="application-roles.properties" relative-to="jboss.server.config.dir"/>
        </authorization>
    </security-realm>
</security-realms>

Prerequisites

  • Start the JBoss EAP 6 instance.
  • Launch the Management CLI.

Procedure 5.1. Remove Silent Authentication from the Default Security Realm

  • Remove silent authentication with the Management CLI

    Remove the local element from the Management Realm and Application Realm as required.
    1. Remove the local element from the Management Realm.
      • For Standalone Servers

        /core-service=management/security-realm=ManagementRealm/authentication=local:remove
      • For Managed Domains

        /host=HOST_NAME/core-service=management/security-realm=ManagementRealm/authentication=local:remove
    2. Remove the local element from the Application Realm.
      • For Standalone Servers

        /core-service=management/security-realm=ApplicationRealm/authentication=local:remove
      • For Managed Domains

        /host=HOST_NAME/core-service=management/security-realm=ApplicationRealm/authentication=local:remove
Result

The silent authentication mode is removed from the ManagementRealm and the ApplicationRealm.

5.5. Disable Remote Access to the JMX Subsystem

Remote access to the JMX subsystem allows you to trigger JDK and application management operations remotely. In order to secure an installation, disable this function either by removing the remoting connector or removing the JMX subsystem. The example Management CLI commands are suitable for a managed domain. For a standalone server, remove the /profile=default prefix from the commands.

Note

In a managed domain the remoting connector is removed from the JMX subsystem by default. This command is provided for your information, in case you add it during development.

Example 5.5. Remove the Remoting Connector from the JMX Subsystem

/profile=default/subsystem=jmx/remoting-connector=jmx/:remove

Example 5.6. Remove the JMX Subsystem

For a managed domain, run this command for each profile.
/profile=default/subsystem=jmx/:remove

5.6. Configure Security Realms for the Management Interfaces

The management interfaces use security realms to control authentication and access to the configuration mechanisms of JBoss EAP 6. A Security Realm is similar to a Unix group. It is effectively a database of usernames and passwords that can be use to authenticate users.
Default Management Realm

The management interfaces are configured to use the ManagementRealm security realm by default. The ManagementRealm stores its user password combinations in the file mgmt-users.properties.

Example 5.7. Default ManagementRealm

/host=master/core-service=management/security-realm=ManagementRealm/:read-resource(recursive=true,proxies=false,include-runtime=false,include-defaults=true)
{
    "outcome" => "success",
    "result" => {
        "authorization" => undefined,
        "server-identity" => undefined,
        "authentication" => {"properties" => {
            "path" => "mgmt-users.properties",
            "plain-text" => false,
            "relative-to" => "jboss.domain.config.dir"
        }}
    }
}
Create a new Security Realm

The following commands create a new security realm called TestRealm and set the directory for the relevant properties file.

Example 5.8. Create a new Security Realm

/host=master/core-service=management/security-realm=TestRealm/:add
/host=master/core-service=management/security-realm=TestRealm/authentication=properties/:add(path=TestUsers.properties, relative-to=jboss.domain.config.dir)
Configure Security Realm authentication through an existing Security Domain

To use Security Domain to authenticate to the Management interfaces:

First, create a Security Realm. Then, set specify it as the value for the security-realm attribute of the management interface:

Example 5.9. Specify a Security Realm to use for the HTTP Management Interface

/host=master/core-service=management/management-interface=http-interface/:write-attribute(name=security-realm,value=TestRealm)

5.7. Configure the Management Console for HTTPS

Configuring the JBoss EAP management console for communication only via HTTPS provides increased security. All network traffic between the client (web browser) and management console is encrypted, which reduces the risk of security attacks such as a man-in-the-middle attack. Anyone administering a JBoss EAP instance has greater permissions on that instance than non-privileged users, and using HTTPS helps protect the integrity and availability of that instance.
In this procedure unencrypted communications with the JBoss EAP standalone instance or domain is disabled. Passwords used in these communications are stored encrypted using the JBoss EAP vault feature, and passwords used in configuration files are masked.
This procedure applies to both standalone and domain mode configurations. For domain mode, prefix the management CLI commands with the name of the host, for example: /host=master.

Procedure 5.2. 

  1. Create a keystore to secure the management console.

    Note

    This keystore must be in JKS format as the management console is not compatible with keystores in JCEKS format.
    In a terminal emulator, enter the following command. For the parameters alias, keypass, keystore, storepass and dname, replace the example values with values of your choice.
    The parameter validity specifies for how many days the key is valid. A value of 730 equals two years.
    keytool -genkeypair -alias appserver -storetype jks -keyalg RSA -keysize 2048 -keypass password1 -keystore EAP_HOME/standalone/configuration/identity.jks -storepass password1 -dname "CN=appserver,OU=Sales,O=Systems Inc,L=Raleigh,ST=NC,C=US" -validity 730 -v
  2. Ensure the Management Console Binds to HTTPS

    • Standalone Mode

      Ensure the management console binds to HTTPS for its interface by adding the management-https configuration and removing the management-http configuration.
      Ensure the JBoss EAP instance is running, then enter the following management CLI commands:
      /core-service=management/management-interface=http-interface:write-attribute(name=secure-socket-binding, value=management-https)
      /core-service=management/management-interface=http-interface:undefine-attribute(name=socket-binding)
      The expected output from these commands is:
      {"outcome" => "success"}
      

      Note

      At this point the JBoss EAP log may display the following error message. This is to be expected because the SSL configuration is not yet completed.
      JBAS015103: A secure port has been specified for the HTTP interface but no SSL configuration in the realm.
      
    • Domain Mode

      Change the socket element within the management-interface section by adding secure-port and removing port configuration.
      Ensure the JBoss EAP instance is running, then enter the following management CLI commands:
      /host=master/core-service=management/management-interface=http-interface:write-attribute(name=secure-port,value=9443)
      /host=master/core-service=management/management-interface=http-interface:undefine-attribute(name=port)

      Note

      At this point the JBoss EAP log may display the following error message. This is to be expected because the SSL configuration is not yet completed.
      JBAS015103: A secure port has been specified for the HTTP interface but no SSL configuration in the realm.
      
  3. Optional: Custom socket-binding group

    If you are using a custom socket-binding group, ensure the management-https binding is defined (it is present by default, bound to port 9443). Edit the master configuration file - for example standalone.xml - to match the following.
     <socket-binding-group name="standard-sockets" default-interface="public" port-offset="${jboss.socket.binding.port-offset:0}">
            <socket-binding name="management-native" interface="management" port="${jboss.management.native.port:9999}"/>
            <socket-binding name="management-http" interface="management" port="${jboss.management.http.port:9990}"/>
            <socket-binding name="management-https" interface="management" port="${jboss.management.https.port:9443}"/>
    
  4. Create a new Security Realm

    Enter the following commands to create a new security realm named ManagementRealmHTTPS:
    /host=master/core-service=management/security-realm=ManagementRealmHTTPS/:add
    /host=master/core-service=management/security-realm=ManagementRealmHTTPS/authentication=properties/:add(path=ManagementUsers.properties, relative-to=jboss.domain.config.dir)
  5. Configure Management Interface to use the new security realm

    Enter the following commands:
    /host=master/core-service=management/management-interface=http-interface/:write-attribute(name=security-realm,value=ManagementRealmHTTPS)
  6. Configure the management console to use the keystore.

    Enter the following management CLI command. For the parameters file, password and alias their values must be copied from the step Create a keystore to secure the management console.
    /core-service=management/security-realm=ManagementRealmHTTPS/server-identity=ssl:add(keystore-path=identity.jks,keystore-relative-to=jboss.server.config.dir, keystore-password=password1, alias=appserver)
    The expected output from this command is:
    {
        "outcome" => "success",
        "response-headers" => {
            "operation-requires-reload" => true,
            "process-state" => "reload-required"
        }
    }
  7. Restart the JBoss EAP server.

    On restarting the server the log should contain the following, just before the text which states the number of services that are started. The management console is now listening on port 9443, which confirms that the procedure was successful.
    14:53:14,720 INFO  [org.jboss.as] (Controller Boot Thread) JBAS015962: Http management interface listening on https://127.0.0.1:9443/management
    14:53:14,721 INFO  [org.jboss.as] (Controller Boot Thread) JBAS015952: Admin console listening on https://127.0.0.1:9443
    

Note

For security reasons it is recommended that you mask the keystore password. For details on how to do this see Section 7.1, “Password Vault System”.

5.8. Use Distinct Interfaces for HTTP and HTTPS connections to the Management Interface

The Management Interface can listen on distinct interfaces for HTTP and HTTPS connections. One scenario for this is to listen for encrypted traffic on an external network, and use unencrypted traffic on an internal network.
The secure-interface attribute specifies the network interface on which the host's socket for HTTPS management communication should be opened, if a different interface should be used from that specified by the interface attribute. If it is not specified then the interface specified by the interface attribute is used.
The secure-interface attribute has no effect if the secure-port attribute is not set.
Note that when the server listens for HTTP and HTTPS traffic on the same interface, HTTPS requests received by the HTTP listener are automatically redirected to the HTTPS port. When distinct interfaces are used for HTTP and HTTPS traffic, no redirection is performed when an HTTPS request is received by the HTTP listener.
Here is an example EAP_HOME/domain/configuration/host.xml configuration that sets the secure-interface attribute to listen for HTTPS traffic on a distinct interface from HTTP traffic:
<?xml version='1.0' encoding='UTF-8'?>

<host name="master" xmlns="urn:jboss:domain:3.0">

    <management>
        <security-realms>
            <security-realm name="ManagementRealm">
                <authentication>
                    <local default-user="$local" />
                    <properties path="mgmt-users.properties" relative-to="jboss.domain.config.dir"/>
                </authentication>
            </security-realm>
        </security-realms>
        <management-interfaces>
            <native-interface security-realm="ManagementRealm">
                <socket interface="management" port="${jboss.management.native.port:9999}"/>
            </native-interface>
            <http-interface security-realm="ManagementRealm">
                <socket interface="management" port="${jboss.management.http.port:9990}" secure-port="${jboss.management.https.port:9943}" secure-interface="secure-management"/>
            </http-interface>
        </management-interfaces>
    </management>

    <domain-controller>
        <local/>
        <!-- Alternative remote domain controller configuration with a host and port -->
        <!-- <remote host="${jboss.domain.master.address}" port="${jboss.domain.master.port:9999}" security-realm="ManagementRealm"/> -->
    </domain-controller>

    <interfaces>
        <interface name="management">
            <inet-address value="${jboss.bind.address.management:127.0.0.1}"/>
        </interface>
        <interface name="secure-management">
            <inet-address value="${jboss.bind.address:10.10.64.1}"/>
        </interface>
    </interfaces>
</host>

5.9. Using 2-way SSL for the Management interface and the CLI

2-way SSL authentication, also known as client authentication, authenticates both the client and the server using SSL certificates. This provides assurance that not only is the server who it says it is, but the client is also who it says it is.
In this topic the following conventions are used:

HOST1
The JBoss server hostname. For example; jboss.redhat.com
HOST2
A suitable name for the client. For example: myclient. Note this is not necessarily an actual hostname.
CA_HOST1
The DN (distinguished name) to use for the HOST1 certificate. For example cn=jboss,dc=redhat,dc=com.
CA_HOST2
The DN (distinguished name) to use for the HOST2 certificate. For example cn=myclient,dc=redhat,dc=com.

Prerequisites

Procedure 5.3. 

  1. Generate the stores:
    keytool -genkeypair -alias HOST1_alias -keyalg RSA -keysize 1024 -validity 365 -keystore host1.keystore.jks -dname "CA_HOST1" -keypass secret -storepass secret
    keytool -genkeypair -alias HOST2_alias -keyalg RSA -keysize 1024 -validity 365 -keystore host2.keystore.jks -dname "CA_HOST2" -keypass secret -storepass secret
  2. Export the certificates:
    keytool -exportcert  -keystore HOST1.keystore.jks -alias HOST1_alias -keypass secret -storepass secret -file HOST1.cer
    
    keytool -exportcert  -keystore HOST2.keystore.jks -alias HOST2_alias -keypass secret -storepass secret -file HOST2.cer
    
  3. Import the certificates into the opposing trust stores:
    keytool -importcert -keystore HOST1.truststore.jks -storepass secret -alias HOST2_alias -trustcacerts -file HOST2.cer
    
    keytool -importcert -keystore HOST2.truststore.jks -storepass secret -alias HOST1_alias -trustcacerts -file HOST1.cer
    
  4. Define a CertificateRealm in the configuration for your installation (host.xml or standalone.xml) and point the interface to it:
    This can be done by manually editing the configuration file (not recommended) or by using the following commands:
    /core-service=management/security-realm=CertificateRealm:add()
    /core-service=management/security-realm=CertificateRealm/server-identity=ssl:add(keystore-path=/path/to/HOST1.keystore.jks,keystore-password=secret, alias=HOST1_alias)
    /core-service=management/security-realm=CertificateRealm/authentication=truststore:add(keystore-path=/path/to/HOST1.truststore.jks,keystore-password=secret)

    Important

    The provided commands apply to standalone mode only. For domain mode, add /host=master before each command.
  5. Change the security-realm of the native-interface to the new Certificate Realm.
    /host=master/core-service=management/management-interface=native-interface:write-attribute(name=security-realm,value=CertificateRealm)
  6. Add the SSL configuration for the CLI, which uses EAP_HOME/bin/jboss-cli.xml as a settings file. Either use a password vault to store the keystore and truststore passwords (recommended), or store them in plain text:
    • To store the keystore and truststore passwords in a password vault:
      Edit EAP_HOME/bin/jboss-cli.xml and add the SSL configuration (using the appropriate values for the variables). Also add the vault configuration, replacing each value with those of your vault.
      <ssl>
        <vault>
          <vault-option name="KEYSTORE_URL" value="path-to/vault/vault.keystore"/>
          <vault-option name="KEYSTORE_PASSWORD" value="MASK-5WNXs8oEbrs"/>
          <vault-option name="KEYSTORE_ALIAS" value="vault"/>
          <vault-option name="SALT" value="12345678"/>
          <vault-option name="ITERATION_COUNT" value="50"/>
          <vault-option name="ENC_FILE_DIR" value="path-to/jboss-eap/vault/"/>
        </vault>
        <alias>$HOST2alias</alias>
        <key-store>/path/to/HOST2.keystore.jks</key-store>
        <key-store-password>VAULT::VB::cli_pass::1</key-store-password>
        <key-password>VAULT::VB::cli_pass::1</key-password>  
        <trust-store>/path/to/HOST2.truststore.jks</trust-store>
        <trust-store-password>VAULT::VB::cli_pass::1</trust-store-password>
        <modify-trust-store>true</modify-trust-store>
      </ssl>
    • To store the keystore and truststore passwords in plain text:
      Edit EAP_HOME/bin/jboss-cli.xml and add the SSL configuration (using the appropriate values for the variables):
      <ssl>
        <alias>$HOST2alias</alias>
        <key-store>/path/to/HOST2.keystore.jks</key-store>
        <key-store-password>secret</key-store-password>
        <trust-store>/path/to/HOST2.truststore.jks</trust-store>
        <trust-store-password>secret</trust-store-password>
        <modify-trust-store>true</modify-trust-store>
      </ssl>

5.10. Secure the Management Interfaces via JAAS

To use JAAS to authenticate to the Management interfaces:
First, create a security domain with the UserRoles login module:
/subsystem=security/security-domain=UsersLMDomain:add(cache-type=default)
/subsystem=security/security-domain=UsersLMDomain/authentication=classic:add
/subsystem=security/security-domain=UsersLMDomain/authentication=classic/login-module=UsersRoles:add()
Then, create a security realm with JAAS Authentication:
/core-service=management/security-realm=SecurityDomainAuthnRealm:add
/core-service=management/security-realm=SecurityDomainAuthnRealm/authentication=jaas:add(name=UsersLMDomain)
The attribute assign-groups determines whether loaded user membership information from the Security Domain is used for group assignment in the Security Realm. When set to true this group assignment is used for Role-Based Access Control (RBAC).
The assign-groups attribute can be set to true by this CLI command:
/core-service=management/security-realm=ManagementRealm/authentication=jaas:write-attribute(name=assign-groups,value=true)

5.11. LDAP

5.11.1. About LDAP

Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) is a protocol for storing and distributing directory information across a network. This directory information includes information about users, hardware devices, access roles and restrictions, and other information.
Some common implementations of LDAP include OpenLDAP, Microsoft Active Directory, IBM Tivoli Directory Server, Oracle Internet Directory, and others.
JBoss EAP 6 includes several authentication and authorization modules which allow you to use a LDAP server as the authentication and authorization authority for your Web and EJB applications.

5.11.2. Use LDAP to Authenticate to the Management Interfaces

To use an LDAP directory server as the authentication source for the Management Console, Management CLI, or Management API, you need to perform the following procedures:
  1. Create an outbound connection to the LDAP server.
  2. Create an LDAP-enabled security realm.
  3. Reference the new security domain in the Management Interface.
Create an Outbound Connection to an LDAP Server

The LDAP outbound connection allows the following attributes:

Table 5.1. Attributes of an LDAP Outbound Connection
Attribute Required Description
url yes
The URL address of the directory server.
search-dn no
The fully distinguished name (DN) of the user authorized to perform searches.
search-credentials no
The password of the user authorized to perform searches.
initial-context-factory no
The initial context factory to use when establishing the connection. Defaults to com.sun.jndi.ldap.LdapCtxFactory.
security-realm no
The security realm to reference to obtain a configured SSLContext to use when establishing the connection.

Example 5.10. Add an LDAP Outbound Connection

This example adds an outbound connection with the following properties set:
  • Search DN: cn=search,dc=acme,dc=com
  • Search Credential: myPass
  • URL: ldap://127.0.0.1:389
The first command adds the security realm.
/host=master/core-service=management/security-realm=ldap_security_realm:add
The second command adds the LDAP connection.
/host=master/core-service=management/ldap-connection=ldap_connection/:add(search-credential=myPass,url=ldap://127.0.0.1:389,search-dn="cn=search,dc=acme,dc=com")
Create an LDAP-Enabled Security Realm

The Management Interfaces can authenticate against LDAP server instead of the property-file based security realms configured by default. The LDAP authenticator operates by first establishing a connection to the remote directory server. It then performs a search using the username which the user passed to the authentication system, to find the fully-qualified distinguished name (DN) of the LDAP record. A new connection is established, using the DN of the user as the credential, and password supplied by the user. If this authentication to the LDAP server is successful, the DN is verified to be valid.

The LDAP security realm uses the following configuration attributes:
connection
The name of the connection defined in outbound-connections to use to connect to the LDAP directory.
advanced-filter
The fully defined filter used to search for a user based on the supplied user ID. The filter must contain a variable in the following format: {0}. This is later replaced with the user name supplied by the user.
base-dn
The distinguished name of the context to begin searching for the user.
recursive
Whether the search should be recursive throughout the LDAP directory tree, or only search the specified context. Defaults to false.
user-dn
The attribute of the user that holds the distinguished name. This is subsequently used to test authentication as the user can complete. Defaults to dn.
username-attribute
The name of the attribute to search for the user. This filter performs a simple search where the user name entered by the user matches the specified attribute.
allow-empty-passwords
This attribute determines whether an empty password is accepted. The default value for this attribute is false.
Either username-filter or advanced-filter must be specified
The advanced-filter attribute contains a filter query in the standard LDAP syntax, for example:
(&(sAMAccountName={0})(memberOf=cn=admin,cn=users,dc=acme,dc=com))

Example 5.11. XML Representing an LDAP-enabled Security Realm

This example uses the following parameters:
  • connection - ldap_connection
  • base-dn - cn=users,dc=acme,dc=com.
  • username-filter - attribute="sambaAccountName"
<security-realm name="ldap_security_realm">
   <authentication>
      <ldap connection="ldap_connection" base-dn="cn=users,dc=acme,dc=com">
         <username-filter attribute="sambaAccountName" />
      </ldap>
  </authentication>
</security-realm>

Warning

It is important to ensure that you do not allow empty LDAP passwords; unless you specifically desire this in your environment, it is a serious security concern.
EAP 6.1 includes a patch for CVE-2012-5629, which sets the allowEmptyPasswords option for the LDAP login modules to false if the option is not already configured. For older versions, this option should be configured manually

Example 5.12. Add an LDAP Security Realm

The command below adds an LDAP authentication to a security realm and sets its attributes for a host named master in the domain.
/host=master/core-service=management/security-realm=ldap_security_realm/authentication=ldap:add(base-dn="DC=mycompany,DC=org", recursive=true, username-attribute="MyAccountName", connection="ldap_connection")
Apply the New Security Realm to the Management Interface

After you create a security realm, you need to reference it in the configuration of your management interface. The management interface will use the security realm for HTTP digest authentication.

Example 5.13. Apply the Security Realm to the HTTP Interface

After this configuration is in place, and you restart the host controller, the web-based Management Console will use LDAP to authenticate its users.
/host=master/core-service=management/management-interface=http-interface/:write-attribute(name=security-realm,value=ldap_security_realm)

Example 5.14. Apply the Security Realm to the Native Interface

Use the following command to apply the same settings to the native interface:
/host=master/core-service=management/management-interface=native-interface/:write-attribute(name=security-realm,value=ldap_security_realm)

5.11.3. Using Outbound LDAP with 2-way SSL in the Management Interface and CLI

JBoss EAP 6 can be configured to use an outbound connection to a LDAP server using 2-way SSL for authentication in the Management Interface and CLI.
Prerequisites

Procedure 5.4. Configure Outbound LDAP with 2-way SSL

  1. Configure the security realm keystore and truststore. The security realm must contain a keystore configured with the key that the JBoss EAP 6 server will use to authenticate against the LDAP server. The security realm must also contain a truststore configured with the LDAP server's certificates. See Section 5.9, “Using 2-way SSL for the Management interface and the CLI” for instructions on configuring keystores and truststores.
  2. Add the outbound connection to the LDAP server, specifying the configured security realm:
    /core-service=management/ldap-connection=LocalLdap:add(url="ldaps://LDAP_HOST:LDAP_PORT")
    
    /core-service=management/ldap-connection=LocalLdap:write-attribute(name=security-realm,value="LdapSSLRealm")
    
  3. Configure LDAP authentication within the security realm and the management interfaces as shown in Section 5.11.2, “Use LDAP to Authenticate to the Management Interfaces”.

Chapter 6. Secure the Management Interfaces with Role-Based Access Control

6.1. About Role-Based Access Control (RBAC)

Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) is a mechanism for specifying a set of permissions for management users. It allows multiple users to share responsibility for managing JBoss EAP 6.3 servers without each of them requiring unrestricted access. By providing "separation of duties" for management users, JBoss EAP 6.3 makes it easy for an organization to spread responsibility between individuals or groups without granting unnecessary privileges. This ensures the maximum possible security of your servers and data while still providing flexibility for configuration, deployment, and management.

Role-Based Access Control in JBoss EAP 6.3 works through a combination of role permissions and constraints.

Seven predefined roles are provided that each have different fixed permissions. The predefined roles are: Monitor, Operator, Maintainer, Deployer, Auditor, Administrator, and SuperUser. Each management user is assigned one or more roles, which specify what the user is permitted to do when managing the server.

6.2. Role-Based Access Control in the Management Console and CLI

When Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) is enabled, the role assigned to a user determines the resources to which they have access and what operations they can conduct with a resource's attributes.
The Management Console

In the management console some controls and views are disabled (greyed out) or not visible at all depending on the permissions of the role to which the user has been assigned.

If you do not have read permissions to a resource attribute, that attribute will appear blank in the console. For example, most roles cannot read the username and password fields for datasources.

If you do not have write permissions to a resource attribute, that attribute will be disabled (greyed-out) in the edit form for the resource. If you do not have write permissions to the resource, then the edit button for the resource will not appear.

If a user does not have permissions to access a resource or attribute (it is "unaddressable" for that role), it will not appear in the console for that user. An example of that is the access control system itself which is only visible to a few roles by default.
The Management CLI or API

Users of the Management CLI or management API will encounter slightly different behavior in the API when RBAC is enabled.

Resources and attributes that cannot be read are filtered from results. If the filtered items are addressable by the role, their names are listed as filtered-attributes in the response-headers section of the result. If a resource or attribute is not addressable by the role, it is not listed.

Attempting to access a resource that is not addressable will result in a resource not found error.

If a user attempts to write or read a resource that they can address but lack the appropriate write or read permissions, a Permission Denied error is returned.

6.3. Supported Authentication Schemes

Role-Based Access Control works with the standard authentication providers that are included with JBoss EAP 6.3. The standard authentication providers are: username/password, client certificate, and local user.
Username/Password

Users are authenticated using a username and password combination which is verified against either the mgmt-users.properties file, or an LDAP server.
Client Certificate

Using the Trust Store.
Local User

jboss-cli.sh authenticates automatically as Local User if the server that is running on the same machine. By default Local User is a member of the SuperUser group.
Regardless of which provider is used, JBoss EAP is responsible for the assignment of roles to users. However when authenticating with the mgmt-users.properties file or an LDAP server, those systems can supply user group information. This information can also be used by JBoss EAP to assign roles to users.

6.4. The Standard Roles

JBoss EAP 6 provides seven predefined user roles: Monitor, Operator, Maintainer, Deployer, Auditor, Administrator, and SuperUser. Each of these roles has a different set of permissions and is designed for specific use cases. The Monitor, Operator, Maintainer, Administrator, and SuperUser role each build upon each other, with each having more permissions than the previous. The Auditor and Deployer roles are similar to the Monitor and Maintainer roles respectively but have some additional special permissions and restrictions.
Monitor

Users of the Monitor role have the fewest permissions and can only read the current configuration and state of the server. This role is intended for users who need to track and report on the performance of the server.

Monitors cannot modify server configuration nor can they access sensitive data or operations.
Operator

The Operator role extends the Monitor role by adding the ability to modify the runtime state of the server. This means that Operators can reload and shutdown the server as well as pause and resume JMS destinations. The Operator role is ideal for users who are responsible for the physical or virtual hosts of the application server so they can ensure that servers can be shutdown and restarted corrected when needed.

Operators cannot modify server configuration or access sensitive data or operations.
Maintainer

The Maintainer role has access to view and modify runtime state and all configuration except sensitive data and operations. The Maintainer role is the general purpose role that doesn't have access to sensitive data and operation. The Maintainer role allows users to be granted almost complete access to administer the server without giving those users access to passwords and other sensitive information.

Maintainers cannot access sensitive data or operations.
Administrator

The Administrator role has unrestricted access to all resources and operations on the server except the audit logging system. The Administrator role has access to sensitive data and operations. This role can also configure the access control system. The Administrator role is only required when handling sensitive data or configuring users and roles.

Administrators cannot access the audit logging system and cannot change themselves to the Auditor or SuperUser role.
SuperUser

The SuperUser role has no restrictions and has complete access to all resources and operations of the server including the audit logging system. This role is equivalent to the administrator users of earlier versions of JBoss EAP 6 (6.0 and 6.1). If RBAC is disabled, all management users have permissions equivalent to the SuperUser role.
Deployer

The Deployer role has the same permissions as the Monitor, but can modify configuration and state for deployments and any other resource type enabled as an application resource.
Auditor

The Auditor role has all the permissions of the Monitor role and can also view (but not modify) sensitive data, and has full access to the audit logging system. The Auditor role is the only role other than SuperUser that can access the audit logging system.

Auditors cannot modify sensitive data or resources. Only read access is permitted.

6.5. About Role Permissions

What each role is allowed to do is defined by what permissions it has. Not every role has every permission. Notably SuperUser has every permission and Monitor has the least.
Each permission can grant read and/or write access for a single category of resources.
The categories are: runtime state, server configuration, sensitive data, the audit log, and the access control system.
Table 6.1, “Role Permissions Matrix” summarizes the permissions of each role.
Table 6.1. Role Permissions Matrix
 

Monitor

Operator

Maintainer

Deployer

Auditor

Administrator

SuperUser

Read Config and State

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Read Sensitive Data [2]
    

X

X

X

Modify Sensitive Data [2]
     

X

X

Read/Modify Audit Log
    

X
 

X

Modify Runtime State
 

X

X

X[1]
 

X

X

Modify Persistent Config
  

X

X[1]
 

X

X

Read/Modify Access Control
     

X

X
[1] permissions are restricted to application resources.
[2] What resources are considered to be "sensitive data" are configured using Sensitivity Constraints.

6.6. About Constraints

Constraints are named sets of access-control configuration for a specified list of resources. The RBAC system uses the combination of constraints and role permissions to determine if any specific user can perform a management action.

Constraints are divided into three classifications: application, sensitivity and vault expression.
Application Constraints

Application Constraints define sets of resources and attributes that can be accessed by users of the Deployer role. By default the only enabled Application Constraint is core which includes deployments, deployment overlays. Application Constraints are also included (but not enabled by default) for datasources, logging, mail, messaging, naming, resource-adapters and security. These constraints allow Deployer users to not only deploy applications but also configure and maintain the resources that are required by those applications.

Application constraint configuration is in the Management API at /core-service=management/access=authorization/constraint=application-classification.
Sensitivity Constraints

Sensitivity Constraints define sets of resources that are considered "sensitive". A sensitive resource is generally one that is either secret, like a password, or one that will have serious impact on the operation of the server, like networking, JVM configuration, or system properties. The access control system itself is also considered sensitive.

The only roles permitted to write to sensitive resources are Administrator and SuperUser. The Auditor role is only able to read sensitive resources. No other roles have access.

Sensitivity constraint configuration is in the Management API at /core-service=management/access=authorization/constraint=sensitivity-classification.
Vault Expression Constraint

The Vault Expression constraint defines if reading or writing vault expressions is consider a sensitive operation. By default both reading and writing vault expressions is a sensitive operation.

Vault Expression constraint configuration is in the Management API at /core-service=management/access=authorization/constraint=vault-expression.

Constraints can not be configured in the Management Console at this time.

6.7. About JMX and Role-Based Access Control

Role-Based Access Control applies to JMX in three ways:
  1. The Management API of JBoss EAP 6 is exposed as JMX Management Beans. These Management Beans are referred to as "core mbeans" and access to them is controlled and filtered exactly the same as the underlying Management API itself.
  2. The JMX subsystem is configured with write permissions being "sensitive". This means only users of the Administrator and SuperUser roles can make changes to that subsystem. Users of the Auditor role can also read this subsystem configuration.
  3. By default Management Beans registered by deployed applications and services (non-core mbeans) can be accessed by all management users, but only users of the Maintainer, Operator, Administrator, SuperUser roles can write to them.

6.8. Configuring Role-Based Access Control

6.8.1. Overview of RBAC Configuration Tasks

When RBAC is enabled only users of the Administration or SuperUser role can view and make changes to the Access Control system.
The management console provides an interface for the following common RBAC tasks:
  • View and configure what roles are assigned to (or excluded from) each user
  • View and configure what roles are assigned to (or excluded from) each group
  • View group and user membership per role.
  • Configure default membership per role.
  • Create a scoped role
The management CLI provides access to the complete access control system. This means that everything that can be done in the management console can be done there, but a number of additional tasks can be performed with the management CLI that cannot be done with the management console.
The following additional tasks can be performed in the CLI:
  • Enable and disable RBAC
  • Change permission combination policy
  • Configuring Application Resource and Resource Sensitivity Constraints

6.8.2. Enabling Role-Based Access Control

By default the Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) system is disabled. It is enabled by changing the provider attribute from simple to rbac. This can be done using the Management CLI or by editing the server configuration XML file if the server is offline. When RBAC is disabled or enabled on a running server, the server configuration must be reloaded before it takes effect.
Once enabled it can only be disabled by a user of the Administrator or SuperUser roles. By default the Management CLI runs as the SuperUser role if it is run on the same machine as the server.

Procedure 6.1. Enabling RBAC

  • To enable RBAC with the Management CLI, use the write-attribute operation of the access authorization resource to set the provider attribute to rbac.
    /core-service=management/access=authorization:write-attribute(name=provider, value=rbac)
    [standalone@localhost:9999 /] /core-service=management/access=authorization:write-attribute(name=provider, value=rbac)
    {
        "outcome" => "success",
        "response-headers" => {
            "operation-requires-reload" => true,
            "process-state" => "reload-required"
        }
    }
    [standalone@localhost:9999 /] /:reload
    {
        "outcome" => "success",
        "result" => undefined
    }

Procedure 6.2. Disabling RBAC

  • To disable RBAC with the Management CLI, use the write-attribute operation of the access authorization resource to set the provider attribute to simple.
    /core-service=management/access=authorization:write-attribute(name=provider, value=simple)
    [standalone@localhost:9999 /] /core-service=management/access=authorization:write-attribute(name=provider, value=simple)
    {
        "outcome" => "success",
        "response-headers" => {
            "operation-requires-reload" => true,
            "process-state" => "reload-required"
        }
    }
    [standalone@localhost:9999 /] /:reload
    {
        "outcome" => "success",
        "result" => undefined
    }
If the server is offline the XML configuration can be edited to enabled or disable RBAC. To do this, edit the provider attribute of the access-control element of the management element. Set the value to rbac to enable, and simple to disable.
<management>

        <access-control provider="rbac">
            <role-mapping>
                <role name="SuperUser">
                    <include>
                        <user name="$local"/>
                    </include>
                </role>
            </role-mapping>
        </access-control>

    </management>

6.8.3. Changing the Permission Combination Policy

The Permission Combination Policy determines how permissions are determined if a user is assigned more than one role. This can be set to permissive or rejecting. The default is permissive.
When set to permissive, if any role is assigned to the user that permits an action, then the action is allowed.
When set to rejecting, if multiple roles are assigned to a user, then no action is allowed. This means that when the policy is set to rejecting each user should only be assigned one role. Users with multiple roles will not be able to use the Management Console or the Management CLI when the policy is set to rejecting.
The Permission Combination Policy is configured by setting the permission-combination-policy attribute to either permissive or rejecting. This can be done using the Management CLI or by editing the server configuration XML file if the server is offline.

Procedure 6.3. Set the Permission Combination Policy

  • Use the write-attribute operation of the access authorization resource to set the permission-combination-policy attribute to the required policy name.
    /core-service=management/access=authorization:write-attribute(name=permission-combination-policy, value=POLICYNAME)
    The valid policy names are rejecting and permissive.
    [standalone@localhost:9999 /] /core-service=management/access=authorization:write-attribute(name=permission-combination-policy, value=rejecting)
    {"outcome" => "success"}
    [standalone@localhost:9999 access=authorization]
    
If the server is offline the XML configuration can be edited to change the permission combination policy value. To do this, edit the permission-combination-policy attribute of the access-control element.
<access-control provider="rbac" permission-combination-policy="rejecting">
  <role-mapping>
    <role name="SuperUser">
      <include>
        <user name="$local"/>
      </include>
    </role>
  </role-mapping>
</access-control>

6.9. Managing Roles

6.9.1. About Role Membership

When Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) is enabled, what a management user is permitted to do is determined by the roles to which the user is assigned. JBoss EAP 6.3 uses a system of includes and excludes based on both the user and group membership to determine to which role a user belongs.

A user is considered to be assigned to a role if:
  1. The user is:
    • listed as a user to be included in the role, or
    • a member of a group that is listed to be included in the role.
  2. The user is not:
    • listed as a user to exclude from the role, or
    • a member of a group that is listed to be excluded from the role.

Exclusions take priority over inclusions.

Role include and exclude settings for users and groups can be configured using both the management console and the management CLI.

Only users of the SuperUser or Administrator roles can perform this configuration.

6.9.2. Configure User Role Assignment

Roles for a user to be included in and excluded from can be configured in the Management Console and the Management CLI. This topic only shows using the Management Console.
Only users in the SuperUser or Administrator roles can perform this configuration.

The User roles configuration in the management console can be found by following these steps:
  1. Login to the Management Console.
  2. Click on the Administration tab.
  3. Expand the Access Control menu and select Role Assignment.
  4. Select the USERS tab.

Procedure 6.4. Create a new role assignment for a user

  1. Login to the Management console.
  2. Navigate to the Users tab of the Role Assignment section.
  3. Click the Add button at the top right of the user list. Add User dialog appears.
    Screenshot of Add User Dialog

    Figure 6.1. Add User Dialog

  4. Specify user name, and optionally realm.
  5. Set the type menu to include or exclude.
  6. Click the checkbox of the roles to include or exclude. To check multiple items, hold down the Control key (Command key on OSX).
  7. Click Save to finish.
    When successful, the Add User dialog closes, and the list of users is updated to reflect the changes made. If unsuccessful a Failed to save role assignment message is displayed.

Procedure 6.5. Update the role assignment for a user

  1. Login to the Management console.
  2. Navigate to the Users tab of the Role Assignment section.
  3. Select user from the list.
  4. Click Edit. The selection panel enters edit mode.
    Screenshot of Selection Edit View

    Figure 6.2. Selection Edit View

    Here you can add and remove assigned and excluded roles for the user.
    1. To add an assigned role, select the required role from the list of available roles on the left and click button with the right-facing arrow next to the assigned roles list. The role moves from the available list to the assigned list.
    2. To remove an assigned role, selected the required role from the assigned roles list on the right and click the button with the left-facing arrow next to the assigned roles list. The role moves from the assigned list to the available list.
    3. To add an excluded role, select the required role from the list of available roles on the left and click button with the right-facing arrow next to the excluded roles list. The role moves from the available list to the excluded list.
    4. To remove an excluded role, selected the required role from the excluded roles list on the right and click the button with the left-facing arrow next to the excluded roles list. The role moves from the excluded list to the available list.
  5. Click Save to finish.
    When successful, the edit view closes, and the list of users is updated to reflect the changes made. If unsuccessful a Failed to save role assignment message is displayed.

Procedure 6.6. Remove role assignment for a user

  1. Login to the Management console.
  2. Navigate to the Users tab of the Role Assignment section.
  3. Select the user from the list.
  4. Click Remove. The Remove Role Assignment confirmation prompt appears.
  5. Click Confirm.
    When successful, the user will no longer appear in the list of user role assignments.

Important

Removing the user from the list of role assignments does not remove the user from the system, nor does it guarantee that no roles will be assigned to the user. Roles might still be assigned from group membership.

6.9.3. Configure User Role Assignment using the Management CLI

Roles for a user to be included in and excluded from can be configured in the Management Console and the Management CLI. This topic only shows using the Management CLI.
The configuration of mapping users and groups to roles is located in the management API at: /core-service=management/access=authorization as role-mapping elements.
Only users of the SuperUser or Administrator roles can perform this configuration.
For easier access to the commands, in the Management CLI change to the /core-service=management/access=authorization location:
[standalone@localhost:9999] cd /core-service=management/access=authorization

Procedure 6.7. Viewing Role Assignment Configuration

  1. Use the :read-children-names operation to get a complete list of the configured roles:
    /core-service=management/access=authorization:read-children-names(child-type=role-mapping)
    [standalone@localhost:9999 access=authorization] :read-children-names(child-type=role-mapping)
    {
        "outcome" => "success",
        "result" => [
            "Administrator",
            "Deployer",
            "Maintainer",
            "Monitor",
            "Operator",
            "SuperUser"
        ]
    }
  2. Use the read-resource operation of a specified role-mapping to get the full details of a specific role:
    /core-service=management/access=authorization/role-mapping=ROLENAME:read-resource(recursive=true)
    [standalone@localhost:9999 access=authorization] ./role-mapping=Administrator:read-resource(recursive=true)
    {
        "outcome" => "success",
        "result" => {
            "include-all" => false,
            "exclude" => undefined,
            "include" => {
                "user-theboss" => {
                    "name" => "theboss",
                    "realm" => undefined,
                    "type" => "USER"
                },
                "user-harold" => {
                    "name" => "harold",
                    "realm" => undefined,
                    "type" => "USER"
                },
                "group-SysOps" => {
                    "name" => "SysOps",
                    "realm" => undefined,
                    "type" => "GROUP"
                }
            }
        }
    }
    [standalone@localhost:9999 access=authorization]

Procedure 6.8. Add a new role

This procedure shows how to add a role-mapping entry for a role. This must be done before the role can be configured.
  • Use the add operation to add a new role configuration.
    /core-service=management/access=authorization/role-mapping=ROLENAME:add
    ROLENAME is the name of the role that the new mapping is for.
    [standalone@localhost:9999 access=authorization] ./role-mapping=Auditor:add             
    {"outcome" => "success"}
    [standalone@localhost:9999 access=authorization]

Procedure 6.9. Add a user as included in a role

This procedure shows how to add a user to the included list of a role.
If no configuration for a role has been done, then a role-mapping entry for it must be done first.
  • Use the add operation to add a user entry to the includes list of the role.
    /core-service=management/access=authorization/role-mapping=ROLENAME/include=ALIAS:add(name=USERNAME, type=USER)
    ROLENAME is the name of the role being configured.
    ALIAS is a unique name for this mapping. Red Hat recommends that you use a naming convention for your aliases such as user-USERNAME.
    USERNAME is the name of the user being added to the include list.
     [standalone@localhost:9999 access=authorization] ./role-mapping=Auditor/include=user-max:add(name=max, type=USER)
    {"outcome" => "success"}
    [standalone@localhost:9999 access=authorization]

Procedure 6.10. Add a user as excluded in a role

This procedure shows how to add a user to the excluded list of a role.
If no configuration for a role has been done, then a role-mapping entry for it must be done first.
  • Use the add operation to add a user entry to the excludes list of the role.
    /core-service=management/access=authorization/role-mapping=ROLENAME/exclude=ALIAS:add(name=USERNAME, type=USER)
    ROLENAME is the name of the role being configured.
    USERNAME is the name of the user being added to the exclude list.
    ALIAS is a unique name for this mapping. Red Hat recommends that you use a naming convention for your aliases such as user-USERNAME.
    [standalone@localhost:9999 access=authorization] ./role-mapping=Auditor/exclude=user-max:add(name=max, type=USER)
    {"outcome" => "success"}
    [standalone@localhost:9999 access=authorization]

Procedure 6.11. Remove user role include configuration

This procedure shows how to remove a user include entry from a role mapping.
  • Use the remove operation to remove the entry.
    /core-service=management/access=authorization/role-mapping=ROLENAME/include=ALIAS:remove
    ROLENAME is the name of the role being configured
    ALIAS is a unique name for this mapping. Red Hat recommends that you use a naming convention for your aliases such as user-USERNAME.
    [standalone@localhost:9999 access=authorization] ./role-mapping=Auditor/include=user-max:remove
    {"outcome" => "success"}
    [standalone@localhost:9999 access=authorization]
    Removing the user from the list of includes does not remove the user from the system, nor does it guarantee that the role won't be assigned to the user. The role might still be assigned based on group membership.

Procedure 6.12. Remove user role exclude configuration

This procedure shows how to remove an user exclude entry from a role mapping.
  • Use the remove operation to remove the entry.
    /core-service=management/access=authorization/role-mapping=ROLENAME/exclude=ALIAS:remove
    ROLENAME is the name of the role being configured.
    ALIAS is a unique name for this mapping. Red Hat recommends that you use a naming convention for your aliases such as user-USERNAME.
    [standalone@localhost:9999 access=authorization] ./role-mapping=Auditor/exclude=user-max:remove
    {"outcome" => "success"}
    [standalone@localhost:9999 access=authorization]
    Removing the user from the list of excludes does not remove the user from the system, nor does it guarantee the role will be assigned to the user. Roles might still be excluded based on group membership.

6.9.4. About Roles and User Groups

Users authenticated using either the mgmt-users.properties file or an LDAP server, can be members of user groups. A user group is an arbitrary label that can be assigned to one or more users.
The RBAC system can be configured to automatically assign roles to users depending on what user groups they are members of. It can also exclude users from roles based on group membership.
When using the mgmt-users.properties file, group information is stored in the mgmt-groups.properties file. When using LDAP the group information is stored in the LDAP sever and maintained by those responsible for the LDAP server.

6.9.5. Configure Group Role Assignment

Roles can be assigned to a user based on the user's membership of a user group.
Groups to be included or excluded from a role can be configured in the Management Console and the Management CLI. This topic only shows using the Management Console.
Only users in the SuperUser or Administrator roles can perform this configuration.
The Group roles configuration in the management console can be found by following these steps:
  1. Login to the Management Console.
  2. Click on the Administration tab.
  3. Expand the Access Control menu and select Role Assignment.
  4. Select the GROUPS tab.

Procedure 6.13. Create a new role assignment for a group

  1. Login to the Management console
  2. Navigate to the GROUPS tab of the Role Assignment section.
  3. Click the Add button at the top right of the user list. Add Group dialog appears.
    Screenshot of Add Group dialog

    Figure 6.3. Add Group Dialog

  4. Specify the group name, and optionally the realm.
  5. Set the type menu to include or exclude.
  6. Click the checkbox of the roles to include or exclude. To check multiple items, hold down the Control key (Command key on OSX).
  7. Click Save to finish.
    When successful, the Add Group dialog closes, and the list of groups is updated to reflect the changes made. If unsuccessful a Failed to save role assignment message is displayed.

Procedure 6.14. Update a role assignment for a group

  1. Login to the Management console.
  2. Navigate to the GROUPS tab of the Role Assignment section.
  3. Select the group from the list.
  4. Click Edit. The Selection view enters Edit mode.
    Screenshot of Selection View in Edit Mode

    Figure 6.4. Selection View Edit Mode

    Here you can add and remove assigned and excluded roles from the group:
    • To add assigned role, select the required role from the list of available roles on the left and click button with the right-facing arrow next to the assigned roles list. The role moves from the available list to the assigned list.
    • To remove an assigned role, selected the required role from the assigned roles list on the right and click the button with the left-facing arrow next to the assigned roles list. The role moves from the assigned list to the available list.
    • To add an excluded role, select the required role from the list of available roles on the left and click button with the right-facing arrow next to the excluded roles list. The role moves from the available list to the excluded list.
    • To remove an excluded role, selected the required role from the excluded roles list on the right and click the button with the left-facing arrow next to the excluded roles list. The role moves from the excluded list to the available list.
  5. Click Save to finish.
    When successful, the edit view closes, and the list of groups is updated to reflect the changes made. If unsuccessful a Failed to save role assignment message is displayed.

Procedure 6.15. Remove role assignment for a group

  1. Login to the Management console.
  2. Navigate to the GROUPS tab of the Role Assignment section.
  3. Select the group from the list.
  4. Click Remove. The Remove Role Assignment confirmation prompt appears.
  5. Click Confirm.
    When successful, the role will no longer appear in the list of group role assignments.
    Removing the group from the list of role assignments does not remove the user group from the system, nor does it guarantee that no roles will be assigned to members of that group. Each group member might still have a role assigned to them directly.

6.9.6. Configure Group Role Assignment using the Management CLI

Groups to be included or excluded from a role can be configured in the Management Console and the Management CLI. This topic only shows using the Management CLI.
The configuration of mapping users and groups to roles is located in the management API at: /core-service=management/access=authorization as role-mapping elements.
Only users in the SuperUser or Administrator roles can perform this configuration.
For easier access to the commands, in the Management CLI change to the /core-service=management/access=authorization location:
[standalone@localhost:9999] cd /core-service=management/access=authorization

Procedure 6.16. Viewing Group Role Assignment Configuration

  1. Use the read-children-names operation to get a complete list of the configured roles:
    /core-service=management/access=authorization:read-children-names(child-type=role-mapping)
    [standalone@localhost:9999 access=authorization] :read-children-names(child-type=role-mapping)
    {
        "outcome" => "success",
        "result" => [
            "Administrator",
            "Deployer",
            "Maintainer",
            "Monitor",
            "Operator",
            "SuperUser"
        ]
    }
  2. Use the read-resource operation of a specified role-mapping to get the full details of a specific role:
    /core-service=management/access=authorization/role-mapping=ROLENAME:read-resource(recursive=true)
    [standalone@localhost:9999 access=authorization] ./role-mapping=Administrator:read-resource(recursive=true)
    {
        "outcome" => "success",
        "result" => {
            "include-all" => false,
            "exclude" => undefined,
            "include" => {
                "user-theboss" => {
                    "name" => "theboss",
                    "realm" => undefined,
                    "type" => "USER"
                },
                "user-harold" => {
                    "name" => "harold",
                    "realm" => undefined,
                    "type" => "USER"
                },
                "group-SysOps" => {
                    "name" => "SysOps",
                    "realm" => undefined,
                    "type" => "GROUP"
                }
            }
        }
    }
    [standalone@localhost:9999 access=authorization]

Procedure 6.17. Add a new role

This procedure shows how to add a role-mapping entry for a role. This must be done before the role can be configured.
  • Use the add operation to add a new role configuration.
    /core-service=management/access=authorization/role-mapping=ROLENAME:add
    [standalone@localhost:9999 access=authorization] ./role-mapping=Auditor:add             
    {"outcome" => "success"}
    [standalone@localhost:9999 access=authorization]

Procedure 6.18. Add a Group as included in a role

This procedure shows how to add a Group to the included list of a role.
If no configuration for a role has been done, then a role-mapping entry for it must be done first.
  • Use the add operation to add a Group entry to the includes list of the role.
    /core-service=management/access=authorization/role-mapping=ROLENAME/include=ALIAS:add(name=GROUPNAME, type=GROUP)
    ROLENAME is the name of the role being configured.
    GROUPNAME is the name of the group being added to the include list.
    ALIAS is a unique name for this mapping. Red Hat recommends that you use a naming convention for your aliases such as group-GROUPNAME.
    [standalone@localhost:9999 access=authorization] ./role-mapping=Auditor/include=group-investigators:add(name=investigators, type=GROUP)
    {"outcome" => "success"}
    [standalone@localhost:9999 access=authorization]

Procedure 6.19. Add a group as excluded in a role

This procedure shows how to add a group to the excluded list of a role.
If no configuration for a role has been done, then a role-mapping entry for it must be created first.
  • Use the add operation to add a group entry to the excludes list of the role.
    /core-service=management/access=authorization/role-mapping=ROLENAME/exclude=ALIAS:add(name=GROUPNAME, type=GROUP)
    ROLENAME is the name of the role being configured
    GROUPNAME is the name of the group being added to the include list
    ALIAS is a unique name for this mapping. Red Hat recommends that you use a naming convention for your aliases such as group-GROUPNAME.
    [standalone@localhost:9999 access=authorization] ./role-mapping=Auditor/exclude=group-supervisors:add(name=supervisors, type=GROUP)
    {"outcome" => "success"}
    [standalone@localhost:9999 access=authorization]

Procedure 6.20. Remove group role include configuration

This procedure shows how to remove a group include entry from a role mapping.
  • Use the remove operation to remove the entry.
    /core-service=management/access=authorization/role-mapping=ROLENAME/include=ALIAS:remove
    ROLENAME is the name of the role being configured
    ALIAS is a unique name for this mapping. Red Hat recommends that you use a naming convention for your aliases such as group-GROUPNAME.
    [standalone@localhost:9999 access=authorization] ./role-mapping=Auditor/include=group-investigators:remove
    {"outcome" => "success"}
    [standalone@localhost:9999 access=authorization]
    Removing the group from the list of includes does not remove the group from the system, nor does it guarantee that the role won't be assigned to users in this group. The role might still be assigned to users in the group individually.

Procedure 6.21. Remove a user group exclude entry

This procedure shows how to remove a group exclude entry from a role mapping.
  • Use the remove operation to remove the entry.
    /core-service=management/access=authorization/role-mapping=ROLENAME/exclude=ALIAS:remove
    ROLENAME is the name of the role being configured.
    ALIAS is a unique name for this mapping. Red Hat recommends that you use a naming convention for your aliases such as group-GROUPNAME.
    [standalone@localhost:9999 access=authorization] ./role-mapping=Auditor/exclude=group-supervisors:remove
    {"outcome" => "success"}
    [standalone@localhost:9999 access=authorization]
    Removing the group from the list of excludes does not remove the group from the system. It also does not guarantee the role will be assigned to members of the group. Roles might still be excluded based on group membership.

6.9.7. About Authorization and Group Loading with LDAP

An LDAP directory contains entries for user accounts and groups, cross referenced by attributes. Depending on the LDAP server configuration, a user entity may map the groups the user belongs to through memberOf attributes; a group entity may map which users belong to it through uniqueMember attributes; or both mappings may be maintained by the LDAP server.
Users generally authenticate against the server using a simple user name. When searching for group membership information, depending on the directory server in use, searches could be performed using this simple name or using the distinguished name of the user's entry in the directory.
The authentication step of a user connecting to the server always happens first. Once the user is successfully authenticated the server loads the user's groups. The authentication step and the authorization step each require a connection to the LDAP server. The realm optimizes this process by reusing the authentication connection for the group loading step. As will be shown within the configuration steps below it is possible to define rules within the authorization section to convert a user's simple user name to their distinguished name. The result of a "user name to distinguished name mapping" search during authentication is cached and reused during the authorization query when the force attribute is set to "false". When force is true, the search is performed again during authorization (while loading groups). This is typically done when different servers perform authentication and authorization.
<authorization>
    <ldap connection="...">
    	<!-- OPTIONAL -->
       <username-to-dn force="true"> 
           <!-- Only one of the following. -->
           <username-is-dn />
           <username-filter base-dn="..." recursive="..." user-dn-attribute="..." attribute="..." />
           <advanced-filter base-dn="..." recursive="..." user-dn-attribute="..." filter="..." />
        </username-to-dn>
        
       <group-search group-name="..." iterative="..." group-dn-attribute="..." group-name-attribute="..." >
           <!-- One of the following -->
           <group-to-principal base-dn="..." recursive="..." search-by="...">
               <membership-filter principal-attribute="..." />
           </group-to-principal>
           <principal-to-group group-attribute="..." />
       </group-search>
    </ldap>
</authorization>

Important

These examples specify some attributes with their default values. This is done for demonstration. Attributes that specify their default values are removed from the configuration when it is persisted by the server. The exception is the force attribute. It is required, even when set to the default value of false.
username-to-dn
The username-to-dn element specifies how to map the user name to the distinguished name of their entry in the LDAP directory. This element is only required when both of the following are true:
  • The authentication and authorization steps are against different LDAP servers.
  • The group search uses the distinguished name.
1:1 username-to-dn

This specifies that the user name entered by the remote user is the user's distinguished name.
<username-to-dn force="false">
   <username-is-dn />
</username-to-dn>

This defines a 1:1 mapping and there is no additional configuration.
username-filter

The next option is very similar to the simple option described above for the authentication step. A specified attribute is searched for a match against the supplied user name.
<username-to-dn force="true">
    <username-filter base-dn="dc=people,dc=harold,dc=example,dc=com" recursive="false" attribute="sn" user-dn-attribute="dn" />
</username-to-dn>

The attributes that can be set here are:
  • base-dn: The distinguished name of the context to begin the search.
  • recursive: Whether the search will extend to sub contexts. Defaults to false.
  • attribute: The attribute of the users entry to try and match against the supplied user name. Defaults to uid.
  • user-dn-attribute: The attribute to read to obtain the users distinguished name. Defaults to dn.
advanced-filter

The final option is to specify an advanced filter, as in the authentication section this is an opportunity to use a custom filter to locate the users distinguished name.
<username-to-dn force="true">
    <advanced-filter base-dn="dc=people,dc=harold,dc=example,dc=com" recursive="false" filter="sAMAccountName={0}" user-dn-attribute="dn" />
</username-to-dn>

For the attributes that match those in the username-filter example, the meaning and default values are the same. There is one new attribute:
  • filter: Custom filter used to search for a user's entry where the user name will be substituted in the {0} place holder.

Important

The XML must remain valid after the filter is defined so if any special characters are used such as & ensure the proper form is used. For example &amp; for the & character.
The Group Search

There are two different styles that can be used when searching for group membership information. The first style is where the user's entry contains an attribute that references the groups the user is a member of. The second style is where the group contains an attribute referencing the users entry.

When there is a choice of which style to use Red Hat recommends that the configuration for a user's entry referencing the group is used. This is because with this method group information can be loaded by reading attributes of known distinguished names without having to perform any searches. The other approach requires extensive searches to identify the groups that reference the user.

Before describing the configuration here are some LDIF examples to illustrate this.

Example 6.1. Principal to Group - LDIF example.

This example illustrates where we have a user TestUserOne who is a member of GroupOne, GroupOne is in turn a member of GroupFive. The group membership is shown by the use of a memberOf attribute which is set to the distinguished name of the group of which the user (or group) is a member.

It is not shown here but a user could potentially have multiple memberOf attributes set, one for each group of which the user is directly a member.
dn: uid=TestUserOne,ou=users,dc=principal-to-group,dc=example,dc=org
objectClass: extensibleObject
objectClass: top
objectClass: groupMember
objectClass: inetOrgPerson
objectClass: uidObject
objectClass: person
objectClass: organizationalPerson
cn: Test User One
sn: Test User One
uid: TestUserOne
distinguishedName: uid=TestUserOne,ou=users,dc=principal-to-group,dc=example,dc=org
memberOf: uid=GroupOne,ou=groups,dc=principal-to-group,dc=example,dc=org
memberOf: uid=Slashy/Group,ou=groups,dc=principal-to-group,dc=example,dc=org
userPassword:: e1NTSEF9WFpURzhLVjc4WVZBQUJNbEI3Ym96UVAva0RTNlFNWUpLOTdTMUE9PQ==

dn: uid=GroupOne,ou=groups,dc=principal-to-group,dc=example,dc=org
objectClass: extensibleObject
objectClass: top
objectClass: groupMember
objectClass: group
objectClass: uidObject
uid: GroupOne
distinguishedName: uid=GroupOne,ou=groups,dc=principal-to-group,dc=example,dc=org
memberOf: uid=GroupFive,ou=subgroups,ou=groups,dc=principal-to-group,dc=example,dc=org

dn: uid=GroupFive,ou=subgroups,ou=groups,dc=principal-to-group,dc=example,dc=org
objectClass: extensibleObject
objectClass: top
objectClass: groupMember
objectClass: group
objectClass: uidObject
uid: GroupFive
distinguishedName: uid=GroupFive,ou=subgroups,ou=groups,dc=principal-to-group,dc=example,dc=org

Example 6.2. Group to Principal - LDIF Example

This example shows the same user TestUserOne who is a member of GroupOne which is in turn a member of GroupFive - however in this case it is an attribute uniqueMember from the group to the user being used for the cross reference.

Again the attribute used for the group membership cross reference can be repeated, if you look at GroupFive there is also a reference to another user TestUserFive which is not shown here.
dn: uid=TestUserOne,ou=users,dc=group-to-principal,dc=example,dc=org
objectClass: top
objectClass: inetOrgPerson
objectClass: uidObject
objectClass: person
objectClass: organizationalPerson
cn: Test User One
sn: Test User One
uid: TestUserOne
userPassword:: e1NTSEF9SjR0OTRDR1ltaHc1VVZQOEJvbXhUYjl1dkFVd1lQTmRLSEdzaWc9PQ==

dn: uid=GroupOne,ou=groups,dc=group-to-principal,dc=example,dc=org
objectClass: top
objectClass: groupOfUniqueNames
objectClass: uidObject
cn: Group One
uid: GroupOne
uniqueMember: uid=TestUserOne,ou=users,dc=group-to-principal,dc=example,dc=org

dn: uid=GroupFive,ou=subgroups,ou=groups,dc=group-to-principal,dc=example,dc=org
objectClass: top
objectClass: groupOfUniqueNames
objectClass: uidObject
cn: Group Five
uid: GroupFive
uniqueMember: uid=TestUserFive,ou=users,dc=group-to-principal,dc=example,dc=org
uniqueMember: uid=GroupOne,ou=groups,dc=group-to-principal,dc=example,dc=org
General Group Searching

Before looking at the examples for the two approaches shown above we first need to define the attributes common to both of these.
<group-search group-name="..." iterative="..." group-dn-attribute="..." group-name-attribute="..." >
    ...
</group-search>
  • group-name: This attribute is used to specify the form that should be used for the group name returned as the list of groups of which the user is a member. This can either be the simple form of the group name or the group's distinguished name. If the distinguished name is required this attribute can be set to DISTINGUISHED_NAME. Defaults to SIMPLE.
  • iterative: This attribute is used to indicate if, after identifying the groups a user is a member of, we should also iteratively search based on the groups to identify which groups the groups are a member of. If iterative searching is enabled we keep going until either we reach a group that is not a member if any other groups or a cycle is detected. Defaults to false.

Cyclic group membership is not a problem. A record of each search is kept to prevent groups that have already been searched from being searched again.

Important

For iterative searching to work the group entries need to look the same as user entries. The same approach used to identify the groups a user is a member of is then used to identify the groups of which the group is a member. This would not be possible if for group to group membership the name of the attribute used for the cross reference changes or if the direction of the reference changes.
  • group-dn-attribute: On an entry for a group which attribute is its distinguished name. Defaults to dn.
  • group-name-attribute: On an entry for a group which attribute is its simple name. Defaults to uid.

Example 6.3. Principal to Group Example Configuration

Based on the example LDIF from above here is an example configuration iteratively loading a user's groups where the attribute used to cross reference is the memberOf attribute on the user.
<authorization>
    <ldap connection="LocalLdap">
        <username-to-dn>
            <username-filter base-dn="ou=users,dc=principal-to-group,dc=example,dc=org" recursive="false" attribute="uid" user-dn-attribute="dn" />
        </username-to-dn>
        <group-search group-name="SIMPLE" iterative="true" group-dn-attribute="dn" group-name-attribute="uid">
            <principal-to-group group-attribute="memberOf" />
        </group-search>
    </ldap>
</authorization>

The most important aspect of this configuration is that the principal-to-group element has been added with a single attribute.
  • group-attribute: The name of the attribute on the user entry that matches the distinguished name of the group the user is a member of. Defaults to memberOf.

Example 6.4. Group to Principal Example Configuration

This example shows an iterative search for the group to principal LDIF example shown above.
<authorization>
      <ldap connection="LocalLdap">
          <username-to-dn>
              <username-filter base-dn="ou=users,dc=group-to-principal,dc=example,dc=org" recursive="false" attribute="uid" user-dn-attribute="dn" />
          </username-to-dn>
          <group-search group-name="SIMPLE" iterative="true" group-dn-attribute="dn" group-name-attribute="uid">
              <group-to-principal base-dn="ou=groups,dc=group-to-principal,dc=example,dc=org" recursive="true" search-by="DISTINGUISHED_NAME">
                  <membership-filter principal-attribute="uniqueMember" />
              </group-to-principal>
          </group-search>
      </ldap>
  </authorization>

Here an element group-to-principal is added. This element is used to define how searches for groups that reference the user entry will be performed. The following attributes are set:
  • base-dn: The distinguished name of the context to use to begin the search.
  • recursive: Whether sub-contexts also be searched. Defaults to false.
  • search-by: The form of the role name used in searches. Valid values are SIMPLE and DISTINGUISHED_NAME. Defaults to DISTINGUISHED_NAME.

Within the group-to-principal element there is a membership-filter element to define the cross reference.
  • principal-attribute: The name of the attribute on the group entry that references the user entry. Defaults to member.

6.9.8. About Scoped Roles

Scoped Roles are user-defined roles that grant the permissions of one of the standard roles but only for one or more specified server groups or hosts. Scoped roles allow for management users to be granted permissions that are limited to only those server groups or hosts that are required.

Scoped roles can be created by users assigned the Administrator or SuperUser roles.

They are defined by five characteristics:
  1. A unique name.
  2. Which of the standard roles it is based on.
  3. If it applies to Server Groups or Hosts
  4. The list of server groups or hosts that it is restricted to.
  5. If all users are automatically include. This defaults to false.

Once created a scoped role can be assigned to users and groups the same way that the standard roles are.

Creating a scoped role does not let you define new permissions. Scoped roles can only be used to apply the permissions of an existing role in a limited scope. For example, you could create a scoped role based on the Deployer role which is restricted to a single server group.

There are only two scopes that roles can be limited to, host and server group.
Host-scoped roles

A role that is host-scoped restricts the permissions of that role to one or more hosts. This means access is provided to the relevant /host=*/ resource trees but resources that are specific to other hosts are hidden.
Server-Group-scoped roles

A role that is server-group-scoped restricts the permissions of that role to one or more server groups. Additionally the role permissions will also apply to the profile, socket binding group, server config and server resources that are associated with the specified server-groups. Any sub-resources within any of those that are not logically related to the server-group will not be visible to the user.

Both host and server-group scoped roles have permissions of the Monitor role for the remainder of the managed domain configuration.

6.9.9. Creating Scoped Roles

Scoped Roles are user-defined roles that grant the permissions of one of the standard roles but only for one or more specified server groups or hosts. This topic shows how to create scoped roles.

Only users in the SuperUser or Administrator roles can perform this configuration.

Scoped Role configuration in the management console can be found by following these steps:
  1. Login to the Management Console
  2. Click on the Administration tab
  3. Expand the Access Control menu and select Role Assignment.
  4. Select ROLES tab, and then the Scoped Roles tab within it.
The Scoped Roles section of the Management Console consists of two main areas, a table containing a list of the currently configured scoped roles, and the Selection panel which displays the details of the role currently selected in the table.
The following procedures show how to perform configuration tasks for Scoped Roles.

Procedure 6.22. Add a New Scoped Role

  1. Login to the Management Console
  2. Navigate to the Scoped Roles area of the Roles tab.
  3. Click Add. The Add Scoped Role dialog appears.
  4. Specify the following details:
    • Name, the unique name for the new scoped role.
    • Base Role, the role which this role will base its permissions on.
    • Type, whether this role will be restricted to hosts or server groups.
    • Scope, the list of hosts or server groups that the role is restricted to. Multiple entries can be selected.
    • Include All, should this role automatically include all users. Defaults to no.
  5. Click Save and the dialog will close and the newly created role will appear in the table.

Procedure 6.23. Edit a Scoped Role

  1. Login to the Management Console
  2. Navigate to the Scoped Roles area of the Roles tab.
  3. Click on the scoped role you want to edit in the table. The details of that role appears in the Selection panel below the table.
  4. Click Edit in the Selection panel. The Selection panel enters edit mode.
  5. Update the details you need to change and click the Save button. The Selection panel returns to its previous state. Both the Selection panel and table show the newly updated details.

Procedure 6.24. View Scoped Role Members

  1. Login to the Management Console
  2. Navigate to the Scoped Roles area of the Roles tab.
  3. Click on the scoped role in the table that you want to view the Members of, then click Members. The Members of role dialog appears. It shows users and groups that are included or excluded from the role.
  4. Click Done when you have finished reviewing this information.

Procedure 6.25. Delete a Scoped Role

Important

A Scoped Role cannot be deleted if users or groups are assigned to it. Remove the role assignments first, and then delete it.
  1. Login to the Management Console
  2. Navigate to the Scoped Roles area of the Roles tab.
  3. Select the scoped role to be removed in the table.
  4. Click the Remove button. The Remove Scoped Role dialog appears.
  5. Click Confirm.The dialog closes and the role is removed.

6.10. Configuring Constraints

6.10.1. Configure Sensitivity Constraints

Each Sensitivity Constraint defines a set of resources that are considered "sensitive". A sensitive resource is generally one that either should be secret, like passwords, or one that will have serious impact on the server, like networking, JVM configuration, or system properties. The access control system itself is also considered sensitive. Resource sensitivity limits which roles are able to read, write or address a specific resource.

Sensitivity constraint configuration is in the Management API at /core-service=management/access=authorization/constraint=sensitivity-classification.

Within the management model each Sensitivity Constraint is identified as a classification. The classifications are then grouped into types. There are 39 included classifications that are arranged into 13 types.

To configure a sensitivity constraint, use the write-attribute operation to set the configured-requires-read, configured-requires-write, or configured-requires-addressable attribute. To make that type of operation sensitive set the value of the attribute to true, otherwise to make it nonsensitive set it to false. By default these attributes are not set and the values of default-requires-read, default-requires-write, and default-requires-addressable are used. Once the configured attribute is set it is that value that is used instead of the default. The default values cannot be changed.

Example 6.5. Make reading system properties a sensitive operation

[domain@localhost:9999 /] cd /core-service=management/access=authorization/constraint=sensitivity-classification/type=core/classification=system-property
[domain@localhost:9999 classification=system-property] :write-attribute(name=configured-requires-read, value=true)
{
    "outcome" => "success",
    "result" => undefined,
    "server-groups" => {"main-server-group" => {"host" => {"master" => {
        "server-one" => {"response" => {"outcome" => "success"}},
        "server-two" => {"response" => {"outcome" => "success"}}
    }}}}
}
[domain@localhost:9999 classification=system-property] :read-resource
{
    "outcome" => "success",
    "result" => {
        "configured-requires-addressable" => undefined,
        "configured-requires-read" => true,
        "configured-requires-write" => undefined,
        "default-requires-addressable" => false,
        "default-requires-read" => false,
        "default-requires-write" => true,
        "applies-to" => {
            "/host=master/system-property=*" => undefined,
            "/host=master/core-service=platform-mbean/type=runtime" => undefined,
            "/server-group=*/system-property=*" => undefined,
            "/host=master/server-config=*/system-property=*" => undefined,
            "/host=master" => undefined,
            "/system-property=*" => undefined,
            "/" => undefined
        }
    }
}
[domain@localhost:9999 classification=system-property]

What roles will be able to perform what operations depending on the configuration of these attributes is summarized in Table 6.2, “Sensitivity Constraint Configuration outcomes”.
Table 6.2. Sensitivity Constraint Configuration outcomes
Value requires-read requires-write requires-addressable

true

Read is sensitive.

Only Auditor, Administrator, SuperUser can read.

Write is sensitive.

Only Administrator and SuperUser can write

Addressing is sensitive.

Only Auditor, Administrator, SuperUser can address.

false

Read is not sensitive.

Any management user can read.

Write is not sensitive.

Only Maintainer, Administrator and SuperUser can write. Deployers can also write the resource is an application resource.

Addressing is not sensitive.

Any management user can address.

6.10.2. Configure Application Resource Constraints

Each Application Resource Constraint defines a set of resources, attributes and operations that are usually associated with the deployment of applications and services. When an application resource constraint is enabled management users of the Deployer role are granted access to the resources that it applies to.

Application constraint configuration is in the Management Model at /core-service=management/access=authorization/constraint=application-classification/.

Within the management model each Application Resource Constraint is identified as a classification. The classifications are then grouped into types. There are 14 included classifications that are arranged into 8 types. Each classification has an applies-to element which is a list of resource path patterns to which the classifications configuration applies.

By default the only Application Resource classification that is enabled is core. Core includes deployments, deployment overlays, and the deployment operations.

To enable an Application Resource, use the write-attribute operation to set the configured-application attribute of the classification to true. To disable an Application Resource, set this attribute to false. By default these attributes are not set and the value of default-application attribute is used. The default value cannot be changed.

Example 6.6. Enabling the logger-profile application resource classification

[domain@localhost:9999 /] cd /core-service=management/access=authorization/constraint=application-classification/type=logging/classification=logging-profile
[domain@localhost:9999 classification=logging-profile] :write-attribute(name=configured-application, value=true)
{
    "outcome" => "success",
    "result" => undefined,
    "server-groups" => {"main-server-group" => {"host" => {"master" => {
        "server-one" => {"response" => {"outcome" => "success"}},
        "server-two" => {"response" => {"outcome" => "success"}}
    }}}}
}
[domain@localhost:9999 classification=logging-profile] :read-resource 
{
    "outcome" => "success",
    "result" => {
        "configured-application" => true,
        "default-application" => false,
        "applies-to" => {"/profile=*/subsystem=logging/logging-profile=*" => undefined}
    }
}
[domain@localhost:9999 classification=logging-profile]

Important

Application Resource Constraints apply to all resources that match its configuration. For example, It is not possible to grant a Deployer user access to one datasource resource but not another. If this level of separation is required then it is recommended to configure the resources in different server groups and create different scoped Deployer roles for each group.

6.10.3. Configure the Vault Expression Constraint

By default, reading and writing vault expressions are sensitive operations. Configuring the Vault Expression Constraint allows you to set either or both of those operations to being nonsensitive. Changing this constraint allows a greater number of roles to read and write vault expressions.

The vault expression constraint is found in the management model at /core-service=management/access=authorization/constraint=vault-expression.

To configure the vault expression constraint, use the write-attribute operation to set the attributes of configured-requires-write and configured-requires-read to true or false. By default these are not set and the values of default-requires-read and default-requires-write are used. The default values cannot be changed.

Example 6.7. Making writing to vault expressions a nonsensitive operation

[domain@localhost:9999 /] cd /core-service=management/access=authorization/constraint=vault-expression
[domain@localhost:9999 constraint=vault-expression] :write-attribute(name=configured-requires-write, value=false)
{
    "outcome" => "success",
    "result" => undefined,
    "server-groups" => {"main-server-group" => {"host" => {"master" => {
        "server-one" => {"response" => {"outcome" => "success"}},
        "server-two" => {"response" => {"outcome" => "success"}}
    }}}}
}
[domain@localhost:9999 constraint=vault-expression] :read-resource
{
    "outcome" => "success",
    "result" => {
        "configured-requires-read" => undefined,
        "configured-requires-write" => false,
        "default-requires-read" => true,
        "default-requires-write" => true
    }
}
[domain@localhost:9999 constraint=vault-expression]

What roles will be able to read and write to vault expressions depending on this configuration is summarized in Table 6.3, “Vault Expression Constraint Configuration outcomes”.
Table 6.3. Vault Expression Constraint Configuration outcomes
Value requires-read requires-write

true

Read operation is sensitive.

Only Auditor, Administrator, and SuperUser can read.

Write operation is sensitive.

Only Administrator, and SuperUser can write.

false

Read operation is not sensitive.

All management users can read.

Write operation is not sensitive.

Monitor, Administrator, and SuperUser can write. Deployers can also write if the vault expression is in an Application Resource.

6.11. Constraints Reference

6.11.1. Application Resource Constraints Reference

Type: core

Classification: deployment-overlay
  • default: true
  • PATH: /deployment-overlay=*
  • PATH: /deployment=*
  • PATH: /
    Operation:
    upload-deployment-stream, full-replace-deployment, upload-deployment-url, upload-deployment-bytes

Type: datasources

Classification: datasource
  • default: false
  • PATH: /deployment=*/subdeployment=*/subsystem=datasources/data-source=*
  • PATH: /subsystem=datasources/data-source=*
  • PATH: /subsystem=datasources/data-source=ExampleDS
  • PATH: /deployment=*/subsystem=datasources/data-source=*
Classification: jdbc-driver
  • default: false
  • PATH: /subsystem=datasources/jdbc-driver=*
Classification: xa-data-source
  • default: false
  • PATH: /subsystem=datasources/xa-data-source=*
  • PATH: /deployment=*/subsystem=datasources/xa-data-source=*
  • PATH: /deployment=*/subdeployment=*/subsystem=datasources/xa-data-source=*

Type: logging

Classification: logger
  • default: false
  • PATH: /subsystem=logging/logger=*
  • PATH: /subsystem=logging/logging-profile=*/logger=*
Classification: logging-profile
  • default: false
  • PATH: /subsystem=logging/logging-profile=*

Type: mail

Classification: mail-session
  • default: false
  • PATH: /subsystem=mail/mail-session=*

Type: naming

Classification: binding
  • default: false
  • PATH: /subsystem=naming/binding=*

Type: resource-adapters

Classification: resource-adapters
  • default: false
  • PATH: /subsystem=resource-adapters/resource-adapter=*

Type: security

Classification: security-domain
  • default: false
  • PATH: /subsystem=security/security-domain=*

6.11.2. Sensitivity Constraints Reference

Type: core

Classification: access-control
  • requires-addressable: true
  • requires-read: true
  • requires-write: true
  • PATH: /core-service=management/access=authorization
  • PATH: /subsystem=jmx ATTRIBUTE: non-core-mbean-sensitivity
Classification: credential
  • requires-addressable: false
  • requires-read: true
  • requires-write: true
  • PATH: /subsystem=mail/mail-session=*/server=pop3 ATTRIBUTE: username , password
  • PATH: /subsystem=mail/mail-session=*/server=imap ATTRIBUTE: username , password
  • PATH: /subsystem=datasources/xa-data-source=* ATTRIBUTE: user-name, recovery-username, password, recovery-password
  • PATH: /subsystem=mail/mail-session=*/custom=* ATTRIBUTE: username, password
  • PATH: /subsystem=datasources/data-source=*" ATTRIBUTE: user-name, password
  • PATH: /subsystem=remoting/remote-outbound-connection=*" ATTRIBUTE: username
  • PATH: /subsystem=mail/mail-session=*/server=smtp ATTRIBUTE: username, password
  • PATH: /subsystem=web/connector=*/configuration=ssl ATTRIBUTE: key-alias, password
  • PATH: /subsystem=resource-adapters/resource-adapter=*/connection-definitions=*" ATTRIBUTE: recovery-username, recovery-password
Classification: domain-controller
  • requires-addressable: false
  • requires-read: false
  • requires-write: true
Classification: domain-names
  • requires-addressable: false
  • requires-read: false
  • requires-write: true
Classification: extensions
  • requires-addressable: false
  • requires-read: false
  • requires-write: true
  • PATH: /extension=*
Classification: jvm
  • requires-addressable: false
  • requires-read: false
  • requires-write: true
  • PATH: /core-service=platform-mbean/type=runtime ATTRIBUTE: input-arguments, boot-class-path, class-path, boot-class-path-supported, library-path
Classification: management-interfaces
  • requires-addressable: false
  • requires-read: false
  • requires-write: true
  • /core-service=management/management-interface=native-interface
  • /core-service=management/management-interface=http-interface
Classification: module-loading
  • requires-addressable: false
  • requires-read: false
  • requires-write: true
  • PATH: /core-service=module-loading
Classification: patching
  • requires-addressable: false
  • requires-read: false
  • requires-write: true
  • PATH: /core-service=patching/addon=*
  • PATH: /core-service=patching/layer=*"
  • PATH: /core-service=patching
Classification: read-whole-config
  • requires-addressable: false
  • requires-read: true
  • requires-write: true
  • PATH: / OPERATION: read-config-as-xml
Classification: security-domain
  • requires-addressable: true
  • requires-read: true
  • requires-write: true
  • PATH: /subsystem=security/security-domain=*
Classification: security-domain-ref
  • requires-addressable: true
  • requires-read: true
  • requires-write: true
  • PATH: /subsystem=datasources/xa-data-source=* ATTRIBUTE: security-domain
  • PATH: /subsystem=datasources/data-source=* ATTRIBUTE: security-domain
  • PATH: /subsystem=ejb3 ATTRIBUTE: default-security-domain
  • PATH: /subsystem=resource-adapters/resource-adapter=*/connection-definitions=* ATTRIBUTE: security-domain, recovery-security-domain, security-application, security-domain-and-application
Classification: security-realm
  • requires-addressable: true
  • requires-read: true
  • requires-write: true
  • PATH: /core-service=management/security-realm=*
Classification: security-realm-ref
  • requires-addressable: true
  • requires-read: true
  • requires-write: true
  • PATH: /subsystem=remoting/connector=* ATTRIBUTE: security-realm
  • PATH: /core-service=management/management-interface=native-interface ATTRIBUTE: security-realm
  • PATH: /core-service=management/management-interface=http-interface ATTRIBUTE: security-realm
  • PATH: /subsystem=remoting/remote-outbound-connection=* ATTRIBUTE: security-realm
Classification: security-vault
  • requires-addressable: false
  • requires-read: false
  • requires-write: true
  • PATH: /core-service=vault
Classification: service-container
  • requires-addressable: false
  • requires-read: false
  • requires-write: true
  • PATH: /core-service=service-container
Classification: snapshots
  • requires-addressable: false
  • requires-read: false
  • requires-write: false
  • PATH: / ATTRIBUTE: take-snapshot, list-snapshots, delete-snapshot
Classification: socket-binding-ref
  • requires-addressable: false
  • requires-read: false
  • requires-write: false
  • PATH: /subsystem=mail/mail-session=*/server=pop3 ATTRIBUTE: outbound-socket-binding-ref
  • PATH: /subsystem=mail/mail-session=*/server=imap ATTRIBUTE: outbound-socket-binding-ref
  • PATH: /subsystem=remoting/connector=* ATTRIBUTE: socket-binding
  • PATH: /subsystem=web/connector=* ATTRIBUTE: socket-binding
  • PATH: /subsystem=remoting/local-outbound-connection=* ATTRIBUTE: outbound-socket-binding-ref
  • PATH: /socket-binding-group=*/local-destination-outbound-socket-binding=* ATTRIBUTE: socket-binding-ref
  • PATH: /subsystem=remoting/remote-outbound-connection=* ATTRIBUTE: outbound-socket-binding-ref
  • PATH: /subsystem=mail/mail-session=*/server=smtp ATTRIBUTE: outbound-socket-binding-ref
  • PATH: /subsystem=transactions ATTRIBUTE: process-id-socket-binding, status-socket-binding, socket-binding
Classification: socket-config
  • requires-addressable: false
  • requires-read: false
  • requires-write: true
  • PATH: /interface=* OPERATION: resolve-internet-address
  • PATH: /core-service=management/management-interface=native-interface ATTRIBUTE: port, interface, socket-binding
  • PATH: /socket-binding-group=*
  • PATH: /core-service=management/management-interface=http-interface ATTRIBUTE: port, secure-port, interface, secure-socket-binding, socket-binding
  • PATH: / OPERATION: resolve-internet-address
  • PATH: /subsystem=transactions ATTRIBUTE: process-id-socket-max-ports
Classification: system-property
  • requires-addressable: false
  • requires-read: false
  • requires-write: true
  • PATH: /core-service=platform-mbean/type=runtime ATTRIBUTE: system-properties
  • PATH: /system-property=*
  • PATH: / OPERATION: resolve-expression

Type: datasources

Classification: data-source-security
  • requires-addressable: false
  • requires-read: true
  • requires-write: true
  • PATH: /subsystem=datasources/xa-data-source=* ATTRIBUTE: user-name, security-domain, password
  • PATH: /subsystem=datasources/data-source=* ATTRIBUTE: user-name, security-domain, password

Type: jdr

Classification: jdr
  • requires-addressable: false
  • requires-read: false
  • requires-write: true
  • PATH: /subsystem=jdr OPERATION: generate-jdr-report

Type: jmx

Classification: jmx
  • requires-addressable: false
  • requires-read: false
  • requires-write: true
  • PATH: /subsystem=jmx

Type: mail

Classification: mail-server-security
  • requires-addressable: false
  • requires-read: false
  • requires-write: true
  • PATH: /subsystem=mail/mail-session=*/server=pop3 ATTRIBUTE: username, tls, ssl, password
  • PATH: /subsystem=mail/mail-session=*/server=imap ATTRIBUTE: username, tls, ssl, password
  • PATH: /subsystem=mail/mail-session=*/custom=* ATTRIBUTE: username, tls, ssl, password
  • PATH: /subsystem=mail/mail-session=*/server=smtp ATTRIBUTE: username, tls, ssl, password

Type: naming

Classification: jndi-view
  • requires-addressable: false
  • requires-read: true
  • requires-write: true
  • PATH: /subsystem=naming OPERATION: jndi-view
Classification: naming-binding
  • requires-addressable: false
  • requires-read: false
  • requires-write: false
  • PATH: /subsystem=naming/binding=*

Type: remoting

Classification: remoting-security
  • requires-addressable: false
  • requires-read: true
  • requires-write: true
  • PATH: /subsystem=remoting/connector=* ATTRIBUTE: authentication-provider, security-realm
  • PATH: /subsystem=remoting/remote-outbound-connection=* ATTRIBUTE: username, security-realm
  • PATH: /subsystem=remoting/connector=*/security=sasl

Type: resource-adapters

Classification: resource-adapter-security
  • requires-addressable: false
  • requires-read: true
  • requires-write: true
  • PATH: /subsystem=resource-adapters/resource-adapter=*/connection-definitions=* ATTRIBUTE: security-domain, recovery-username, recovery-security-domain, security-application, security-domain-and-application, recovery-password

Type: security

Classification: misc-security
  • requires-addressable: false
  • requires-read: true
  • requires-write: true
  • PATH: /subsystem=security ATTRIBUTE: deep-copy-subject-mode

Type: web

Classification: web-access-log
  • requires-addressable: false
  • requires-read: false
  • requires-write: false
  • PATH: /subsystem=web/virtual-server=*/configuration=access-log
Classification: web-connector
  • requires-addressable: false
  • requires-read: false
  • requires-write: false
  • PATH: /subsystem=web/connector=*
Classification: web-ssl
  • requires-addressable: false
  • requires-read: true
  • requires-write: true
  • PATH: /subsystem=web/connector=*/configuration=ssl
Classification: web-sso
  • requires-addressable: false
  • requires-read: true
  • requires-write: true
  • PATH: /subsystem=web/virtual-server=*/configuration=sso
Classification: web-valve
  • requires-addressable: false
  • requires-read: false
  • requires-write: false
  • PATH: /subsystem=web/valve=*

Chapter 7. Secure Passwords and Other Sensitive Strings with Password Vault

7.1. Password Vault System

JBoss EAP 6 has a Password Vault to encrypt sensitive strings, store them in an encrypted keystore, and decrypt them for applications and verification systems.
Plain-text configuration files, such as XML deployment descriptors, need to specify passwords and other sensitive information.
Use the JBoss EAP Password Vault to securely store sensitive strings in plain-text files.

7.2. Create a Java Keystore to Store Sensitive Strings

Prerequisites

  • The keytool command must be available to use. It is provided by the Java Runtime Environment (JRE). Locate the path for the file. In Red Hat Enterprise Linux, it is installed to /usr/bin/keytool.

Warning

The JCEKS keystore implementations differ between Java vendors. You must generate the vault.keystore using the keytool from the same vendor as the JDK you use.
Using a vault generated by the keytool from one vendor's JDK in an EAP instance running on a JDK from a different vendor results in the following exception:
java.io.IOException: com.sun.crypto.provider.SealedObjectForKeyProtector

Procedure 7.1. Setup a Java Keystore

  1. Create a directory to store your keystore and other encrypted information.

    Create a directory to hold your keystore and other important information. The rest of this procedure assumes that the directory is EAP_HOME/vault/. Since this directory will contain sensitive information it should be accessible to only limited users. At a minimum the user account under which JBoss EAP is running requires read-write access.
  2. Determine the parameters to use with keytool.

    Determine the following parameters:
    alias
    The alias is a unique identifier for the vault or other data stored in the keystore. The alias in the example command at the end of this procedure is vault. Aliases are case-insensitive.
    keyalg
    The algorithm to use for encryption. The example in this procedure uses AES. Use the documentation for your JRE and operating system to see which other choices may be available to you.
    keysize
    The size of an encryption key impacts how difficult it is to decrypt through brute force. The example in this procedure uses 128. For information on appropriate values, see the documentation distributed with the keytool.
    keystore
    The keystore is a database which holds encrypted information and the information about how to decrypt it. If you do not specify a keystore, the default keystore to use is a file called .keystore in your home directory. The first time you add data to a keystore, it is created. The example in this procedure uses the vault.keystore keystore.
    The keytool command has many other options. See the documentation for your JRE or your operating system for more details.
  3. Determine the answers to questions the keystore command will ask.

    The keystore needs the following information in order to populate the keystore entry:
    Keystore password
    When you create a keystore, you must set a password. In order to work with the keystore in the future, you need to provide the password. Create a strong password that you will remember. The keystore is only as secure as its password and the security of the file system and operating system where it resides.
    Key password (optional)
    In addition to the keystore password, you can specify a password for each key it holds. In order to use such a key, the password needs to be given each time it is used. Usually, this facility is not used.
    First name (given name) and last name (surname)
    This, and the rest of the information in the list, helps to uniquely identify the key and place it into a hierarchy of other keys. It does not necessarily need to be a name at all, but it should be two words, and must be unique to the key. The example in this procedure uses Accounting Administrator. In directory terms, this becomes the common name of the certificate.
    Organizational unit
    This is a single word that identifies who uses the certificate. It may be the application or the business unit. The example in this procedure uses AccountingServices. Typically, all keystores used by a group or application use the same organizational unit.
    Organization
    This is usually a single-word representation of your organization's name. This typically remains the same across all certificates used by an organization. This example uses MyOrganization.
    City or municipality
    Your city.
    State or province
    Your state or province, or the equivalent for your locality.
    Country
    The two-letter code for your country.
    All of this information together will create a hierarchy for your keystores and certificates, ensuring that they use a consistent naming structure but are unique.
  4. Run the keytool command, supplying the information that you gathered.

    Example 7.1. Example input and output of keystore command

    $ keytool -genseckey -alias vault -storetype jceks -keyalg AES -keysize 128 -storepass vault22 -keypass vault22 -validity 730 -keystore EAP_HOME/vault/vault.keystore
    Enter keystore password: vault22 
    Re-enter new password:vault22 
    What is your first and last name?
      [Unknown]:  Accounting Administrator
    What is the name of your organizational unit?
      [Unknown]:  AccountingServices
    What is the name of your organization?
      [Unknown]:  MyOrganization
    What is the name of your City or Locality?
      [Unknown]:  Raleigh
    What is the name of your State or Province?
      [Unknown]:  NC
    What is the two-letter country code for this unit?
      [Unknown]:  US
    Is CN=Accounting Administrator, OU=AccountingServices, O=MyOrganization, L=Raleigh, ST=NC, C=US correct?
      [no]:  yes
    
    Enter key password for <vault>
            (RETURN if same as keystore password):
    
Result

A file named vault.keystore is created in the EAP_HOME/vault/ directory. It stores a single key, called vault, which will be used to store encrypted strings, such as passwords, for JBoss EAP 6.

7.3. Mask the Keystore Password and Initialize the Password Vault

  1. Run the vault.sh command.

    Run EAP_HOME/bin/vault.sh. Start a new interactive session by typing 0.
  2. Enter the directory where encrypted files will be stored.

    This directory should be accessible to only limited users. At a minimum the user account under which JBoss EAP is running requires read-write access. If you followed Section 7.2, “Create a Java Keystore to Store Sensitive Strings”, your keystore is in a directory called EAP_HOME/vault/.

    Note

    Do not forget to include the trailing slash on the directory name. Either use / or \, depending on your operating system.
  3. Enter the path to the keystore.

    Enter the full path to the keystore file. This example uses EAP_HOME/vault/vault.keystore.
  4. Encrypt the keystore password.

    The following steps encrypt the keystore password, so that you can use it in configuration files and applications securely.
    1. Enter the keystore password.

      When prompted, enter the keystore password.
    2. Enter a salt value.

      Enter an 8-character salt value. The salt value, together with the iteration count (below), are used to create the hash value.
    3. Enter the iteration count.

      Enter a number for the iteration count.
    4. Make a note of the masked password information.

      The masked password, the salt, and the iteration count are printed to standard output. Make a note of them in a secure location. An attacker could use them to decrypt the password.
    5. Enter the alias of the vault.

      When prompted, enter the alias of the vault. If you followed Section 7.2, “Create a Java Keystore to Store Sensitive Strings” to create your vault, the alias is vault.
  5. Exit the interactive console.

    Type 2 to exit the interactive console.
Result

Your keystore password has been masked for use in configuration files and deployments. In addition, your vault is fully configured and ready to use.

7.4. Configure JBoss EAP 6 to Use the Password Vault

Overview

Before you can mask passwords and other sensitive attributes in configuration files, you need to make JBoss EAP 6 aware of the password vault which stores and decrypts them. Follow this procedure to enable this functionality.

Procedure 7.2. Setup a Password Vault

  1. Determine the correct values for the command.

    Determine the values for the following parameters, which are determined by the commands used to create the keystore itself. For information on creating a keystore, refer the following topics: Section 7.2, “Create a Java Keystore to Store Sensitive Strings” and Section 7.3, “Mask the Keystore Password and Initialize the Password Vault”.
    Parameter Description
    KEYSTORE_URL
    The file system path or URI of the keystore file, usually called something like vault.keystore
    KEYSTORE_PASSWORD
    The password used to access the keystore. This value should be masked.
    KEYSTORE_ALIAS
    The name of the keystore alias.
    SALT
    The salt used to encrypt and decrypt keystore values.
    ITERATION_COUNT
    The number of times the encryption algorithm is run.
    ENC_FILE_DIR
    The path to the directory from which the keystore commands are run. Typically the directory containing the password vault.
    host (managed domain only)
    The name of the host you are configuring
  2. Use the Management CLI to enable the password vault.

    Run one of the following commands, depending on whether you use a managed domain or standalone server configuration. Substitute the values in the command with the ones from the first step of this procedure.

    Note

    If you use Microsoft Windows Server, in the CLI command, escape each \ character in a directory path with an additional \ character. For example, C:\\data\\vault\\vault.keystore. This is because single \ character is used for character escaping.
    • Managed Domain

      /host=YOUR_HOST/core-service=vault:add(vault-options=[("KEYSTORE_URL" => "PATH_TO_KEYSTORE"), ("KEYSTORE_PASSWORD" => "MASKED_PASSWORD"), ("KEYSTORE_ALIAS" => "ALIAS"), ("SALT" => "SALT"),("ITERATION_COUNT" => "ITERATION_COUNT"), ("ENC_FILE_DIR" => "ENC_FILE_DIR")])
      
    • Standalone Server

      /core-service=vault:add(vault-options=[("KEYSTORE_URL" => "PATH_TO_KEYSTORE"), ("KEYSTORE_PASSWORD" => "MASKED_PASSWORD"), ("KEYSTORE_ALIAS" => "ALIAS"), ("SALT" => "SALT"),("ITERATION_COUNT" => "ITERATION_COUNT"), ("ENC_FILE_DIR" => "ENC_FILE_DIR")])
      
    The following is an example of the command with hypothetical values:
    /core-service=vault:add(vault-options=[("KEYSTORE_URL" => "/home/user/vault/vault.keystore"), ("KEYSTORE_PASSWORD" => "MASK-3y28rCZlcKR"), ("KEYSTORE_ALIAS" => "vault"), ("SALT" => "12438567"),("ITERATION_COUNT" => "50"), ("ENC_FILE_DIR" => "/home/user/vault/")])
    
Result

JBoss EAP 6 is configured to decrypt masked strings using the password vault. To add strings to the vault and use them in your configuration, refer to the following topic: Section 7.6, “Store and Retrieve Encrypted Sensitive Strings in the Java Keystore”.

7.5. Configure JBoss EAP 6 to Use a Custom Implementation of the Password Vault

Summary

You can use your own implementation of SecurityVault to mask passwords and other sensitive attributes in configuration files.

Procedure 7.3. Use a Custom Implementation of the Password Vault

  1. Create a class that implements the interface SecurityVault.
  2. Create a module containing the class from the previous step, and specify a dependency on org.picketbox where the interface is SecurityVault.
  3. Enable the custom Password Vault in the JBoss EAP server configuration by adding the vault element with the following attributes:
    code
    The fully qualified name of class that implements SecurityVault.
    module
    The name of the module that contains the custom class.
    Optionally, you can use vault-options parameters to initialize the custom class for a Password Vault. For example:
    /core-service=vault:add(code="custom.vault.implementation.CustomSecurityVault", module="custom.vault.module", vault-options=[("KEYSTORE_URL" => "PATH_TO_KEYSTORE"), ("KEYSTORE_PASSWORD" => "MASKED_PASSWORD"), ("KEYSTORE_ALIAS" => "ALIAS"), ("SALT" => "SALT"),("ITERATION_COUNT" => "ITERATION_COUNT"), ("ENC_FILE_DIR" => "ENC_FILE_DIR")])
Result

JBoss EAP 6 is configured to decrypt masked strings using a custom implementation of the password vault.

7.6. Store and Retrieve Encrypted Sensitive Strings in the Java Keystore

Summary

Including passwords and other sensitive strings in plain-text configuration files is insecure. JBoss EAP 6 includes the ability to store and mask these sensitive strings in an encrypted keystore, and use masked values in configuration files.

Procedure 7.4. Setup the Java Keystore

  1. Run the vault.sh command.

    Run EAP_HOME/bin/vault.sh. Start a new interactive session by typing 0.
  2. Enter the directory where encrypted files will be stored.

    If you followed Section 7.2, “Create a Java Keystore to Store Sensitive Strings”, your keystore is in the directory EAP_HOME/vault. In most cases, it makes sense to store all of your encrypted information in the same place as the key store. Since this directory will contain sensitive information it should be accessible to only limited users. At a minimum the user account under which JBoss EAP is running requires read-write access.

    Note

    Do not forget to include the trailing slash on the directory name. Either use / or \, depending on your operating system.
  3. Enter the path to the keystore.

    Enter the full path to the keystore file. This example uses EAP_HOME/vault/vault.keystore.
  4. Enter the keystore password, vault name, salt, and iteration count.

    When prompted, enter the keystore password, vault name, salt, and iteration count. A handshake is performed.
  5. Select the option to store a password.

    Select option 0 to store a password or other sensitive string.
  6. Enter the value.

    When prompted, enter the value twice. If the values do not match, you are prompted to try again.
  7. Enter the vault block.

    Enter the vault block, which is a container for attributes which pertain to the same resource. An example of an attribute name would be ds_ExampleDS. This will form part of the reference to the encrypted string, in your datasource or other service definition.
  8. Enter the attribute name.

    Enter the name of the attribute you are storing. An example attribute name would be password.
    Result

    A message such as the one below shows that the attribute has been saved.

    Secured attribute value has been stored in vault.
  9. Make note of the information about the encrypted string.

    A message prints to standard output, showing the vault block, attribute name, shared key, and advice about using the string in your configuration. Make note of this information in a secure location. Example output is shown below.
    ********************************************
    Vault Block:ds_ExampleDS
    Attribute Name:password
    Configuration should be done as follows:
    VAULT::ds_ExampleDS::password::1
    ********************************************
    
  10. Use the encrypted string in your configuration.

    Use the string from the previous step in your configuration, in place of a plain-text string. A datasource using the encrypted password above is shown below.
    ...
      <subsystem xmlns="urn:jboss:domain:datasources:1.0">
        <datasources>
          <datasource jndi-name="java:jboss/datasources/ExampleDS" enabled="true" use-java-context="true" pool-name="H2DS">
            <connection-url>jdbc:h2:mem:test;DB_CLOSE_DELAY=-1</connection-url>
            <driver>h2</driver>
            <pool></pool>
            <security>
              <user-name>sa</user-name>
              <password>${VAULT::ds_ExampleDS::password::1}</password>
            </security>
          </datasource>
          <drivers>
             <driver name="h2" module="com.h2database.h2">
                <xa-datasource-class>org.h2.jdbcx.JdbcDataSource</xa-datasource-class>
             </driver>
          </drivers>
        </datasources>
      </subsystem>
    ...
    
    You can use an encrypted string anywhere in your domain or standalone configuration file where expressions are allowed.

    Note

    To check if expressions are allowed within a particular subsystem, run the following CLI command against that subsystem:
    /host=master/core-service=management/security-realm=TestRealm:read-resource-description(recursive=true)
    From the output of running this command, look for the value for the expressions-allowed parameter. If this is true, then you can use expressions within the configuration of this particular subsystem.
    After you store your string in the keystore, use the following syntax to replace any clear-text string with an encrypted one.
    ${VAULT::VAULT_BLOCK::ATTRIBUTE_NAME::ENCRYPTED_VALUE}
    Here is a sample real-world value, where the vault block is ds_ExampleDS and the attribute is password.
    <password>${VAULT::ds_ExampleDS::password::1}</password>

7.7. Store and Resolve Sensitive Strings In Your Applications

Overview

Configuration elements of JBoss EAP 6 support the ability to resolve encrypted strings against values stored in a Java Keystore, via the Security Vault mechanism. You can add support for this feature to your own applications.

First, add the password to the vault. Second, replace the clear-text password with the one stored in the vault. You can use this method to obscure any sensitive string in your application.
Prerequisites

Before performing this procedure, make sure that the directory for storing your vault files exists. It does not matter where you place them, as long as the user who executes JBoss EAP 6 has permission to read and write the files. This example places the vault/ directory into the /home/USER/vault/ directory. The vault itself is a file called vault.keystore inside the vault/ directory.

Example 7.2. Adding the Password String to the Vault

Add the string to the vault using the EAP_HOME/bin/vault.sh command. The full series of commands and responses is included in the following screen output. Values entered by the user are emphasized. Some output is removed for formatting. In Microsoft Windows, the name of the command is vault.bat. Note that in Microsoft Windows, file paths use the \ character as a directory separator, rather than the / character.
[user@host bin]$ ./vault.sh 
**********************************
****  JBoss Vault ********
**********************************
Please enter a Digit::   0: Start Interactive Session  1: Remove Interactive Session  2: Exit
0
Starting an interactive session
Enter directory to store encrypted files:/home/user/vault/
Enter Keystore URL:/home/user/vault/vault.keystore
Enter Keystore password: ...
Enter Keystore password again: ...
Values match
Enter 8 character salt:12345678
Enter iteration count as a number (Eg: 44):25

Enter Keystore Alias:vault
Vault is initialized and ready for use
Handshake with Vault complete
Please enter a Digit::   0: Store a password  1: Check whether password exists  2: Exit
0
Task:  Store a password
Please enter attribute value: sa
Please enter attribute value again: sa
Values match
Enter Vault Block:DS
Enter Attribute Name:thePass
Secured attribute value has been stored in vault.

Please make note of the following:
********************************************
Vault Block:DS
Attribute Name:thePass
Configuration should be done as follows:
VAULT::DS::thePass::1
********************************************

Please enter a Digit::   0: Store a password  1: Check whether password exists  2: Exit
2
The string that will be added to the Java code is the last value of the output, the line beginning with VAULT.
The following servlet uses the vaulted string instead of a clear-text password. The clear-text version is commented out so that you can see the difference.

Example 7.3. Servlet Using a Vaulted Password

package vaulterror.web;
 
import java.io.IOException;
import java.io.Writer;
 
import javax.annotation.Resource;
import javax.annotation.sql.DataSourceDefinition;
import javax.servlet.ServletException;
import javax.servlet.annotation.WebServlet;
import javax.servlet.http.HttpServlet;
import javax.servlet.http.HttpServletRequest;
import javax.servlet.http.HttpServletResponse;
import javax.sql.DataSource;
 
 
/*@DataSourceDefinition(
        name = "java:jboss/datasources/LoginDS",
        user = "sa",
        password = "sa",
        className = "org.h2.jdbcx.JdbcDataSource",
        url = "jdbc:h2:tcp://localhost/mem:test"
)*/
@DataSourceDefinition(
        name = "java:jboss/datasources/LoginDS",
        user = "sa",
        password = "VAULT::DS::thePass::1",
        className = "org.h2.jdbcx.JdbcDataSource",
        url = "jdbc:h2:tcp://localhost/mem:test"
)
@WebServlet(name = "MyTestServlet", urlPatterns = { "/my/" }, loadOnStartup = 1)
public class MyTestServlet  extends HttpServlet {
 
    private static final long serialVersionUID = 1L;
 
 
    @Resource(lookup = "java:jboss/datasources/LoginDS")
    private DataSource ds;
 
    @Override
    protected void doGet(HttpServletRequest req, HttpServletResponse resp) throws ServletException, IOException {
        Writer writer = resp.getWriter();
        writer.write((ds != null) + "");
    }
}
Your servlet is now able to resolve the vaulted string.

Chapter 8. Web, HTTP Connectors, and HTTP Clustering

8.1. Configure a mod_cluster Worker Node

Summary

A mod_cluster worker node is an application server that participates in a load-balanced cluster. Requests from users are received by a web server, which then forwards these requests to a pool of mod_cluster worker nodes. A worker node can be part of a server group in a Managed Domain, or a standalone server. For an overview of web server load balancing, refer to Overview of HTTP Connectors in the Administration and Configuration Guide.

The load-balancing web server is configured via the mod_cluster subsystem. To configure the mod_cluster subsystem, refer to Configure the mod_cluster Subsystem in the Administration and Configuration Guide.
Worker nodes in a managed domain shares an identical configuration across a server group. Worker nodes running as standalone servers are configured individually. The configuration steps are otherwise identical.

Worker Node Configuration

  • A standalone server must be started with the standalone-ha or standalone-full-ha profile.
  • A server group in a managed domain must use the ha or full-ha profile, and the ha-sockets or full-ha-sockets socket binding group. JBoss EAP 6 ships with a cluster-enabled server group called other-server-group which meets these requirements.

Note

Where Management CLI commands are given, they assume you use a managed domain. If you use a standalone server, remove the /profile=full-ha portion of the commands.

Procedure 8.1. Configure a Worker Node

  1. Configure the network interfaces.

    By default, the network interfaces all default to 127.0.0.1. Every physical host that hosts either a standalone server or one or more servers in a server group needs its interfaces to be configured to use its public IP address, which the other servers can see.
    To change the IP address of a JBoss EAP 6 host, you need to shut it down and edit its configuration file directly. This is because the Management API which drives the Management Console and Management CLI relies on a stable management address.
    Follow these steps to change the IP address on each server in your cluster to the master's public IP address.
    1. Start the JBoss EAP server using the profile described earlier in this topic.
    2. Launch the Management CLI, using the EAP_HOME/bin/jboss-cli.sh command in Linux or the EAP_HOME\bin\jboss-cli.bat command in Microsoft Windows Server. Type connect to connect to the domain controller on the localhost, or connect IP_ADDRESS to connect to a domain controller on a remote server.
    3. Modify the external IP address for the management, public and unsecure interfaces by typing the following commands. Be sure to replace EXTERNAL_IP_ADDRESS in the command with the actual external IP address of the host.
      /interface=management:write-attribute(name=inet-address,value="${jboss.bind.address.management:EXTERNAL_IP_ADDRESS}"
      /interface=public:write-attribute(name=inet-address,value="${jboss.bind.address.public:EXTERNAL_IP_ADDRESS}"
      /interface=unsecure:write-attribute(name=inet-address,value="${jboss.bind.address.unsecure:EXTERNAL_IP_ADDRESS}"
      :reload
      You should see the following result for each command.
       "outcome" => "success"
    4. For hosts that participate in a managed domain but are not the master, you must change the host name from master to a unique name. This name must be unique across slaves and will be used for the slave to identify to the cluster, so make a note of the name you use.
      1. Start the JBoss EAP slave host using the following syntax:
        bin/domain.sh --host-config=HOST_SLAVE_XML_FILE_NAME
        For example:
        bin/domain.sh --host-config=host-slave01.xml
      2. Launch the Management CLI.
      3. Use the following syntax to replace the host name:
        /host=master:write-attribute(name="name",value=UNIQUE_HOST_SLAVE_NAME)
        For example:
        /host=master:write-attribute(name="name",value="host-slave01")
        You should see the following result.
         "outcome" => "success"
        This modifies the XML in the host-slave01.xml file as follows:
        <host name="host-slave01" xmlns="urn:jboss:domain:1.6">
    5. For newly configured hosts that need to join a managed domain, you must remove the local element and add the remote element host attribute that points to the domain controller. This step does not apply for a standalone server.
      1. Start the JBoss EAP slave host using the following syntax:
        bin/domain.sh --host-config=HOST_SLAVE_XML_FILE_NAME
        For example:
        bin/domain.sh --host-config=host-slave01.xml
      2. Launch the Management CLI.
      3. Use the following syntax specify the domain controller:
        /host=UNIQUE_HOST_SLAVE_NAME/:write-remote-domain-controller(host=DOMAIN_CONTROLLER_IP_ADDRESS,port=${jboss.domain.master.port:9999},security-realm="ManagementRealm") 
        For example:
        /host=host-slave01/:write-remote-domain-controller(host="192.168.1.200",port=${jboss.domain.master.port:9999},security-realm="ManagementRealm") 
        You should see the following result.
         "outcome" => "success"
        This modifies the XML in the host-slave01.xml file as follows:
        <domain-controller>
            <remote host="192.168.1.200" port="${jboss.domain.master.port:9999}" security-realm="ManagementRealm"/>
        </domain-controller>
  2. Configure authentication for each slave server.

    Each slave server needs a username and password created in the domain controller's or standalone master's ManagementRealm. On the domain controller or standalone master, run the EAP_HOME/bin/add-user.sh command. Add a user with the same username as the slave, to the ManagementRealm. When asked if this user will need to authenticate to an external JBoss AS instance, answer yes. An example of the input and output of the command is below, for a slave called slave1, with password changeme.
    user:bin user$ ./add-user.sh
    
    What type of user do you wish to add? 
     a) Management User (mgmt-users.properties) 
     b) Application User (application-users.properties)
    (a): a
    
    Enter the details of the new user to add.
    Realm (ManagementRealm) : 
    Username : slave1
    Password : changeme
    Re-enter Password : changeme
    About to add user 'slave1' for realm 'ManagementRealm'
    Is this correct yes/no? yes
    Added user 'slave1' to file '/home/user/jboss-eap-6.0/standalone/configuration/mgmt-users.properties'
    Added user 'slave1' to file '/home/user/jboss-eap-6.0/domain/configuration/mgmt-users.properties'
    Is this new user going to be used for one AS process to connect to another AS process e.g. slave domain controller?
    yes/no? yes
    To represent the user add the following to the server-identities definition <secret value="Y2hhbmdlbWU=" />
    
  3. Copy the Base64-encoded <secret> element from the add-user.sh output.

    If you plan to specify the Base64-encoded password value for authentication, copy the <secret> element value from the last line of the add-user.sh output as you will need it in the step below.
  4. Modify the slave host's security realm to use the new authentication.

    You can specify the secret value in one of the following ways:
    • Specify the Base64-encoded password value in the server configuration file using the Management CLI.

      1. Launch the Management CLI, using the EAP_HOME/bin/jboss-cli.sh command in Linux or the EAP_HOME\bin\jboss-cli.bat command in Microsoft Windows Server. Type connect to connect to the domain controller on the localhost, or connect IP_ADDRESS to connect to a domain controller on a remote server.
      2. Specify the secret value by typing the following command. Be sure to replace the SECRET_VALUE with the secret value returned from the add-user output from the previous step.
        /core-service=management/security-realm=ManagementRealm/server-identity=secret:add(value="SECRET_VALUE") 
        :reload
        You should see the following result for each command.
         "outcome" => "success"
    • Configure the host to get the password from the vault.

      1. Use the vault.sh script to generate a masked password. It will generate a string like the following: VAULT::secret::password::ODVmYmJjNGMtZDU2ZC00YmNlLWE4ODMtZjQ1NWNmNDU4ZDc1TElORV9CUkVBS3ZhdWx0.
        You can find more information on the vault in the Password Vaults for Sensitive Strings section of this guide starting here: Section 7.1, “Password Vault System”.
      2. Launch the Management CLI, using the EAP_HOME/bin/jboss-cli.sh command in Linux or the EAP_HOME\bin\jboss-cli.bat command in Microsoft Windows Server. Type connect to connect to the domain controller on the localhost, or connect IP_ADDRESS to connect to a domain controller on a remote server.
      3. Specify the secret value by typing the following command. Be sure to replace the SECRET_VALUE with the masked password generated in the previous step.
        /core-service=management/security-realm=ManagementRealm/server-identity=secret:add(value="${VAULT::secret::password::SECRET_VALUE}") 
        :reload
        You should see the following result for each command.
         "outcome" => "success"

        Note

        When creating a password in the vault, it must be specified in plain text, not Base64-encoded.
    • Specify the password as a system property.

      The following examples use server.identity.password as the system property name for the password.
      1. Specify the system property for the password in the server configuration file using the Management CLI.
        1. Launch the Management CLI, using the EAP_HOME/bin/jboss-cli.sh command in Linux or the EAP_HOME\bin\jboss-cli.bat command in Microsoft Windows Server. Type connect to connect to the domain controller on the localhost, or connect IP_ADDRESS to connect to a domain controller on a remote server.
        2. Type the following command to configure the secret identity to use the system property.
          /core-service=management/security-realm=ManagementRealm/server-identity=secret:add(value="${server.identity.password}") 
          :reload
          You should see the following result for each command.
           "outcome" => "success"
      2. When you specify the password as a system property, you can configure the host in either of the following ways:
        • Start the server entering the password in plain text as a command line argument, for example:
          -Dserver.identity.password=changeme

          Note

          The password must be entered in plain text and will be visible to anyone who issues a ps -ef command.
        • Place the password in a properties file and pass the properties file URL as a command line argument.
          1. Add the key/value pair to a properties file. For example:
            server.identity.password=changeme
          2. Start the server with the command line arguments
            --properties=URL_TO_PROPERTIES_FILE
            .
  5. Restart the server.

    The slave will now authenticate to the master using its host name as the username and the encrypted string as its password.
Result

Your standalone server, or servers within a server group of a managed domain, are now configured as mod_cluster worker nodes. If you deploy a clustered application, its sessions are replicated to all cluster nodes for failover, and it can accept requests from an external Web server or load balancer. Each node of the cluster discovers the other nodes using automatic discovery, by default.To configure automatic discovery, and the other specific settings of the mod_cluster subsystem, see Configure the mod_cluster Subsystem in the Administration and Configuration Guide. To configure the Apache HTTP Server, see Use an External Web Server as the Web Front-end for JBoss EAP 6 Applications in the Administration and Configuration Guide.

Chapter 9. Patch Installation

9.1. About Patches and Upgrades

Patching in JBoss EAP 6 applies updates which are made available to a specific minor version of JBoss EAP 6, for example JBoss EAP 6.2. Patches can contain individual or cumulative updates.
Upgrading is the process of moving to a newer major version (for example, from 5.0 to 6.0) or newer minor version (for example, from 6.1 to 6.2), and cannot be done via patching.

9.2. About Patching Mechanisms

JBoss patches are distributed in two forms: zip (for all products) and RPM (for a subset of products).

Important

A JBoss product installation must always only be updated using one patch method: either zip or RPM patches. Only security and cumulative patches will be available via RPM, and customers using an RPM installation will not be able to update using zip patches.
JBoss patches can be either an asynchronous update, or a planned update:
  • Asynchronous updates: individual patches which are released outside the normal update cycle of the existing product. These may include security patches, as well as other individual patches provided by Red Hat Global Support Services (GSS) to fix specific issues.
  • Planned updates: These include cumulative patches, as well as micro, minor or major upgrades of an existing product. Cumulative patches include all previously developed updates for that version of the product.
Deciding whether a patch is released as part of a planned update or an asynchronous update depends on the severity of the issue being fixed. An issue of low impact is typically deferred, and is resolved in the next cumulative patch or minor release of the affected product. Issues of moderate or higher impact are typically addressed in order of importance as an asynchronous update to the affected product, and contain a fix for only a specific issue.
Security updates for JBoss products are provided by an erratum (for both zip and RPM methods). The erratum encapsulates a list of the resolved flaws, their severity ratings, the affected products, textual description of the flaws, and a reference to the patches. Bug fix updates are not announced via an erratum.

Important

It is important to note that after a patch has been applied, the jars picked up at runtime are picked up from the EAP_HOME/modules/system/layers/base/.overlays/$PATCH_ID/$MODULE directory. The original files are left in EAP_HOME/modules/system/layers/base/$MODULE. The patching mechanism cripples the original jar files for security reasons. This means that if you apply a patch which updates a module, the original module's jar files are altered to be unusable. If the patch is rolled back, the original files will be reverted back to a usable state. This also means that the proper rollback procedure must be used to rollback any applied patch. See Section 9.4.3, “Rollback the Application of a Patch in Zip Form Using the Patch Management System” for the proper rollback procedure.
For more information on how Red Hat rates JBoss security flaws, refer to: Section 9.6, “Severity and Impact Rating of JBoss Security Patches”
Red Hat maintains a mailing list for notifying subscribers about security related flaws. See Section 9.3, “Subscribe to Patch Mailing Lists”

9.3. Subscribe to Patch Mailing Lists

Summary

The JBoss team at Red Hat maintains a mailing list for security announcements for Red Hat JBoss Middleware products. This section covers what you need to do to subscribe to this list.

Prerequisites

  • None

Procedure 9.1. Subscribe to the JBoss Watch List

  1. Click the following link to go to the JBoss Watch mailing list page: JBoss Watch Mailing List.
  2. Enter your email address in the Subscribing to Jboss-watch-list section.
  3. [You may also wish to enter your name and select a password. Doing so is optional but recommended.]
  4. Press the Subscribe button to start the subscription process.
  5. You can browse the archives of the mailing list by going to: JBoss Watch Mailing List Archives.
Result

After confirmation of your email address, you will be subscribed to receive security related announcements from the JBoss patch mailing list.

9.4. Install Patches in Zip Form

9.4.1. The Patch Management System

The JBoss EAP 6 patch management system is used to apply downloaded zip patches to a single JBoss EAP 6 server. It can be accessed either through the Management CLI by using the patch command, or through the Management Console. The patch management system cannot be used to automatically patch JBoss EAP 6 server instances across a managed domain, but individual server instances in a managed domain can be patched independently.

Important

JBoss EAP 6 server instances which have been installed using the RPM method cannot be updated using the patch management system. Refer to Section 9.5, “Patching an RPM Installation” to update RPM-installed JBoss EAP 6 servers.

Note

The patch management system can only be used with patches produced for versions of JBoss EAP 6.2 and later. For patches for versions of JBoss EAP prior to 6.2, you should instead refer to the relevant version's documentation available at https://access.redhat.com/site/documentation/.
In addition to applying patches, the patch management system can provide basic information on the state of installed patches, and also provides a way to immediately rollback the application of a patch.
When applying or rolling back a patch, the patch management system will check the modules and other miscellaneous files that it is changing for any user modifications. If a user modification is detected, and a conflict-handling switch has not been specified, the patch management system will abort the operation and warn that there is a conflict. The warning will include a list of the modules and other files that are in conflict. To complete the operation, it must be retried with a switch specifying how to resolve the conflict: either to preserve the user modifications, or to override them.
The table below lists the arguments and switches for the Management CLI patch command.
Table 9.1. patch Command Arguments and Switches
Argument or Switch Description
apply Applies a patch.
--override-all If there is a conflict, the patch operation overrides any user modifications.
--override-modules If there is a conflict as a result of any modified modules, this switch overrides those modifications with the contents of the patch operation.
--override=path(,path) For specified miscellaneous files only, this will override the conflicting modified files with the files in the patch operation.
--preserve=path(,path) For specified miscellaneous files only, this will preserve the conflicting modified files.
--host=HOST_NAME Available in domain mode, this specifies the host that the patch operation will be performed on.
info Returns information on currently installed patches.
history Returns information on the patching history.
rollback Rollsback the application of a patch.
--patch-id=PATCH_ID Required for rollback, the ID of the patch to rollback.
--reset-configuration=TRUE|FALSE Required for rollback, this specifies whether to restore the server configuration files as part of the rollback operation.
--rollback-to If the patch to rollback is an individual (one-off) patch, using this argument specifies that the rollback operation will also rollback all other one-off patches that have been applied on top of the specified patch.

9.4.2. Installing Patches in Zip Form Using the Patch Management System

Summary

Patches that are in the zip format can be installed using the JBoss EAP 6 patch management system via either the Management CLI or the Management Console.

Important

The patch management system is a feature that was added in JBoss EAP 6.2. For versions of JBoss EAP prior to 6.2, the process to install patches in zip form is different, and you should instead refer to the relevant version's documentation available at https://access.redhat.com/site/documentation/.

Prerequisites

  • Valid access and subscription to the Red Hat Customer Portal.
  • A current subscription to a JBoss product installed in zip format.
  • Access to the Management CLI or the Management Console for the JBoss EAP 6 server to be updated. Refer to Launch the Management CLI or Log in to the Management Console in the Administration and Configuration Guide.

Warning

Before installing a patch, you should backup your JBoss product along with all customized configuration files.

Procedure 9.2. Apply a zip patch to a JBoss EAP 6 server instance using the Management CLI

  1. Download the patch zip file from the Customer Portal at https://access.redhat.com/downloads/
  2. From the Management CLI, apply the patch with the following command including the appropriate path to the patch file:
    [standalone@localhost:9999 /] patch apply /path/to/downloaded-patch.zip
    The patch tool will warn if there are any conflicts in attempting the apply the patch. Refer to Section 9.4.1, “The Patch Management System” for available patch command switches to re-run the command to resolve any conflicts.
  3. Restart the JBoss EAP 6 server for the patch to take effect:
    [standalone@localhost:9999 /] shutdown --restart=true

Procedure 9.3. Apply a zip patch to a JBoss EAP 6 server instance using the Management Console

  1. Download the patch zip file from the Customer Portal at https://access.redhat.com/downloads/
  2. In the Management Console:
    • For a standalone server: click on the Runtime tab at the top of the screen, then click Patch Management.
    • For a managed domain: click on the Domain tab at the top of the screen, select the host you want to patch from the Host drop-down menu, then click Patch Management.
  3. Click Apply a New Patch.
    1. If you are patching a managed domain host, on the next screen select whether to shutdown the servers on the host, and click Next.
  4. Click the Browse button, select the downloaded patch you want to apply, and then click Next.
    1. If there are any conflicts in attempting to apply the patch, a warning will be displayed. Click View error details to see the detail of the conflicts. If there is a conflict, you can either cancel the operation, or select the Override all conflicts check box and click Next. Overriding conflicts will result in the content of the patch overriding any user modifications.
  5. After the patch has been successfully applied, select whether to restart the JBoss EAP 6 server now for the patch to take effect, and click Finish.
Result

The JBoss EAP 6 server instance is patched with the latest update.

9.4.3. Rollback the Application of a Patch in Zip Form Using the Patch Management System

Summary

The JBoss EAP 6 patch management system can be used to rollback the application of a previously applied zip patch, via either the Management CLI or the Management Console.

Warning

Rolling back the application of a patch using the patch management system is not intended as a general uninstall functionality. It is only intended to be used immediately after the application of a patch which had undesirable consequences.

Important

The patch management system is a feature that was added in JBoss EAP 6.2. For versions of JBoss EAP prior to 6.2, the process to rollback patches in zip form is different, and you should instead refer to the relevant version's documentation available at https://access.redhat.com/site/documentation/.

Prerequisites

  • A patch that was previously applied using the JBoss EAP 6 patch management system.
  • Access to the Management CLI or the Management Console for the JBoss EAP 6 server. Refer to Launch the Management CLI or Log in to the Management Console in the Administration and Configuration Guide.

Warning

When following either procedure, use caution when specifying the value of the Reset Configuration option:
If set to TRUE, the patch rollback process will also rollback the JBoss EAP 6 server configuration files to their pre-patch state. Any changes that were made to the JBoss EAP 6 server configuration files after the patch was applied will be lost.
If set to FALSE, the server configuration files will not be rolled back. In this situation, it is possible that the server will not start after the rollback, as the patch may have altered configurations, such as namespaces, which may no longer be valid and have to be fixed manually.

Procedure 9.4. Rollback a patch from a JBoss EAP 6 server instance using the Management CLI

  1. From the Management CLI, use the patch info command to find the ID of the patch that is to be rolled back.
    • For cumulative patches, the patch ID is the value of the first cumulative-patch-id shown in the patch info output.
    • Individual security or bug fix patch IDs are listed as the value of the first patches shown in the patch info output, with the most recently applied individual patch listed first.
  2. From the Management CLI, rollback the patch with the appropriate patch ID from the previous step.
    [standalone@localhost:9999 /] patch rollback --patch-id=PATCH_ID --reset-configuration=TRUE
    The patch tool will warn if there are any conflicts in attempting the rollback the patch. Refer to Section 9.4.1, “The Patch Management System” for available patch command switches to re-run the command to resolve any conflicts.
  3. Restart the JBoss EAP 6 server for the patch rollback to take effect:
    [standalone@localhost:9999 /] shutdown --restart=true

Procedure 9.5. Rollback a patch from a JBoss EAP 6 server instance using the Management Console

  1. In the Management Console:
    • For a standalone server: click on the Runtime tab at the top of the screen, then click Patch Management.
    • For a managed domain: click on the Domain tab at the top of the screen, select the relevant host from the Host drop-down menu, then click Patch Management.
  2. In the Recent Patch History table, select the patch that you want to rollback, then click Rollback.
    1. For a managed domain host, on the next screen select whether to shutdown the servers on the host, and click Next.
  3. Choose your options for the rollback process, then click Next.
  4. Confirm the options and the patch to be rolled back, then click Next.
    1. If the Override all option was not selected and there are any conflicts in attempting to rollback the patch, a warning will be displayed. Click View error details to see the detail of the conflicts. If there is a conflict, you can either cancel the operation, or click Choose Options and try the operation again with the Override all check box selected. Overriding conflicts will result in the rollback operation overriding any user modifications.
  5. After the patch has been successfully rolled back, select whether to restart the JBoss EAP 6 server now for the changes to take effect, and click Finish.
Result

The patch, and optionally also the server configuration files, are rolled back on the JBoss EAP 6 server instance.

9.5. Patching an RPM Installation

Summary

JBoss patches are distributed in two forms: ZIP (for all products) and RPM (for a subset of products). This task describes the steps you need to take to install the patches via the RPM format.

Prerequisites

  • A valid subscription to the Red Hat Network.
  • A current subscription to a JBoss product installed via an RPM package.

Procedure 9.6. Apply a patch to a JBoss product via the RPM method

Security updates for JBoss products are provided by errata (for both zip and RPM methods). The errata encapsulates a list of the resolved flaws, their severity ratings, the affected products, textual description of the flaws, and a reference to the patches.
For RPM distributions of JBoss products, the errata include references to the updated RPM packages. The patch can be installed by using yum.

Warning

Before installing a patch, you must backup your JBoss product along with all customized configuration files.
  1. Get notified about the security patch either via being a subscriber to the JBoss watch mailing list or by browsing the JBoss watch mailing list archives.
  2. Read the errata for the security patch and confirm that it applies to a JBoss product in your environment.
  3. If the security patch applies to a JBoss product in your environment, then follow the link to download the updated RPM package which is included in the errata.
  4. Use
    yum update
    to install the patch.

    Important

    When updating an RPM installation, your JBoss product is updated cumulatively with all RPM-released fixes.
Result

The JBoss product is patched with the latest update using the RPM format.

9.6. Severity and Impact Rating of JBoss Security Patches

To communicate the risk of each JBoss security flaw, Red Hat uses a four-point severity scale of low, moderate, important and critical, in addition to Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) version 2 base scores which can be used to identify the impact of the flaw.
Table 9.2. Severity Ratings of JBoss Security Patches
Severity Description
Critical
This rating is given to flaws that could be easily exploited by a remote unauthenticated attacker and lead to system compromise (arbitrary code execution) without requiring user interaction. These are the types of vulnerabilities that can be exploited by worms. Flaws that require an authenticated remote user, a local user, or an unlikely configuration are not classed as critical impact.
Important
This rating is given to flaws that can easily compromise the confidentiality, integrity, or availability of resources. These are the types of vulnerabilities that allow local users to gain privileges, allow unauthenticated remote users to view resources that should otherwise be protected by authentication, allow authenticated remote users to execute arbitrary code, or allow local or remote users to cause a denial of service.
Moderate
This rating is given to flaws that may be more difficult to exploit but could still lead to some compromise of the confidentiality, integrity, or availability of resources, under certain circumstances. These are the types of vulnerabilities that could have had a critical impact or important impact but are less easily exploited based on a technical evaluation of the flaw, or affect unlikely configurations.
Low
This rating is given to all other issues that have a security impact. These are the types of vulnerabilities that are believed to require unlikely circumstances to be able to be exploited, or where a successful exploit would give minimal consequences.
The impact component of a CVSS v2 score is based on a combined assessment of three potential impacts: Confidentiality (C), Integrity (I) and Availability (A). Each of these can be rated as None (N), Partial (P) or Complete (C).
Because the JBoss server process runs as an unprivileged user and is isolated from the host operating system, JBoss security flaws are only rated as having impacts of either None (N) or Partial (P).

Example 9.1. CVSS v2 Impact Score

The example below shows a CVSS v2 impact score, where exploiting the flaw would have no impact on system confidentiality, partial impact on system integrity and complete impact on system availability (that is, the system would become completely unavailable for any use, for example, via a kernel crash).
C:N/I:P/A:C
Combined with the severity rating and the CVSS score, organizations can make informed decisions on the risk each issue places on their unique environment and schedule upgrades accordingly.
For more information about CVSS2, please see: CVSS2 Guide.

9.7. Manage Security Updates for Dependencies Bundled Inside the Applications Deployed on JBoss EAP

Red Hat provides security patches for all components that are part of the JBoss EAP distribution. However, many users of JBoss EAP deploy applications which bundle their own dependencies, rather than exclusively using components provided as part of the JBoss EAP distribution. For example, a deployed WAR file may include dependency JARs in the WEB-INF/lib/ directory. These JARs are out of scope for security patches provided by Red Hat. Managing security updates for dependencies bundled inside the applications deployed on JBoss EAP is the responsibility of the applications' maintainers. The following tools and data sources may assist in this effort, and are provided without any support or warranty.

Tools and Data Sources

JBoss patch mailing lists
Subscribing to the JBoss patch mailing lists will keep you informed regarding security flaws that have been fixed in JBoss products, allowing you to check whether your deployed applications are bundling vulnerable versions of the affected components.
Security advisory page for bundled components.
Many open source components have their own security advisory page. For example, Struts 2 is a commonly-used component with many known security issues that is not provided as part of the JBoss EAP distribution. The Struts 2 project maintains an upstream security advisory page, which should be monitored if your deployed applications bundle Struts 2. Many commercially-provided components also maintain security advisory pages.
Regularly scan your deployed applications for known vulnerabilities
There are several commercial tools available to do this. There is also an open source tool called Victims, which is developed by Red Hat employees, but comes with no support or warranty. Victims provides plugins for several build and integration tools, which automatically scan applications for bundling known-vulnerable dependencies. Plugins are available for Maven, Ant and Jenkins. For more information about the Victims tool, see https://victi.ms/about.html.

Part III. Developing Secure Applications

Chapter 10. Security Overview

10.2. Declarative Security

Declarative security is a method to separate security concerns from your application code by using the container to manage security. The container provides an authorization system based on either file permissions or users, groups, and roles. This approach is usually superior to programmatic security, which gives the application itself all of the responsibility for security.
JBoss EAP 6 provides declarative security via security domains.

10.2.1. Java EE Declarative Security Overview

The Java EE security model is declarative in that you describe the security roles and permissions in a standard XML descriptor rather than embedding security into your business component. This isolates security from business-level code because security tends to be more a function of where the component is deployed than an inherent aspect of the component's business logic. For example, consider an Automated Teller Machine (ATM) that is to be used to access a bank account. The security requirements, roles and permissions will vary independent of how you access the bank account, based on what bank is managing the account, where the ATM is located, and so on.
Securing a Java EE application is based on the specification of the application security requirements via the standard Java EE deployment descriptors. You secure access to EJBs and web components in an enterprise application by using the ejb-jar.xml and web.xml deployment descriptors.

10.2.2. Security References

Both Enterprise Java Beans (EJBs) and servlets can declare one or more <security-role-ref> elements.
Illustration of Security Roles Reference Model

Figure 10.1. Security Roles Reference Model

This element declares that a component is using the <role-name> element's role-nameType attribute value as an argument to the isCallerInRole(String) method. By using the isCallerInRole method, a component can verify whether the caller is in a role that has been declared with a <security-role-ref> or <role-name> element. The <role-name> element value must link to a <security-role> element through the <role-link> element. The typical use of isCallerInRole is to perform a security check that cannot be defined by using the role-based <method-permissions> elements.

Example 10.1. ejb-jar.xml descriptor fragment

  
  <!-- A sample ejb-jar.xml fragment -->
    <ejb-jar>
      <enterprise-beans>
        <session>
          <ejb-name>ASessionBean</ejb-name>
          ...
          <security-role-ref>
            <role-name>TheRoleICheck<role-name>
              <role-link>TheApplicationRole</role-link>
          </security-role-ref>
        </session>
      </enterprise-beans>
    ...
    </ejb-jar>

Note

This fragment is an example only. In deployments, the elements in this section must contain role names and links relevant to the EJB deployment.

Example 10.2. web.xml descriptor fragment


<web-app>
  <servlet>
    <servlet-name>AServlet</servlet-name>
    ...
    <security-role-ref>
      <role-name>TheServletRole</role-name>
      <role-link>TheApplicationRole</role-link>
    </security-role-ref>
  </servlet>
    ...
</web-app>

10.2.3. Security Identity

An Enterprise Java Bean (EJB) can specify the identity another EJB must use when it invokes methods on components using the <security-identity> element.
Illustration of Java EE Security Identity Model

Figure 10.2. Java EE Security Identity Data Model

The invocation identity can be that of the current caller, or it can be a specific role. The application assembler uses the <security-identity> element with a <use-caller-identity> child element. This indicate that the current caller's identity should be propagated as the security identity for method invocations made by the EJB. Propagation of the caller's identity is the default used in the absence of an explicit <security-identity> element declaration.
Alternatively, the application assembler can use the <run-as> or <role-name> child element to specify that a specific security role supplied by the <role-name> element value must be used as the security identity for method invocations made by the EJB.
Note that this does not change the caller's identity as seen by the EJBContext.getCallerPrincipal() method. Rather, the caller's security roles are set to the single role specified by the <run-as> or <role-name> element value.
One use case for the <run-as> element is to prevent external clients from accessing internal EJBs. You configure this behavior by assigning the internal EJB <method-permission> elements, which restrict access to a role never assigned to an external client. EJBs that must in turn use internal EJBs are then configured with a <run-as> or <role-name> equal to the restricted role. The following descriptor fragment describes an example<security-identity> element usage.

<ejb-jar>
    <enterprise-beans>
        <session>
            <ejb-name>ASessionBean</ejb-name>
            <!-- ... -->
            <security-identity>
                <use-caller-identity/>
            </security-identity>
        </session>
        <session>
            <ejb-name>RunAsBean</ejb-name>
            <!-- ... -->
            <security-identity>
                <run-as>
                    <description>A private internal role</description>
                    <role-name>InternalRole</role-name>
                </run-as>
            </security-identity>
        </session>
    </enterprise-beans>
    <!-- ... -->
</ejb-jar>
When you use <run-as> to assign a specific role to outgoing calls, a principal named anonymous is assigned to all outgoing calls. If you want another principal to be associated with the call, you must associate a <run-as-principal> with the bean in the jboss-ejb3.xml file. The following fragment associates a principal named internal with RunAsBean from the prior example.

<session>
    <ejb-name>RunAsBean</ejb-name>
    <security-identity>
        <run-as-principal>internal</run-as-principal>
    </security-identity>
</session>
The <run-as> element is also available in servlet definitions in a web.xml file. The following example shows how to assign the role InternalRole to a servlet:

  <servlet>
    <servlet-name>AServlet</servlet-name>
    <!-- ... -->
    <run-as> 
        <role-name>InternalRole</role-name>
    </run-as>
  </servlet>
Calls from this servlet are associated with the anonymous principal. The <run-as-principal> element is available in the jboss-web.xml file to assign a specific principal to go along with the run-as role. The following fragment shows how to associate a principal named internal to the servlet above.

  <servlet>
    <servlet-name>AServlet</servlet-name>
    <run-as-principal>internal</run-as-principal>
  </servlet>

10.2.4. Security Roles

The security role name referenced by either the security-role-ref or security-identity element needs to map to one of the application's declared roles. An application assembler defines logical security roles by declaring security-role elements. The role-name value is a logical application role name like Administrator, Architect, SalesManager, etc.
The Java EE specifications note that it is important to keep in mind that the security roles in the deployment descriptor are used to define the logical security view of an application. Roles defined in the Java EE deployment descriptors should not be confused with the user groups, users, principals, and other concepts that exist in the target enterprise's operational environment. The deployment descriptor roles are application constructs with application domain-specific names. For example, a banking application might use role names such as BankManager, Teller, or Customer.
In JBoss EAP, a security-role element is only used to map security-role-ref/role-name values to the logical role that the component role references. The user's assigned roles are a dynamic function of the application's security manager. JBoss does not require the definition of security-role elements in order to declare method permissions. However, the specification of security-role elements is still a recommended practice to ensure portability across application servers and for deployment descriptor maintenance.

Example 10.3. An ejb-jar.xml descriptor fragment that illustrates the security-role element usage.

<!-- A sample ejb-jar.xml fragment -->
<ejb-jar>
    <assembly-descriptor>
        <security-role>
            <description>The single application role</description>
            <role-name>TheApplicationRole</role-name>
        </security-role>
    </assembly-descriptor>
</ejb-jar>

Example 10.4. An example web.xml descriptor fragment that illustrates the security-role element usage.

<!-- A sample web.xml fragment -->
<web-app>
  <security-role>
    <description>The single application role</description>
    <role-name>TheApplicationRole</role-name>
  </security-role>
</web-app>

10.2.5. EJB Method Permissions

An application assembler can set the roles that are allowed to invoke an EJB's home and remote interface methods through method-permission element declarations.
Illustration of the Java EE method permissions element

Figure 10.3. Java EE Method Permissions Element

Each method-permission element contains one or more role-name child elements that define the logical roles that are allowed to access the EJB methods as identified by method child elements. You can also specify an unchecked element instead of the role-name element to declare that any authenticated user can access the methods identified by method child elements. In addition, you can declare that no one should have access to a method that has the exclude-list element. If an EJB has methods that have not been declared as accessible by a role using a method-permission element, the EJB methods default to being excluded from use. This is equivalent to defaulting the methods into the exclude-list.
Illustration of the Java EE method element

Figure 10.4. Java EE Method Element

There are three supported styles of method element declarations.
The first is used for referring to all the home and component interface methods of the named enterprise bean:
<method>
  <ejb-name>EJBNAME</ejb-name>
  <method-name>*</method-name>
</method>
The second style is used for referring to a specified method of the home or component interface of the named enterprise bean:
  <method>
    <ejb-name>EJBNAME</ejb-name>
    <method-name>METHOD</method-name>
  </method>
If there are multiple methods with the same overloaded name, this style refers to all of the overloaded methods.
The third style is used to refer to a specified method within a set of methods with an overloaded name:
<method>
    <ejb-name>EJBNAME</ejb-name>
    <method-name>METHOD</method-name>
    <method-params>
        <method-param>PARAMETER_1</method-param>
        <!-- ... -->
        <method-param>PARAMETER_N</method-param>
    </method-params>
</method>
The method must be defined in the specified enterprise bean's home or remote interface. The method-param element values are the fully qualified name of the corresponding method parameter type. If there are multiple methods with the same overloaded signature, the permission applies to all of the matching overloaded methods.
The optional method-intf element can be used to differentiate methods with the same name and signature that are defined in both the home and remote interfaces of an enterprise bean.

Example 10.5. An ejb-jar.xml descriptor fragment that illustrates the method-permission element usage.

<ejb-jar>
    <assembly-descriptor>
        <method-permission>
            <description>The employee and temp-employee roles may access any
                method of the EmployeeService bean </description>
            <role-name>employee</role-name>
            <role-name>temp-employee</role-name>
            <method>
                <ejb-name>EmployeeService</ejb-name>
                <method-name>*</method-name>
            </method>
        </method-permission>
        <method-permission>
            <description>The employee role may access the findByPrimaryKey,
                getEmployeeInfo, and the updateEmployeeInfo(String) method of
                the AardvarkPayroll bean </description>
            <role-name>employee</role-name>
            <method>
                <ejb-name>AardvarkPayroll</ejb-name>
                <method-name>findByPrimaryKey</method-name>
            </method>
            <method>
                <ejb-name>AardvarkPayroll</ejb-name>
                <method-name>getEmployeeInfo</method-name>
            </method>
            <method>
                <ejb-name>AardvarkPayroll</ejb-name>
                <method-name>updateEmployeeInfo</method-name>
                <method-params>
                    <method-param>java.lang.String</method-param>
                </method-params>
            </method>
        </method-permission>
        <method-permission>
            <description>The admin role may access any method of the
                EmployeeServiceAdmin bean </description>
            <role-name>admin</role-name>
            <method>
                <ejb-name>EmployeeServiceAdmin</ejb-name>
                <method-name>*</method-name>
            </method>
        </method-permission>
        <method-permission>
            <description>Any authenticated user may access any method of the
                EmployeeServiceHelp bean</description>
            <unchecked/>
            <method>
                <ejb-name>EmployeeServiceHelp</ejb-name>
                <method-name>*</method-name>
            </method>
        </method-permission>
        <exclude-list>
            <description>No fireTheCTO methods of the EmployeeFiring bean may be
                used in this deployment</description>
            <method>
                <ejb-name>EmployeeFiring</ejb-name>
                <method-name>fireTheCTO</method-name>
            </method>
        </exclude-list>
    </assembly-descriptor>
</ejb-jar>

10.2.6. Enterprise Beans Security Annotations

Enterprise beans use Annotations to pass information to the deployer about security and other aspects of the application. The deployer can set up the appropriate enterprise bean security policy for the application if specified in annotations, or the deployment descriptor.
Any method values explicitly specified in the deployment descriptor override annotation values. If a method value is not specified in the deployment descriptor, those values set using annotations are used. The overriding granularity is on a per-method basis
Those annotations that address security and can be used in an enterprise beans include the following:
@DeclareRoles
Declares each security role declared in the code. For information about configuring roles, refer to the Java EE 6 Tutorial Specifying Authorized Users by Declaring Security Roles.
@RolesAllowed, @PermitAll, and @DenyAll
Specifies method permissions for annotations. For information about configuring annotation method permissions, refer to the Java EE 6 Tutorial Specifying Authorized Users by Declaring Security Roles.
@RunAs
Configures the propagated security identity of a component. For information about configuring propagated security identities using annotations, refer to the Java EE 6 Tutorial Propagating a Security Identity (Run-As).

10.2.7. Web Content Security Constraints

In a web application, security is defined by the roles that are allowed access to content by a URL pattern that identifies the protected content. This set of information is declared by using the web.xml security-constraint element.
Illustration of Web Content Security Constraints

Figure 10.5. Web Content Security Constraints

The content to be secured is declared using one or more <web-resource-collection> elements. Each <web-resource-collection> element contains an optional series of <url-pattern> elements followed by an optional series of <http-method> elements. The <url-pattern> element value specifies a URL pattern against which a request URL must match for the request to correspond to an attempt to access secured content. The <http-method> element value specifies a type of HTTP request to allow.
The optional <user-data-constraint> element specifies the requirements for the transport layer of the client to server connection. The requirement may be for content integrity (preventing data tampering in the communication process) or for confidentiality (preventing reading while in transit). The <transport-guarantee> element value specifies the degree to which communication between the client and server should be protected. Its values are NONE, INTEGRAL, and CONFIDENTIAL. A value of NONE means that the application does not require any transport guarantees. A value of INTEGRAL means that the application requires the data sent between the client and server to be sent in such a way that it can not be changed in transit. A value of CONFIDENTIAL means that the application requires the data to be transmitted in a fashion that prevents other entities from observing the contents of the transmission. In most cases, the presence of the INTEGRAL or CONFIDENTIAL flag indicates that the use of SSL is required.
The optional <login-config> element is used to configure the authentication method that should be used, the realm name that should be used for the application, and the attributes that are needed by the form login mechanism.
Illustration of Web Login Configuration

Figure 10.6. Web Login Configuration

The <auth-method> child element specifies the authentication mechanism for the web application. As a prerequisite to gaining access to any web resources that are protected by an authorization constraint, a user must have authenticated using the configured mechanism. Legal <auth-method> values are BASIC, DIGEST, FORM, SPNEGO, and CLIENT-CERT. The <realm-name> child element specifies the realm name to use in HTTP basic and digest authorization. The <form-login-config> child element specifies the log in as well as error pages that should be used in form-based log in. If the <auth-method> value is not FORM, then form-login-config and its child elements are ignored.
The following configuration example indicates that any URL lying under the web application's /restricted path requires an AuthorizedUser role. There is no required transport guarantee and the authentication method used for obtaining the user identity is BASIC HTTP authentication.

Example 10.6. web.xml Descriptor Fragment

<web-app>
    <security-constraint>
        <web-resource-collection>
            <web-resource-name>Secure Content</web-resource-name>
            <url-pattern>/restricted/*</url-pattern>
        </web-resource-collection>
        <auth-constraint>
            <role-name>AuthorizedUser</role-name>
        </auth-constraint>
        <user-data-constraint>
            <transport-guarantee>NONE</transport-guarantee>
        </user-data-constraint>
    </security-constraint>
    <!-- ... -->
    <login-config>
        <auth-method>BASIC</auth-method>
        <realm-name>The Restricted Zone</realm-name>
    </login-config>
    <!-- ... -->
    <security-role>
        <description>The role required to access restricted content </description>
        <role-name>AuthorizedUser</role-name>
    </security-role>
</web-app>

10.2.8. Enable Form-based Authentication

Form-based authentication provides flexibility in defining a custom JSP/HTML page for log in, and a separate page to which users are directed if an error occurs during login.
Form-based authentication is defined by including <auth-method>FORM</auth-method> in the <login-config> element of the deployment descriptor, web.xml. The login and error pages are also defined in <login-config>, as follows:
<login-config>
  <auth-method>FORM</auth-method>
  <form-login-config>
    <form-login-page>/login.html</form-login-page>
    <form-error-page>/error.html</form-error-page>
  </form-login-config>
</login-config>
When a web application with form-based authentication is deployed, the web container uses FormAuthenticator to direct users to the appropriate page. JBoss EAP maintains a session pool so that authentication information does not need to be present for each request. When FormAuthenticator receives a request, it queries org.apache.catalina.session.Manager for an existing session. If no session exists, a new session is created. FormAuthenticator then verifies the credentials of the session.

Note

Each session is identified by a session ID, a 16 byte string generated from random values. These values are retrieved from /dev/urandom (Linux) by default, and hashed with MD5. Checks are performed at session ID creation to ensure that the ID created is unique.
Once verified, the session ID is assigned as part of a cookie, and then returned to the client. This cookie is expected in subsequent client requests and is used to identify the user session.
The cookie passed to the client is a name value pair with several optional attributes. The identifier attribute is called JSESSIONID . Its value is a hex-string of the session ID. This cookie is configured to be non-persistent. This means that on the client side it will be deleted when the browser exits. On the server side, sessions expire after 30 minutes of inactivity, at which time session objects and their credential information are deleted.
Say a user attempts to access a web application that is protected with form-based authentication. FormAuthenticator caches the request, creates a new session if necessary, and redirects the user to the login page defined in login-config. (In the previous example code, the login page is login.html.) The user then enters their user name and password in the HTML form provided. User name and password are passed to FormAuthenticator via the j_security_check form action.
The FormAuthenticator then authenticates the user name and password against the realm attached to the web application context. In JBoss Enterprise Application Platform, the realm is JBossWebRealm. When authentication is successful, FormAuthenticator retrieves the saved request from the cache and redirects the user to their original request.

Note

The server recognizes form authentication requests only when the URI ends with /j_security_check and at least the j_username and j_password parameters exist.

10.2.9. Enable Declarative Security

The Java EE security elements that have been covered so far describe the security requirements only from the application's perspective. Because Java EE security elements declare logical roles, the application deployer maps the roles from the application domain onto the deployment environment. The Java EE specifications omit these application server-specific details.
To map application roles onto the deployment environment, specify a security manager that implements the Java EE security model using JBoss EAP-specific deployment descriptors.

Chapter 11. Application Security

11.1. Datasource Security

11.1.1. About Datasource Security

Datasource security refers to encrypting or obscuring passwords for datasource connections. These passwords can be stored in plain text in configuration files, however this represents a security risk.
The preferred solution for datasource security is the use of either security domains or password vaults. Examples of each are included below. For more information, refer to:

Example 11.1. Security Domain Example

 <security-domain name="DsRealm" cache-type="default">  
  <authentication>  
    <login-module code="ConfiguredIdentity" flag="required">  
      <module-option name="userName" value="sa"/>  
      <module-option name="principal" value="sa"/>  
      <module-option name="password" value="sa"/>  
    </login-module>  
  </authentication>  
</security-domain>
The DsRealm domain is referenced by a datasource like so:
<datasources>
  <datasource jndi-name="java:jboss/datasources/securityDs"
    pool-name="securityDs">
    <connection-url>jdbc:h2:mem:test;DB_CLOSE_DELAY=-1</connection-url>
      <driver>h2</driver>
      <new-connection-sql>select current_user()</new-connection-sql>
      <security>
        <security-domain>DsRealm</security-domain>
      </security>
    </datasource>
</datasources>

Example 11.2. Password Vault Example

<security>
  <user-name>admin</user-name>
  <password>${VAULT::ds_ExampleDS::password::N2NhZDYzOTMtNWE0OS00ZGQ0LWE4MmEtMWNlMDMyNDdmNmI2TElORV9CUkVBS3ZhdWx0}</password>
</security>

11.2. EJB Application Security

11.2.1. Security Identity

11.2.1.1. About EJB Security Identity
An EJB can specify an identity to use when invoking methods on other components. This is the EJB's security identity (also known as invocation identity).
By default, the EJB uses its own caller identity. The identity can alternatively be set to a specific security role. Using specific security roles is useful when you want to construct a segmented security model - for example, restricting access to a set of components to internal EJBs only.
11.2.1.2. Set the Security Identity of an EJB
The security identity of the EJB is specified through the <security-identity> tag in the security configuration.
By default - if no <security-identity> tag is present - the EJB's own caller identity is used.

Example 11.3. Set the security identity of an EJB to be the same as its caller

This example sets the security identity for method invocations made by an EJB to be the same as the current caller's identity. This behavior is the default if you do not specify a <security-identity> element declaration.
<ejb-jar>
  <enterprise-beans>
	 <session>
		<ejb-name>ASessionBean</ejb-name>
		<!-- ... -->
		<security-identity>
		  <use-caller-identity/>
		</security-identity>
	 </session>
	 <!-- ... -->
  </enterprise-beans>
</ejb-jar>

Example 11.4. Set the security identity of an EJB to a specific role

To set the security identity to a specific role, use the <run-as> and <role-name> tags inside the <security-identity> tag.
<ejb-jar>
  <enterprise-beans>
	 <session>
		<ejb-name>RunAsBean</ejb-name>
		<!-- ... -->
		<security-identity>
		  <run-as>
			 <description>A private internal role</description>
			 <role-name>InternalRole</role-name>
		  </run-as>
		</security-identity>
	 </session>
  </enterprise-beans>
  <!-- ... -->
</ejb-jar>
By default, when you use <run-as>, a principal named anonymous is assigned to outgoing calls. To assign a different principal, uses the <run-as-principal>.
<session>
    <ejb-name>RunAsBean</ejb-name>
    <security-identity>
        <run-as-principal>internal</run-as-principal>
    </security-identity>
</session>

Note

You can also use the <run-as> and <run-as-principal> elements inside a servlet element.

11.2.2. EJB Method Permissions

11.2.2.1. About EJB Method Permissions
EJBs can restrict access to their methods to specific security roles.
The EJB <method-permission> element declaration specifies the roles that can invoke the EJB's interface methods. You can specify permissions for the following combinations:
  • All home and component interface methods of the named EJB
  • A specified method of the home or component interface of the named EJB
  • A specified method within a set of methods with an overloaded name
11.2.2.2. Use EJB Method Permissions
Overview

The <method-permission> element defines the logical roles that are allowed to access the EJB methods defined by <method> elements. Several examples demonstrate the syntax of the XML. Multiple method permission statements may be present, and they have a cumulative effect. The <method-permission> element is a child of the <assembly-descriptor> element of the <ejb-jar> descriptor.

The XML syntax is an alternative to using annotations for EJB method permissions.

Example 11.5. Allow roles to access all methods of an EJB

<method-permission>
  <description>The employee and temp-employee roles may access any method
  of the EmployeeService bean </description>
  <role-name>employee</role-name>
  <role-name>temp-employee</role-name>
  <method>
    <ejb-name>EmployeeService</ejb-name>
    <method-name>*</method-name>
  </method>
</method-permission>

Example 11.6. Allow roles to access only specific methods of an EJB, and limiting which method parameters can be passed.

<method-permission>
  <description>The employee role may access the findByPrimaryKey,
  getEmployeeInfo, and the updateEmployeeInfo(String) method of
  the AcmePayroll bean </description>
  <role-name>employee</role-name>
  <method>
	<ejb-name>AcmePayroll</ejb-name>
	<method-name>findByPrimaryKey</method-name>
  </method>
  <method>
	<ejb-name>AcmePayroll</ejb-name>
	<method-name>getEmployeeInfo</method-name>
  </method>
  <method>
	<ejb-name>AcmePayroll</ejb-name>
	<method-name>updateEmployeeInfo</method-name>
	<method-params>
	  <method-param>java.lang.String</method-param>
	</method-params>
  </method>
</method-permission>

Example 11.7. Allow any authenticated user to access methods of EJBs

Using the <unchecked/> element allows any authenticated user to use the specified methods.
<method-permission>
  <description>Any authenticated user may access any method of the
  EmployeeServiceHelp bean</description>
  <unchecked/>
  <method>
	<ejb-name>EmployeeServiceHelp</ejb-name>
	<method-name>*</method-name>
  </method>
</method-permission>

Example 11.8. Completely exclude specific EJB methods from being used

<exclude-list>
  <description>No fireTheCTO methods of the EmployeeFiring bean may be
  used in this deployment</description>
  <method>
	<ejb-name>EmployeeFiring</ejb-name>
	<method-name>fireTheCTO</method-name>
  </method>
</exclude-list>

Example 11.9. A complete <assembly-descriptor> containing several <method-permission> blocks

<ejb-jar>
    <assembly-descriptor>
        <method-permission>
            <description>The employee and temp-employee roles may access any
                method of the EmployeeService bean </description>
            <role-name>employee</role-name>
            <role-name>temp-employee</role-name>
            <method>
                <ejb-name>EmployeeService</ejb-name>
                <method-name>*</method-name>
            </method>
        </method-permission>
        <method-permission>
            <description>The employee role may access the findByPrimaryKey,
                getEmployeeInfo, and the updateEmployeeInfo(String) method of
                the AcmePayroll bean </description>
            <role-name>employee</role-name>
            <method>
                <ejb-name>AcmePayroll</ejb-name>
                <method-name>findByPrimaryKey</method-name>
            </method>
            <method>
                <ejb-name>AcmePayroll</ejb-name>
                <method-name>getEmployeeInfo</method-name>
            </method>
            <method>
                <ejb-name>AcmePayroll</ejb-name>
                <method-name>updateEmployeeInfo</method-name>
                <method-params>
                    <method-param>java.lang.String</method-param>
                </method-params>
            </method>
        </method-permission>
        <method-permission>
            <description>The admin role may access any method of the
                EmployeeServiceAdmin bean </description>
            <role-name>admin</role-name>
            <method>
                <ejb-name>EmployeeServiceAdmin</ejb-name>
                <method-name>*</method-name>
            </method>
        </method-permission>
        <method-permission>
            <description>Any authenticated user may access any method of the
                EmployeeServiceHelp bean</description>
            <unchecked/>
            <method>
                <ejb-name>EmployeeServiceHelp</ejb-name>
                <method-name>*</method-name>
            </method>
        </method-permission>
        <exclude-list>
            <description>No fireTheCTO methods of the EmployeeFiring bean may be
                used in this deployment</description>
            <method>
                <ejb-name>EmployeeFiring</ejb-name>
                <method-name>fireTheCTO</method-name>
            </method>
        </exclude-list>
    </assembly-descriptor>
</ejb-jar>

11.2.3. EJB Security Annotations

11.2.3.1. About EJB Security Annotations
EJB javax.annotation.security annotations are defined in JSR250.
EJBs use security annotations to pass information about security to the deployer. These include:
@DeclareRoles
Declares which roles are available.
@RunAs
Configures the propagated security identity of a component.
11.2.3.2. Use EJB Security Annotations
Overview

You can use either XML descriptors or annotations to control which security roles are able to call methods in your Enterprise JavaBeans (EJBs). For information on using XML descriptors, refer to Section 11.2.2.2, “Use EJB Method Permissions”.

Any method values explicitly specified in the deployment descriptor override annotation values. If a method value is not specified in the deployment descriptor, those values set using annotations are used. The overriding granularity is on a per-method basis.

Annotations for Controlling Security Permissions of EJBs

@DeclareRoles
Use @DeclareRoles to define which security roles to check permissions against. If no @DeclareRoles is present, the list is built automatically from the @RolesAllowed annotation. For information about configuring roles, refer to the Java EE 6 Tutorial Specifying Authorized Users by Declaring Security Roles.
@RolesAllowed, @PermitAll, @DenyAll
Use @RolesAllowed to list which roles are allowed to access a method or methods. Use @PermitAll or @DenyAll to either permit or deny all roles from using a method or methods. For information about configuring annotation method permissions, refer to the Java EE 6 Tutorial Specifying Authorized Users by Declaring Security Roles.
@RunAs
Use @RunAs to specify a role a method uses when making calls from the annotated method. For information about configuring propagated security identities using annotations, refer to the Java EE 6 Tutorial Propagating a Security Identity (Run-As).

Example 11.10. Security Annotations Example

@Stateless
@RolesAllowed({"admin"})
@SecurityDomain("other")
public class WelcomeEJB implements Welcome {
	@PermitAll
	public String WelcomeEveryone(String msg) {
		return "Welcome to " + msg;
	}
	@RunAs("tempemployee")
	public String GoodBye(String msg) {
	    return "Goodbye, " + msg;
	}
	public String GoodbyeAdmin(String msg) {
		return "See you later, " + msg;
	}
}
In this code, all roles can access method WelcomeEveryone. The GoodBye method uses the tempemployee role when making calls. Only the admin role can access method GoodbyeAdmin, and any other methods with no security annotation.

11.2.4. Remote Access to EJBs

11.2.4.1. About Remote Method Access
JBoss Remoting is the framework which provides remote access to EJBs, JMX MBeans, and other similar services. It works within the following transport types, with or without SSL:

Supported Transport Types

  • Socket / Secure Socket
  • RMI / RMI over SSL
  • HTTP / HTTPS
  • Servlet / Secure Servlet
  • Bisocket / Secure Bisocket

Warning

Red Hat recommends that you explicitly disable SSL in favor of TLSv1.1 or TLSv1.2 in all affected packages.
JBoss Remoting also provides automatic discovery via Multicast or JNDI.
It is used by many of the subsystems within JBoss EAP 6, and also enables you to design, implement, and deploy services that can be remotely invoked by clients over several different transport mechanisms. It also allows you to access existing services in JBoss EAP 6.
Data Marshalling

The Remoting system also provides data marshalling and unmarshalling services. Data marshalling refers to the ability to safely move data across network and platform boundaries, so that a separate system can perform work on it. The work is then sent back to the original system and behaves as though it were handled locally.

Architecture Overview

When you design a client application which uses Remoting, you direct your application to communicate with the server by configuring it to use a special type of resource locator called an InvokerLocator, which is a simple String with a URL-type format. The server listens for requests for remote resources on a connector, which is configured as part of the remoting subsystem. The connector hands the request off to a configured ServerInvocationHandler. Each ServerInvocationHandler implements a method invoke(InvocationRequest), which knows how to handle the request.

The JBoss Remoting framework contains three layers that mirror each other on the client and server side.

JBoss Remoting Framework Layers

  • The user interacts with the outer layer. On the client side, the outer layer is the Client class, which sends invocation requests. On the server side, it is the InvocationHandler, which is implemented by the user and receives invocation requests.
  • The transport is controlled by the invoker layer.
  • The lowest layer contains the marshaller and unmarshaller, which convert data formats to wire formats.
11.2.4.2. About Remoting Callbacks
When a Remoting client requests information from the server, it can block and wait for the server to reply, but this is often not the ideal behavior. To allow the client to listen for asynchronous events on the server, and continue doing other work while waiting for the server to finish the request, your application can ask the server to send a notification when it has finished. This is referred to as a callback. One client can add itself as a listener for asynchronous events generated on behalf of another client, as well. There are two different choices for how to receive callbacks: pull callbacks or push callbacks. Clients check for pull callbacks synchronously, but passively listen for push callbacks.
In essence, a callback works by the server sending an InvocationRequest to the client. Your server-side code works the same regardless of whether the callback is synchronous or asynchronous. Only the client needs to know the difference. The server's InvocationRequest sends a responseObject to the client. This is the payload that the client has requested. This may be a direct response to a request or an event notification.
Your server also tracks listeners using an m_listeners object. It contains a list of all listeners that have been added to your server handler. The ServerInvocationHandler interface includes methods that allow you to manage this list.
The client handles pull and push callback in different ways. In either case, it must implement a callback handler. A callback handler is an implementation of interface org.jboss.remoting.InvokerCallbackHandler, which processes the callback data. After implementing the callback handler, you either add yourself as a listener for a pull callback, or implement a callback server for a push callback.
Pull Callbacks

For a pull callback, your client adds itself to the server's list of listeners using the Client.addListener() method. It then polls the server periodically for synchronous delivery of callback data. This poll is performed using the Client.getCallbacks().

Push Callback

A push callback requires your client application to run its own InvocationHandler. To do this, you need to run a Remoting service on the client itself. This is referred to as a callback server. The callback server accepts incoming requests asynchronously and processes them for the requester (in this case, the server). To register your client's callback server with the main server, pass the callback server's InvokerLocator as the second argument to the addListener method.

11.2.4.3. About Remoting Server Detection
Remoting servers and clients can automatically detect each other using JNDI or Multicast. A Remoting Detector is added to both the client and server, and a NetworkRegistry is added to the client.
The Detector on the server side periodically scans the InvokerRegistry and pulls all server invokers it has created. It uses this information to publish a detection message which contains the locator and subsystems supported by each server invoker. It publishes this message via a multicast broadcast or a binding into a JNDI server.
On the client side, the Detector receives the multicast message or periodically polls the JNDI server to retrieve detection messages. If the Detector notices that a detection message is for a newly-detected remoting server, it registers it into the NetworkRegistry. The Detector also updates the NetworkRegistry if it detects that a server is no longer available.
11.2.4.4. Configure the Remoting Subsystem
Overview

JBoss Remoting has three top-level configurable elements: the worker thread pool, one or more connectors, and a series of local and remote connection URIs. This topic presents an explanation of each configurable item, example CLI commands for how to configure each item, and an XML example of a fully-configured subsystem. This configuration only applies to the server. Most people will not need to configure the Remoting subsystem at all, unless they use custom connectors for their own applications. Applications which act as Remoting clients, such as EJBs, need separate configuration to connect to a specific connector.

Note

The Remoting subsystem configuration is not exposed to the web-based Management Console, but it is fully configurable from the command-line based Management CLI. Editing the XML by hand is not recommended.
Adapting the CLI Commands

The CLI commands are formulated for a managed domain, when configuring the default profile. To configure a different profile, substitute its name. For a standalone server, omit the /profile=default part of the command.

Configuration Outside the Remoting Subsystem

There are a few configuration aspects which are outside of the remoting subsystem:

Network Interface
The network interface used by the remoting subsystem is the unsecure interface defined in the domain/configuration/domain.xml or standalone/configuration/standalone.xml.
<interfaces>
   <interface name="management"/>
   <interface name="public"/>
   <interface name="unsecure"/>
</interfaces>        

The per-host definition of the unsecure interface is defined in the host.xml in the same directory as the domain.xml or standalone.xml. This interface is also used by several other subsystems. Exercise caution when modifying it.
<interfaces>
   <interface name="management">
      <inet-address value="${jboss.bind.address.management:127.0.0.1}"/>
   </interface>
   <interface name="public">
      <inet-address value="${jboss.bind.address:127.0.0.1}"/>
   </interface>
   <interface name="unsecure">
      <!-- Used for IIOP sockets in the standard configuration.
         To secure JacORB you need to setup SSL -->
      <inet-address value="${jboss.bind.address.unsecure:127.0.0.1}"/>
   </interface>
</interfaces>             

socket-binding
The default socket-binding used by the remoting subsystem binds to TCP port 4777. Refer to the documentation about socket bindings and socket binding groups for more information if you need to change this.
Remoting Connector Reference for EJB
The EJB subsystem contains a reference to the remoting connector for remote method invocations. The following is the default configuration:
<remote connector-ref="remoting-connector" thread-pool-name="default"/>            

Secure Transport Configuration
Remoting transports use StartTLS to use a secure (HTTPS, Secure Servlet, etc) connection if the client requests it. The same socket binding (network port) is used for secured and unsecured connections, so no additional server-side configuration is necessary. The client requests the secure or unsecured transport, as its needs dictate. JBoss EAP 6 components which use Remoting, such as EJBs, the ORB, and the JMS provider, request secured interfaces by default.

Warning

StartTLS works by activating a secure connection if the client requests it, and otherwise defaulting to an unsecured connection. It is inherently susceptible to a Man in the Middle style exploit, wherein an attacker intercepts the client's request and modifies it to request an unsecured connection. Clients must be written to fail appropriately if they do not receive a secure connection, unless an unsecured connection actually is an appropriate fall-back.
Worker Thread Pool

The worker thread pool is the group of threads which are available to process work which comes in through the Remoting connectors. It is a single element <worker-thread-pool>, and takes several attributes. Tune these attributes if you get network timeouts, run out of threads, or need to limit memory usage. Specific recommendations depend on your specific situation. Contact Red Hat Global Support Services for more information.

Table 11.1. Worker Thread Pool Attributes
Attribute Description CLI Command
read-threads
The number of read threads to create for the remoting worker. Defaults to 1.
/profile=default/subsystem=remoting/:write-attribute(name=worker-read-threads,value=1)
write-threads
The number of write threads to create for the remoting worker. Defaults to 1.
/profile=default/subsystem=remoting/:write-attribute(name=worker-write-threads,value=1)
task-keepalive
The number of milliseconds to keep non-core remoting worker task threads alive. Defaults to 60.
/profile=default/subsystem=remoting/:write-attribute(name=worker-task-keepalive,value=60)
task-max-threads
The maximum number of threads for the remoting worker task thread pool. Defaults to 16.
/profile=default/subsystem=remoting/:write-attribute(name=worker-task-max-threads,value=16)
task-core-threads
The number of core threads for the remoting worker task thread pool. Defaults to 4.
/profile=default/subsystem=remoting/:write-attribute(name=worker-task-core-threads,value=4)
task-limit
The maximum number of remoting worker tasks to allow before rejecting. Defaults to 16384.
/profile=default/subsystem=remoting/:write-attribute(name=worker-task-limit,value=16384)
Connector

The connector is the main Remoting configuration element. Multiple connectors are allowed. Each consists of a element <connector> element with several sub-elements, as well as a few possible attributes. The default connector is used by several subsystems of JBoss EAP 6. Specific settings for the elements and attributes of your custom connectors depend on your applications, so contact Red Hat Global Support Services for more information.

Table 11.2. Connector Attributes
Attribute Description CLI Command
socket-binding The name of the socket binding to use for this connector.
/profile=default/subsystem=remoting/connector=remoting-connector/:write-attribute(name=socket-binding,value=remoting)
authentication-provider
The Java Authentication Service Provider Interface for Containers (JASPIC) module to use with this connector. The module must be in the classpath.
/profile=default/subsystem=remoting/connector=remoting-connector/:write-attribute(name=authentication-provider,value=myProvider)
security-realm
Optional. The security realm which contains your application's users, passwords, and roles. An EJB or Web Application can authenticate against a security realm. ApplicationRealm is available in a default JBoss EAP 6 installation.
/profile=default/subsystem=remoting/connector=remoting-connector/:write-attribute(name=security-realm,value=ApplicationRealm)
Table 11.3. Connector Elements
Attribute Description CLI Command
sasl
Enclosing element for Simple Authentication and Security Layer (SASL) authentication mechanisms
N/A
properties
Contains one or more <property> elements, each with a name attribute and an optional value attribute.
/profile=default/subsystem=remoting/connector=remoting-connector/property=myProp/:add(value=myPropValue)
Outbound Connections

You can specify three different types of outbound connection:

  • Outbound connection to a URI.
  • Local outbound connection – connects to a local resource such as a socket.
  • Remote outbound connection – connects to a remote resource and authenticates using a security realm.
All of the outbound connections are enclosed in an <outbound-connections> element. Each of these connection types takes an outbound-socket-binding-ref attribute. The outbound-connection takes a uri attribute. The remote outbound connection takes optional username and security-realm attributes to use for authorization.
Table 11.4. Outbound Connection Elements
Attribute Description CLI Command
outbound-connection Generic outbound connection.
/profile=default/subsystem=remoting/outbound-connection=my-connection/:add(uri=http://my-connection)
local-outbound-connection Outbound connection with a implicit local:// URI scheme.
/profile=default/subsystem=remoting/local-outbound-connection=my-connection/:add(outbound-socket-binding-ref=remoting2)
remote-outbound-connection
Outbound connections for remote:// URI scheme, using basic/digest authentication with a security realm.
/profile=default/subsystem=remoting/remote-outbound-connection=my-connection/:add(outbound-socket-binding-ref=remoting,username=myUser,security-realm=ApplicationRealm)
SASL Elements

Before defining the SASL child elements, you need to create the initial SASL element. Use the following command:

/profile=default/subsystem=remoting/connector=remoting-connector/security=sasl:add
The child elements of the SASL element are described in the table below.
Attribute Description CLI Command
include-mechanisms
Contains a value attribute, which is a space-separated list of SASL mechanisms.
/profile=default/subsystem=remoting/connector=remoting-connector/security=sasl:write-attribute(name=include-mechanisms,value=["DIGEST","PLAIN","GSSAPI"])
qop
Contains a value attribute, which is a space-separated list of SASL Quality of protection values, in decreasing order of preference.
/profile=default/subsystem=remoting/connector=remoting-connector/security=sasl:write-attribute(name=qop,value=["auth"])
strength
Contains a value attribute, which is a space-separated list of SASL cipher strength values, in decreasing order of preference.
/profile=default/subsystem=remoting/connector=remoting-connector/security=sasl:write-attribute(name=strength,value=["medium"])
reuse-session
Contains a value attribute which is a boolean value. If true, attempt to reuse sessions.
/profile=default/subsystem=remoting/connector=remoting-connector/security=sasl:write-attribute(name=reuse-session,value=false)
server-auth
Contains a value attribute which is a boolean value. If true, the server authenticates to the client.
/profile=default/subsystem=remoting/connector=remoting-connector/security=sasl:write-attribute(name=server-auth,value=false)
policy
An enclosing element which contains zero or more of the following elements, which each take a single value.
  • forward-secrecy – whether mechanisms are required to implement forward secrecy (breaking into one session will not automatically provide information for breaking into future sessions)
  • no-active – whether mechanisms susceptible to non-dictionary attacks are permitted. A value of false permits, and true denies.
  • no-anonymous – whether mechanisms that accept anonymous login are permitted. A value of false permits, and true denies.
  • no-dictionary – whether mechanisms susceptible to passive dictionary attacks are allowed. A value of false permits, and true denies.
  • no-plain-text – whether mechanisms which are susceptible to simple plain passive attacks are allowed. A value of false permits, and true denies.
  • pass-credentials – whether mechanisms which pass client credentials are allowed.
/profile=default/subsystem=remoting/connector=remoting-connector/security=sasl/sasl-policy=policy:add
/profile=default/subsystem=remoting/connector=remoting-connector/security=sasl/sasl-policy=policy:write-attribute(name=forward-secrecy,value=true)
/profile=default/subsystem=remoting/connector=remoting-connector/security=sasl/sasl-policy=policy:write-attribute(name=no-active,value=false)
/profile=default/subsystem=remoting/connector=remoting-connector/security=sasl/sasl-policy=policy:write-attribute(name=no-anonymous,value=false)
/profile=default/subsystem=remoting/connector=remoting-connector/security=sasl/sasl-policy=policy:write-attribute(name=no-dictionary,value=true)
/profile=default/subsystem=remoting/connector=remoting-connector/security=sasl/sasl-policy=policy:write-attribute(name=no-plain-text,value=false)
/profile=default/subsystem=remoting/connector=remoting-connector/security=sasl/sasl-policy=policy:write-attribute(name=pass-credentials,value=true)
properties
Contains one or more <property> elements, each with a name attribute and an optional value attribute.
/profile=default/subsystem=remoting/connector=remoting-connector/security=sasl/property=myprop:add(value=1)
/profile=default/subsystem=remoting/connector=remoting-connector/security=sasl/property=myprop2:add(value=2)

Example 11.11. Example Configurations

This example shows the default remoting subsystem that ships with JBoss EAP 6.
<subsystem xmlns="urn:jboss:domain:remoting:1.1">
    <connector name="remoting-connector" socket-binding="remoting" security-realm="ApplicationRealm"/>
</subsystem>    

This example contains many hypothetical values, and is presented to put the elements and attributes discussed previously into context.
<subsystem xmlns="urn:jboss:domain:remoting:1.1">
    <worker-thread-pool read-threads="1" task-keepalive="60" task-max-threads="16" task-core-thread="4" task-limit="16384" write-threads="1" />
    <connector name="remoting-connector" socket-binding="remoting" security-realm="ApplicationRealm">
        <sasl>
            <include-mechanisms value="GSSAPI PLAIN DIGEST-MD5" />
            <qop value="auth" />
            <strength value="medium" />
            <reuse-session value="false" />
            <server-auth value="false" />
            <policy>
                <forward-secrecy value="true" />
                <no-active value="false" />
                <no-anonymous value="false" />
                <no-dictionary value="true" />
                <no-plain-text value="false" />
                <pass-credentials value="true" />
            </policy>
            <properties>
                <property name="myprop1" value="1" />
                <property name="myprop2" value="2" />
            </properties>
        </sasl>
        <authentication-provider name="myprovider" />
        <properties>
            <property name="myprop3" value="propValue" />
        </properties>
    </connector>
    <outbound-connections>
        <outbound-connection name="my-outbound-connection" uri="http://myhost:7777/"/>
        <remote-outbound-connection name="my-remote-connection" outbound-socket-binding-ref="my-remote-socket" username="myUser" security-realm="ApplicationRealm"/>
        <local-outbound-connection name="myLocalConnection" outbound-socket-binding-ref="my-outbound-socket"/>
    </outbound-connections>
</subsystem>    

Configuration Aspects Not Yet Documented

  • JNDI and Multicast Automatic Detection
11.2.4.5. Use Security Realms with Remote EJB Clients
One way to add security to clients which invoke EJBs remotely is to use security realms. A security realm is a simple database of username/password pairs and username/role pairs. The terminology is also used in the context of web containers, with a slightly different meaning.
To authenticate a specific username/password pair that exists in a security realm against an EJB, follow these steps:
  • Add a new security realm to the domain controller or standalone server.
  • Add the following parameters to the jboss-ejb-client.properties file, which is in the classpath of the application. This example assumes the connection is referred to as default by the other parameters in the file.
    remote.connection.default.username=appuser
    remote.connection.default.password=apppassword
    
  • Create a custom Remoting connector on the domain or standalone server, which uses your new security realm.
  • Deploy your EJB to the server group which is configured to use the profile with the custom Remoting connector, or to your standalone server if you are not using a managed domain.
11.2.4.6. Add a New Security Realm
  1. Run the Management CLI.

    Start the jboss-cli.sh or jboss-cli.bat command and connect to the server.
  2. Create the new security realm itself.

    Run the following command to create a new security realm named MyDomainRealm on a domain controller or a standalone server.
    For a domain instance, use this command:
    /host=master/core-service=management/security-realm=MyDomainRealm:add()
    For a standalone instance, use this command:
    /core-service=management/security-realm=MyDomainRealm:add()
  3. Create the references to the properties file which will store information about the new role.

    Run the following command to create a pointer a file named myfile.properties, which will contain the properties pertaining to the new role.

    Note

    The newly created properties file is not managed by the included add-user.sh and add-user.bat scripts. It must be managed externally.
    For a domain instance, use this command:
    /host=master/core-service=management/security-realm=MyDomainRealm/authentication=properties:add(path=myfile.properties)
    For a standalone instance, use this command:
    /core-service=management/security-realm=MyDomainRealm/authentication=properties:add(path=myfile.properties)
Result

Your new security realm is created. When you add users and roles to this new realm, the information will be stored in a separate file from the default security realms. You can manage this new file using your own applications or procedures.

11.2.4.7. Add a User to a Security Realm
  1. Run the add-user.sh or add-user.bat command.

    Open a terminal and change directories to the EAP_HOME/bin/ directory. If you run Red Hat Enterprise Linux or another UNIX-like operating system, run add-user.sh. If you run Microsoft Windows Server, run add-user.bat.
  2. Choose whether to add a Management User or Application User.

    For this procedure, type b to add an Application User.
  3. Choose the realm the user will be added to.

    By default, the only available realm is ApplicationRealm. If you have added a custom realm, you can type its name instead.
  4. Type the username, password, and roles, when prompted.

    Type the desired username, password, and optional roles when prompted. Verify your choice by typing yes, or type no to cancel the changes. The changes are written to each of the properties files for the security realm.
11.2.4.8. About Remote EJB Access Using SSL Encryption
By default, the network traffic for Remote Method Invocation (RMI) of EJB2 and EJB3 Beans is not encrypted. In instances where encryption is required, Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) can be utilized so that the connection between the client and server is encrypted. Using SSL also has the added benefit of allowing the network traffic to traverse some firewalls, depending on the firewall configuration.

Warning

Red Hat recommends that you explicitly disable SSL in favor of TLSv1.1 or TLSv1.2 in all affected packages.

11.3. JAX-RS Application Security

11.3.1. Enable Role-Based Security for a RESTEasy JAX-RS Web Service

Summary

RESTEasy supports the @RolesAllowed, @PermitAll, and @DenyAll annotations on JAX-RS methods. However, it does not recognize these annotations by default. Follow these steps to configure the web.xml file and enable role-based security.

Warning

Do not activate role-based security if the application uses EJBs. The EJB container will provide the functionality, instead of RESTEasy.

Procedure 11.1. Enable Role-Based Security for a RESTEasy JAX-RS Web Service

  1. Open the web.xml file for the application in a text editor.
  2. Add the following <context-param> to the file, within the web-app tags:
    <context-param>
        <param-name>resteasy.role.based.security</param-name>
        <param-value>true</param-value>
    </context-param>
    
  3. Declare all roles used within the RESTEasy JAX-RS WAR file, using the <security-role> tags:
    <security-role>
        <role-name>ROLE_NAME</role-name>
    </security-role>
    <security-role>
        <role-name>ROLE_NAME</role-name>
    </security-role>
  4. Authorize access to all URLs handled by the JAX-RS runtime for all roles:
    <security-constraint>
        <web-resource-collection>
    	<web-resource-name>Resteasy</web-resource-name>
    	<url-pattern>/PATH</url-pattern>
        </web-resource-collection>
        <auth-constraint>
    	<role-name>ROLE_NAME</role-name>
    	<role-name>ROLE_NAME</role-name>
        </auth-constraint>
    </security-constraint>
Result

Role-based security has been enabled within the application, with a set of defined roles.

Example 11.12. Example Role-Based Security Configuration

<web-app>

    <context-param>
	<param-name>resteasy.role.based.security</param-name>
	<param-value>true</param-value>
    </context-param>

    <servlet-mapping>
	<servlet-name>Resteasy</servlet-name>
	<url-pattern>/*</url-pattern>
    </servlet-mapping>

    <security-constraint>
	<web-resource-collection>
	    <web-resource-name>Resteasy</web-resource-name>
	    <url-pattern>/security</url-pattern>
	</web-resource-collection>
	<auth-constraint>
	    <role-name>admin</role-name>
	    <role-name>user</role-name>
	</auth-constraint>
    </security-constraint>

    <security-role>
	<role-name>admin</role-name>
    </security-role>
    <security-role>
	<role-name>user</role-name>
    </security-role>
    
</web-app>

11.3.2. Secure a JAX-RS Web Service using Annotations

Summary

This topic covers the steps to secure a JAX-RS web service using the supported security annotations

Procedure 11.2. Secure a JAX-RS Web Service using Supported Security Annotations

  1. Enable role-based security. For more information, refer to: Section 11.3.1, “Enable Role-Based Security for a RESTEasy JAX-RS Web Service”
  2. Add security annotations to the JAX-RS web service. RESTEasy supports the following annotations:
    @RolesAllowed
    Defines which roles can access the method. All roles should be defined in the web.xml file.
    @PermitAll
    Allows all roles defined in the web.xml file to access the method.
    @DenyAll
    Denies all access to the method.

Chapter 12. The Security Subsystem

12.1. About the Security Subsystem

The security subsystem provides security infrastructure for applications. The subsystem uses a security context associated with the current request to expose the capabilities of the authentication manager, authorization manager, audit manager, and mapping manager to the relevant container.
The security subsystem is preconfigured by default, so security elements rarely need to be changed. The only security element that may need to be changed is whether to use deep-copy-subject-mode. In most cases, administrators will focus on the configuration of security domains.
Deep Copy Mode

See Section 12.3.2.1, “About Deep Copy Subject Mode” for details about deep copy subject mode.

Security Domain

A security domain is a set of Java Authentication and Authorization Service (JAAS) declarative security configurations which one or more applications use to control authentication, authorization, auditing, and mapping. Three security domains are included by default: jboss-ejb-policy, jboss-web-policy, and other. You can create as many security domains as you need to accommodate your application requirements. See Section 13.9, “Use a Security Domain in Your Application” for details about security domain.

12.2. About the Structure of the Security Subsystem

The security subsystem is configured in the managed domain or standalone configuration file. Most of the configuration elements can be configured using the web-based management console or the console-based management CLI. The following is the XML representing an example security subsystem.

Example 12.1. Example Security Subsystem Configuration

<subsystem xmlns="urn:jboss:domain:security:1.2">
	<security-management>
		...
	</security-management>
	<security-domains>
        <security-domain name="other" cache-type="default">
            <authentication>
                <login-module code="Remoting" flag="optional">
                    <module-option name="password-stacking" value="useFirstPass"/>
                </login-module>
                <login-module code="RealmUsersRoles" flag="required">
                    <module-option name="usersProperties" value="${jboss.domain.config.dir}/application-users.properties"/>
                    <module-option name="rolesProperties" value="${jboss.domain.config.dir}/application-roles.properties"/>
                    <module-option name="realm" value="ApplicationRealm"/>
                    <module-option name="password-stacking" value="useFirstPass"/>
                </login-module>
            </authentication>
        </security-domain>
        <security-domain name="jboss-web-policy" cache-type="default">
            <authorization>
                <policy-module code="Delegating" flag="required"/>
            </authorization>
        </security-domain>
        <security-domain name="jboss-ejb-policy" cache-type="default">
            <authorization>
                <policy-module code="Delegating" flag="required"/>
            </authorization>
        </security-domain>
    </security-domains>
    <vault>
    	...
    </vault>
</subsystem>		

The <security-management>, <subject-factory> and <security-properties> elements are not present in the default configuration. The <subject-factory> and <security-properties> elements have been deprecated in JBoss EAP 6.1 onwards.

12.3. Configuring the Security Subsystem

12.3.1. Configure the Security Subsystem

You can configure the security subsystem using the Management CLI or web-based Management Console.
Each top-level element within the security subsystem contains information about a different aspect of the security configuration. Refer to Section 12.2, “About the Structure of the Security Subsystem” for an example of security subsystem configuration.
<security-management>
This section overrides high-level behaviors of the security subsystem. It contains an optional setting deep-copy-subject-mode, that specifies whether to copy or link to security tokens, for additional thread safety.
<security-domains>
A container element which holds multiple security domains. A security domain may contain information about authentication, authorization, mapping, and auditing modules, as well as JASPI authentication and JSSE configuration. Your application would specify a security domain to manage its security information.
<security-properties>
Contains names and values of properties which are set on the java.security.Security class.

12.3.2. Security Management

12.3.2.1. About Deep Copy Subject Mode
If deep copy subject mode is disabled (the default), copying a security data structure makes a reference to the original, rather than copying the entire data structure. This behavior is more efficient, but is prone to data corruption if multiple threads with the same identity clear the subject by means of a flush or logout operation.
Deep copy subject mode causes a complete copy of the data structure and all its associated data to be made, as long as they are marked cloneable. This is more thread-safe, but less efficient.
Deep copy subject mode is configured as part of the security subsystem.
12.3.2.2. Enable Deep Copy Subject Mode
You can enable deep copy security mode from the web-based management console or the management CLI.

Procedure 12.1. Enable Deep Copy Security Mode from the Management Console

  1. Log into the Management Console.

    For detailed instructions, see the section entitled The Management Console in the Administration and Configuration Guide for JBoss Enterprise Application Platform 6.x located on the Customer Portal at https://access.redhat.com/site/documentation/JBoss_Enterprise_Application_Platform/.
  2. Managed Domain: Select the appropriate profile.

    In a managed domain, the security subsystem is configured per profile, and you can enable or disable the deep copy security mode independently in each profile.
    To select a profile, click Configuration at the top of the screen, and then select a profile from the Profile drop down box at the top left.
  3. Open the Security Subsystem configuration menu.

    Expand the Security menu, then select Security Subsystem.
  4. Enable Deep Copy Subject mode.

    Click Edit. Check the box beside Deep Copy Subjects to enable deep copy subject mode.
Enable Deep Copy Subject Mode Using the Management CLI

If you prefer to use the management CLI to enable this option, use one of the following commands.

Example 12.2. Managed Domain

/profile=full/subsystem=security/:write-attribute(name=deep-copy-subject-mode,value=TRUE)

Example 12.3. Standalone Server

/subsystem=security/:write-attribute(name=deep-copy-subject-mode,value=TRUE)

12.3.3. Security Domains

12.3.3.1. About Security Domains
Security domains are part of the JBoss EAP 6 security subsystem. All security configuration is now managed centrally, by the domain controller of a managed domain, or by the standalone server.
A security domain consists of configurations for authentication, authorization, security mapping, and auditing. It implements Java Authentication and Authorization Service (JAAS) declarative security.
Authentication refers to verifying the identity of a user. In security terminology, this user is referred to as a principal. Although authentication and authorization are different, many of the included authentication modules also handle authorization.
Authorization is a process by which the server determines if an authenticated user has permission or privileges to access specific resources in the system or operation.
Security mapping refers to the ability to add, modify, or delete information from a principal, role, or attribute before passing the information to your application.
The auditing manager allows you to configure provider modules to control the way that security events are reported.
If you use security domains, you can remove all specific security configuration from your application itself. This allows you to change security parameters centrally. One common scenario that benefits from this type of configuration structure is the process of moving applications between testing and production environments.

Chapter 13. Authentication and Authorization

13.1. Kerberos and SPNEGO Integration

13.1.1. About Kerberos and SPNEGO Integration

Kerberos is an authentication method that is designed for open network computing environments. It works on the basis of a ticket and authenticator to establish the identity of both the user and the server. It helps the two nodes communicating over a non secure environment to establish their identity to each other in a secured manner.
SPNEGO is an authentication method used by a client application to authenticate itself to the server. This technology is used when the client application and the server trying to communicate with each other are not sure of the authentication protocol the other supports. SPNEGO determines the common GSSAPI mechanisms between the client application and the server and then dispatches all further security operations to it.
Kerberos and SPNEGO Integration

In a typical setup, the user logs into a desktop which is governed by the Active Directory domain. The user then uses the web browser, either Firebox or Internet Explorer, to access a web application that uses JBoss Negotiation hosted on the JBoss EAP. The web browser transfers the desktop sign on information to the web application. JBoss EAP uses background GSS messages with the Active Directory or any Kerberos Server to validate the user. This enables the user to achieve a seamless SSO into the web application.

13.1.2. Desktop SSO using SPNEGO

To configure the desktop SSO using SPNEGO configure the following:
  • Security Domain
  • System Properties
  • Web Application

Procedure 13.1. Configure Desktop SSO using SPNEGO

  1. Configure Security Domain

    Configure the security domains to represent the identity of the server and to secure the web application.

    Example 13.1. Security Domain Configuration

    <security-domains>
    
        <security-domain name="host" cache-type="default">
    
          <authentication>
    
            <login-module code="Kerberos" flag="required">
    
              <module-option name="storeKey" value="true"/>
    
              <module-option name="useKeyTab" value="true"/>
    
              <module-option name="principal" value="host/testserver@MY_REALM"/>
    
              <module-option name="keyTab" value="/home/username/service.keytab"/>
    
              <module-option name="doNotPrompt" value="true"/>
    
              <module-option name="debug" value="false"/>
    
            </login-module>
    
           </authentication>
    
         </security-domain>
    
       
    
         <security-domain name="SPNEGO" cache-type="default">
    
           <authentication>
    
             <login-module code="SPNEGO"  flag="requisite">
    
               <module-option name="password-stacking" value="useFirstPass"/>
    
               <module-option name="serverSecurityDomain" value="host"/>
    
             </login-module>
    
    
             <!-- Login Module For Roles Search -->
    
           </security-domain>
    
  2. Setup the System Properties

    If required, the system properties can be set in the domain model.

    Example 13.2. Configure System Properties

    <system-properties>
    
          <property name="java.security.krb5.kdc" value="mykdc.mydomain"/>
    
          <property name="java.security.krb5.realm" value="MY_REALM"/>
    
        </system-properties>
    
  3. Configure Web Application

    It is not possible to override the authenticators, but it is possible to add the NegotiationAuthenticator as a valve to your jboss-web.xml descriptor to configure the web application.

    Note

    The valve requires the security-constraint and login-config to be defined in the web.xml file as this is used to decide which resources are secured. However, the chosen auth-method is overridden by this authenticator.

    Example 13.3. Configure Web Application

     <!DOCTYPE jboss-web PUBLIC
      "-//JBoss//DTD Web Application 2.4//EN"
      "http://www.jboss.org/j2ee/dtd/jboss-web_4_0.dtd">
    
      <jboss-web>
    
        <security-domain>SPNEGO</security-domain>
    
        <valve>
    
          <class-name>org.jboss.security.negotiation.NegotiationAuthenticator</class-name>
    
        </valve>
    
      </jboss-web>
    
    The web application also requires a dependency defining in META-INF/MANIFEST.MF so that the JBoss Negotiation classes can be located.

    Example 13.4. Define Dependency in META-INF/MANIFEST.MF

        Manifest-Version: 1.0
    
        Build-Jdk: 1.6.0_24
    
        Dependencies: org.jboss.security.negotiation
    

13.1.3. Configure JBoss Negotiation for Microsoft Windows Domain

This section describes how to configure the accounts required for JBoss Negotiation to be used when JBoss EAP is running on a Microsoft Windows server, which is a part of the Active Directory domain.
In this section, the hostname that is used to access the server as is referred to as {hostname}, realm is referred to as {realm}, domain is referred to as {domain}, and the server hosting the JBoss EAP instance is referred to as {machine_name}.

Procedure 13.2. Configure JBoss Negotiation for Microsoft Windows Domain

  1. Clear Existing Service Principal Mappings

    On a Microsoft Windows network some mappings are created automatically. Delete the automatically created mappings to map the identity of the server to the service principal for negotiation to take place correctly. The mapping enables the web browser on the client computer to trust the server and attempt SPNEGO. The client computer verifies with the domain controller for a mapping in the form of HTTP{hostname}.
    The following are the steps to delete the existing mappings:
    • List the mapping registered with the domain for the computer using the command, setspn -L {machine_name}.
    • Delete the existing mappings using the commands, setspn -D HTTP/{hostname} {machine_name} and setspn -D host/{hostname} {machine_name}.
  2. Create a host user account.

    Note

    Ensure the host user name is different from the {machine_name}.
    In the rest of the section the host user name is referred to as {user_name}.
  3. Define the mapping between the {user_name} and {hostname}.

    • Run the following command to configure the Service Principal Mapping, ktpass -princ HTTP/{hostname}@{realm} -pass * -mapuser {domain}\{user_name}.
    • Enter the password for the user name when prompted.

      Note

      Reset the password for the user name as it is a prerequisite for exporting the keytab.
    • Verify the mapping by running the following command, setspn -L {user_name}
  4. Export the keytab of the user to the server on which EAP JBoss is installed.

    Run the following command to export the keytab, ktab -k service.keytab -a HTTP/{hostname}@{realm}.

    Note

    This command exports the ticket for the HTTP/{hostname} principal to the keytab service.keytab, which is used to configure the host security domain on JBoss.
  5. Define the principal within the security domain as follows:
    <module-option name="principal">HTTP/{hostname}@{realm}</module-option>
    

13.2. Authentication

13.2.1. About Authentication

Authentication refers to identifying a subject and verifying the authenticity of the identification. The most common authentication mechanism is a username and password combination. Other common authentication mechanisms use shared keys, smart cards, or fingerprints. The outcome of a successful authentication is referred to as a principal, in terms of Java Enterprise Edition declarative security.
JBoss EAP 6 uses a pluggable system of authentication modules to provide flexibility and integration with the authentication systems you already use in your organization. Each security domain contains one or more configured authentication modules. Each module includes additional configuration parameters to customize its behavior. The easiest way to configure the authentication subsystem is within the web-based management console.
Authentication is not the same as authorization, although they are often linked. Many of the included authentication modules can also handle authorization.

13.2.2. Configure Authentication in a Security Domain

To configure authentication settings for a security domain, log into the management console and follow this procedure.

Procedure 13.8. Setup Authentication Settings for a Security Domain

  1. Open the security domain's detailed view.

    1. Click the Configuration label at the top of the management console.
    2. Select the profile to modify from the Profile selection box at the top left of the Profile view.
    3. Expand the Security menu, and select Security Domains.
    4. Click the View link for the security domain you want to edit.
  2. Navigate to the Authentication subsystem configuration.

    Select the Authentication label at the top of the view if it is not already selected.
    The configuration area is divided into two areas: Login Modules and Details. The login module is the basic unit of configuration. A security domain can include several login modules, each of which can include several attributes and options.
  3. Add an authentication module.

    Click Add to add a JAAS authentication module. Fill in the details for your module.
    The Code is the class name of the module. The Flag setting controls how the module relates to other authentication modules within the same security domain.
    Explanation of the Flags

    The Java Enterprise Edition 6 specification provides the following explanation of the flags for security modules. The following list is taken from http://docs.oracle.com/javase/6/docs/technotes/guides/security/jaas/JAASRefGuide.html#AppendixA. Refer to that document for more detailed information.

    Flag Details
    required
    The LoginModule is required to succeed. If it succeeds or fails, authentication still continues to proceed down the LoginModule list.
    requisite
    LoginModule is required to succeed. If it succeeds, authentication continues down the LoginModule list. If it fails, control immediately returns to the application (authentication does not proceed down the LoginModule list).
    sufficient
    The LoginModule is not required to succeed. If it does succeed, control immediately returns to the application (authentication does not proceed down the LoginModule list). If it fails, authentication continues down the LoginModule list.
    optional
    The LoginModule is not required to succeed. If it succeeds or fails, authentication still continues to proceed down the LoginModule list.
  4. Edit authentication settings

    After you have added your module, you can modify its Code or Flags by clicking Edit in the Details section of the screen. Be sure the Attributes tab is selected.
  5. Optional: Add or remove module options.

    If you need to add options to your module, click its entry in the Login Modules list, and select the Module Options tab in the Details section of the page. Click the Add button, and provide the key and value for the option. Use the Remove button to remove an option.
Result

Your authentication module is added to the security domain, and is immediately available to applications which use the security domain.

The jboss.security.security_domain Module Option

By default, each login module defined in a security domain has the jboss.security.security_domain module option added to it automatically. This option causes problems with login modules which check to make sure that only known options are defined. The IBM Kerberos login module, com.ibm.security.auth.module.Krb5LoginModule is one of these.

You can disable the behavior of adding this module option by setting the system property to true when starting JBoss EAP 6. Add the following to your start-up parameters.
-Djboss.security.disable.secdomain.option=true
You can also set this property using the web-based Management Console. In a standalone server, you can set system properties in the Profile section of the configuration. In a managed domain, you can set system properties for each server group.

13.3. JAAS - Java Authentication and Authorization Service

13.3.1. About JAAS

JAAS is the Java Authentication and Authorization Service. It is part of the Java EE Spec, and allows for pluggable authentication and authorization to abstract applications from security providers.
The JAAS 1.0 API consists of a set of Java packages designed for user authentication and authorization. The API implements a Java version of the standard Pluggable Authentication Modules (PAM) framework and extends the Java 2 Platform access control architecture to support user-based authorization.
JAAS authentication is performed in a pluggable fashion. This permits Java applications to remain independent from underlying authentication technologies, and allows the security manager to work in different security infrastructures. Integration with a security infrastructure is achievable without changing the security manager implementation. You need only change the configuration of the authentication stack JAAS uses.
Refer to the Java EE JAAS Documentation for further information on JAAS.
The JBoss Enterprise Application Platform 6 security subsystem is based on the JAAS API.

13.3.2. JAAS Core Classes

The JAAS core classes can be broken down into three categories: common, authentication, and authorization. The following list presents only the common and authentication classes because these are the specific classes used to implement the functionality of the EAP security subsystem covered in this chapter.
These are the common classes:
  • Subject (javax.security.auth.Subject)
These are the authentication classes:
  • Configuration (javax.security.auth.login.Configuration)
  • LoginContext (javax.security.auth.login.LoginContext)
These are the associated interfaces:
  • Principal (java.security.Principal)
  • Callback (javax.security.auth.callback.Callback)
  • CallbackHandler (javax.security.auth.callback.CallbackHandler)
  • LoginModule (javax.security.auth.spi.LoginModule)

13.3.3. Subject and Principal classes

To authorize access to resources, applications must first authenticate the request's source. The JAAS framework defines the term subject to represent a request's source. The Subject class is the central class in JAAS. A Subject represents information for a single entity, such as a person or service. It encompasses the entity's principals, public credentials, and private credentials. The JAAS API uses the existing Java 2 java.security.Principal interface to represent a principal, which is essentially a typed name.
During the authentication process, a subject is populated with associated identities, or principals. A subject may have many principals. For example, a person may have a name principal (John Doe), a social security number principal (123-45-6789), and a user name principal (johnd), all of which help distinguish the subject from other subjects. To retrieve the principals associated with a subject, two methods are available:
public Set getPrincipals() {...}
public Set getPrincipals(Class c) {...}
getPrincipals() returns all principals contained in the subject. getPrincipals(Class c) returns only those principals that are instances of class c or one of its subclasses. An empty set is returned if the subject has no matching principals.
Note that the java.security.acl.Group interface is a sub-interface of java.security.Principal, so an instance in the principals set may represent a logical grouping of other principals or groups of principals.

13.3.4. Subject Authentication

Subject Authentication requires a JAAS login. For a description of the JAAS Login Configuration file, refer to JAAS Login Configuration File in the Java documentation.
The login process consists of the following points:
  1. An application instantiates a LoginContext and passes in the name of the login configuration and a CallbackHandler to populate the Callback objects, as required by the configuration LoginModules.
  2. The LoginContext consults a Configuration to load all the LoginModules included in the named login configuration. If no such named configuration exists the other configuration is used as a default.
  3. The application invokes the LoginContext.login method.
  4. The login method invokes each loaded LoginModule. As each LoginModule attempts to authenticate the subject, it invokes the handle method on the associated CallbackHandler to obtain the information required for the authentication process. The required information is passed to the handle method in the form of an array of Callback objects. Upon success, the LoginModules associate relevant principals and credentials with the subject.
  5. The LoginContext returns the authentication status to the application. Success is represented by a return from the login method. Failure is represented through a LoginException being thrown by the login method.
  6. If authentication succeeds, the application retrieves the authenticated subject using the LoginContext.getSubject method.
  7. After the scope of the subject authentication is complete, all principals and related information associated with the subject by the login method can be removed by invoking the LoginContext.logout method.
The LoginContext class provides the basic methods for authenticating subjects and offers a way to develop an application that is independent of the underlying authentication technology. The LoginContext consults a Configuration to determine the authentication services configured for a particular application. LoginModule classes represent the authentication services. Therefore, you can plug different login modules into an application without changing the application itself. The following code shows the steps required by an application to authenticate a subject.
CallbackHandler handler = new MyHandler();
LoginContext lc = new LoginContext("some-config", handler);

try {
    lc.login();
    Subject subject = lc.getSubject();
} catch(LoginException e) {
    System.out.println("authentication failed");
    e.printStackTrace();
}
                        
// Perform work as authenticated Subject
// ...

// Scope of work complete, logout to remove authentication info
try {
    lc.logout();
} catch(LoginException e) {
    System.out.println("logout failed");
    e.printStackTrace();
}
                        
// A sample MyHandler class
class MyHandler 
    implements CallbackHandler
{
    public void handle(Callback[] callbacks) throws
        IOException, UnsupportedCallbackException
    {
        for (int i = 0; i < callbacks.length; i++) {
            if (callbacks[i] instanceof NameCallback) {
                NameCallback nc = (NameCallback)callbacks[i];
                nc.setName(username);
            } else if (callbacks[i] instanceof PasswordCallback) {
                PasswordCallback pc = (PasswordCallback)callbacks[i];
                pc.setPassword(password);
            } else {
                throw new UnsupportedCallbackException(callbacks[i],
                                                       "Unrecognized Callback");
            }
        }
    }
}
Developers integrate with an authentication technology by creating an implementation of the LoginModule interface. This allows an administrator to plug different authentication technologies into an application. You can chain together multiple LoginModules to allow for more than one authentication technology to participate in the authentication process. For example, one LoginModule may perform user name/password-based authentication, while another may interface to hardware devices such as smart card readers or biometric authenticators.
The life cycle of a LoginModule is driven by the LoginContext object against which the client creates and issues the login method. The process consists of two phases. The steps of the process are as follows:
  • The LoginContext creates each configured LoginModule using its public no-arg constructor.
  • Each LoginModule is initialized with a call to its initialize method. The Subject argument is guaranteed to be non-null. The signature of the initialize method is: public void initialize(Subject subject, CallbackHandler callbackHandler, Map sharedState, Map options)
  • The login method is called to start the authentication process. For example, a method implementation might prompt the user for a user name and password and then verify the information against data stored in a naming service such as NIS or LDAP. Alternative implementations might interface to smart cards and biometric devices, or simply extract user information from the underlying operating system. The validation of user identity by each LoginModule is considered phase 1 of JAAS authentication. The signature of the login method is boolean login() throws LoginException . A LoginException indicates failure. A return value of true indicates that the method succeeded, whereas a return value of false indicates that the login module should be ignored.
  • If the LoginContext's overall authentication succeeds, commit is invoked on each LoginModule. If phase 1 succeeds for a LoginModule, then the commit method continues with phase 2 and associates the relevant principals, public credentials, and/or private credentials with the subject. If phase 1 fails for a LoginModule, then commit removes any previously stored authentication state, such as user names or passwords. The signature of the commit method is: boolean commit() throws LoginException . Failure to complete the commit phase is indicated by throwing a LoginException. A return of true indicates that the method succeeded, whereas a return of false indicates that the login module should be ignored.
  • If the LoginContext's overall authentication fails, then the abort method is invoked on each LoginModule. The abort method removes or destroys any authentication state created by the login or initialize methods. The signature of the abort method is boolean abort() throws LoginException . Failure to complete the abort phase is indicated by throwing a LoginException. A return of true indicates that the method succeeded, whereas a return of false indicates that the login module should be ignored.
  • To remove the authentication state after a successful login, the application invokes logout on the LoginContext. This in turn results in a logout method invocation on each LoginModule. The logout method removes the principals and credentials originally associated with the subject during the commit operation. Credentials should be destroyed upon removal. The signature of the logout method is: boolean logout() throws LoginException . Failure to complete the logout process is indicated by throwing a LoginException. A return of true indicates that the method succeeded, whereas a return of false indicates that the login module should be ignored.
When a LoginModule must communicate with the user to obtain authentication information, it uses a CallbackHandler object. Applications implement the CallbackHandler interface and pass it to the LoginContext, which send the authentication information directly to the underlying login modules.
Login modules use the CallbackHandler both to gather input from users, such as a password or smart card PIN, and to supply information to users, such as status information. By allowing the application to specify the CallbackHandler, underlying LoginModules remain independent from the different ways applications interact with users. For example, a CallbackHandler's implementation for a GUI application might display a window to solicit user input. On the other hand, a CallbackHandler implementation for a non-GUI environment, such as an application server, might simply obtain credential information by using an application server API. The CallbackHandler interface has one method to implement:
void handle(Callback[] callbacks)
    throws java.io.IOException, 
           UnsupportedCallbackException;
The Callback interface is the last authentication class we will look at. This is a tagging interface for which several default implementations are provided, including the NameCallback and PasswordCallback used in an earlier example. A LoginModule uses a Callback to request information required by the authentication mechanism. LoginModules pass an array of Callbacks directly to the CallbackHandler.handle method during the authentication's login phase. If a callbackhandler does not understand how to use a Callback object passed into the handle method, it throws an UnsupportedCallbackException to abort the login call.

13.4. Java Authentication SPI for Containers (JASPI)

13.4.1. About Java Authentication SPI for Containers (JASPI) Security

Java Authentication SPI for Containers (JASPI or JASPIC) is a pluggable interface for Java applications. It is defined in JSR-196 of the Java Community Process. Refer to http://www.jcp.org/en/jsr/detail?id=196 for details about the specification.

13.4.2. Configure Java Authentication SPI for Containers (JASPI) Security

To authenticate against a JASPI provider, add a <authentication-jaspi> element to your security domain. The configuration is similar to a standard authentication module, but login module elements are enclosed in a <login-module-stack> element. The structure of the configuration is:

Example 13.6. Structure of the authentication-jaspi element

<authentication-jaspi>
	<login-module-stack name="...">
	  <login-module code="..." flag="...">
	    <module-option name="..." value="..."/>
	  </login-module>
	</login-module-stack>
	<auth-module code="..." login-module-stack-ref="...">
	  <module-option name="..." value="..."/>
	</auth-module>
</authentication-jaspi>

The login module itself is configured in exactly the same way as a standard authentication module.
Because the web-based management console does not expose the configuration of JASPI authentication modules, you need to stop JBoss EAP 6 completely before adding the configuration directly to EAP_HOME/domain/configuration/domain.xml or EAP_HOME/standalone/configuration/standalone.xml.

13.5. Authorization

13.5.1. About Authorization

Authorization is a mechanism for granting or denying access to a resource based on identity. It is implemented as a set of declarative security roles which can be added to principals.
JBoss EAP 6 uses a modular system to configure authorization. Each security domain can contain one or more authorization policies. Each policy has a basic module which defines its behavior. It is configured through specific flags and attributes. The easiest way to configure the authorization subsystem is by using the web-based management console.
Authorization is different from authentication, and usually happens after authentication. Many of the authentication modules also handle authorization.

13.5.2. Configure Authorization in a Security Domain

To configure authorization settings for a security domain, log into the management console and follow this procedure.

Procedure 13.9. Setup Authorization in a Security Domain

  1. Open the security domain's detailed view.

    1. Click the Configuration label at the top of the management console.
    2. In a managed domain, select the profile to modify from the Profile drop down box at the top left.
    3. Expand the Security menu item, and select Security Domains.
    4. Click the View link for the security domain you want to edit.
  2. Navigate to the Authorization subsystem configuration.

    Select the Authorization label at the top of the screen.
    The configuration area is divided into two areas: Policies and Details. The login module is the basic unit of configuration. A security domain can include several authorization policies, each of which can include several attributes and options.
  3. Add a policy.

    Click Add to add a JAAS authorization policy module. Fill in the details for your module.
    The Code is the class name of the module. The Flag controls how the module relates to other authorization policy modules within the same security domain.
    Explanation of the Flags

    The Java Enterprise Edition 6 specification provides the following explanation of the flags for security modules. The following list is taken from http://docs.oracle.com/javase/6/docs/technotes/guides/security/jaas/JAASRefGuide.html#AppendixA. Refer to that document for more detailed information.

    Flag Details
    required
    The LoginModule is required to succeed. If it succeeds or fails, authorization still continues to proceed down the LoginModule list.
    requisite
    LoginModule is required to succeed. If it succeeds, authorization continues down the LoginModule list. If it fails, control immediately returns to the application (authorization does not proceed down the LoginModule list).
    sufficient
    The LoginModule is not required to succeed. If it does succeed, control immediately returns to the application (authorization does not proceed down the LoginModule list). If it fails, authorization continues down the LoginModule list.
    optional
    The LoginModule is not required to succeed. If it succeeds or fails, authorization still continues to proceed down the LoginModule list.
  4. Edit authorization settings

    After you have added your module, you can modify its Code or Flags by clicking Edit in the Details section of the screen. Be sure the Attributes tab is selected.
  5. Optional: Add or remove module options.

    If you need to add options to your module, click its entry in the Policies list, and select the Module Options tab in the Details section of the page. Click Add and provide the key and value for the option. Use the Remove button to remove an option.
Result

Your authorization policy module is added to the security domain, and is immediately available to applications which use the security domain.

13.6. Java Authorization Contract for Containers (JACC)

13.6.1. About Java Authorization Contract for Containers (JACC)

Java Authorization Contract for Containers (JACC) is a standard which defines a contract between containers and authorization service providers, which results in the implementation of providers for use by containers. It was defined in JSR-115, which can be found on the Java Community Process website at http://jcp.org/en/jsr/detail?id=115. It has been part of the core Java Enterprise Edition (Java EE) specification since Java EE version 1.3.
JBoss EAP 6 implements support for JACC within the security functionality of the security subsystem.

13.6.2. Configure Java Authorization Contract for Containers (JACC) Security

To configure Java Authorization Contract for Containers (JACC), you need to configure your security domain with the correct module, and then modify your jboss-web.xml to include the correct parameters.
Add JACC Support to the Security Domain

To add JACC support to the security domain, add the JACC authorization policy to the authorization stack of the security domain, with the required flag set. The following is an example of a security domain with JACC support. However, the security domain is configured in the Management Console or Management CLI, rather than directly in the XML.

<security-domain name="jacc" cache-type="default">
    <authentication>
        <login-module code="UsersRoles" flag="required">
        </login-module>
    </authentication>
    <authorization>
        <policy-module code="JACC" flag="required"/>
    </authorization>
</security-domain>
Configure a Web Application to Use JACC

The jboss-web.xml is located in the WEB-INF/ directory of your deployment, and contains overrides and additional JBoss-specific configuration for the web container. To use your JACC-enabled security domain, you need to include the <security-domain> element, and also set the <use-jboss-authorization> element to true. The following application is properly configured to use the JACC security domain above.

<jboss-web>
    <security-domain>jacc</security-domain>
    <use-jboss-authorization>true</use-jboss-authorization>
</jboss-web>
Configure an EJB Application to Use JACC

Configuring EJBs to use a security domain and to use JACC differs from Web Applications. For an EJB, you can declare method permissions on a method or group of methods, in the ejb-jar.xml descriptor. Within the <ejb-jar> element, any child <method-permission> elements contain information about JACC roles. Refer to the example configuration for more details. The EJBMethodPermission class is part of the Java Enterprise Edition 6 API, and is documented at http://docs.oracle.com/javaee/6/api/javax/security/jacc/EJBMethodPermission.html.

Example 13.7. Example JACC Method Permissions in an EJB

<ejb-jar>
  <assembly-descriptor>
    <method-permission>
      <description>The employee and temp-employee roles may access any method of the EmployeeService bean </description>
      <role-name>employee</role-name>
      <role-name>temp-employee</role-name>
      <method>
        <ejb-name>EmployeeService</ejb-name>
        <method-name>*</method-name>
      </method>
    </method-permission>
  </assembly-descriptor>
</ejb-jar>
You can also constrain the authentication and authorization mechanisms for an EJB by using a security domain, just as you can do for a web application. Security domains are declared in the jboss-ejb3.xml descriptor, in the <security> child element. In addition to the security domain, you can also specify the run-as principal, which changes the principal the EJB runs as.

Example 13.8. Example Security Domain Declaration in an EJB

<ejb-jar> 
	<assembly-descriptor>
		<security>
  		<ejb-name>*</ejb-name>
  		<security-domain>myDomain</security-domain>
  		<run-as-principal>myPrincipal</run-as-principal>
		</security>
 	</assembly-descriptor>
</ejb-jar>

13.6.3. Fine Grained Authorization Using XACML

13.6.3.1. About Fine Grained Authorization and XACML
Fine Grained Authorization caters to the changing requirements and multiple variables involved in the decision making process, which becomes the basis of providing authorization for accessing a module. Hence, the process of Fine Grained Authorization is complex in itself.
JBoss uses XACML as a medium to achieve Fine Grained Authorization. XACML provides standards based solution to the complex nature of achieving Fine Grained Authorization. XACML defines a policy language and an architecture for decision making. The XACML architecture includes a Policy Enforcement Point (PEP), which intercepts any requests in a normal program flow, then asks a Policy Decision Point (PDP) to make an access decision based on the policies associated with the PDP. The PDP evaluates the XACML request created by the PEP and runs through the policies to make one of the following access decisions:
  • PERMIT - The access is approved.
  • DENY - The access is denied.
  • INDETERMINATE - There is an error at the PDP.
  • NOTAPPLICABLE - There is some attribute missing in the request or there is no policy match.
The following are the features of the XACML:
  • Oasis XACML v2.0 library
  • JAXB v2.0 based object model
  • ExistDB Integration for storing/retrieving XACML Policies and Attributes
13.6.3.2. Configure XACML for Fine Grained Authorization
The following is the procedure to configure XACML.

Procedure 13.10. Configure XACML

  1. Download the library which is a single jar file.
  2. Create one or more policy files for XACML

    • Under the WEB-INF/classes, create a policies directory to save all your policies.
    • Create a policyConfig.xml under WEB-INF/classes directory.
      The following are the two types of policy sets can be defined:
      • Role Permission Policy Sets (RPS)
      • Permission Policy Sets (PPS)

    Example 13.9. Role Permission Policy Sets (RPS)

    Employee

        <PolicySet xmlns="urn:oasis:names:tc:xacml:2.0:policy:schema:os"  
        PolicySetId="RPS:employee:role"  
        PolicyCombiningAlgId="urn:oasis:names:tc:xacml:1.0:policy-combining-algorithm:permit-overrides">  
        <Target>  
        <Subjects>  
        <Subject>  
        <SubjectMatch MatchId="urn:oasis:names:tc:xacml:1.0:function:anyURI-equal">  
        <AttributeValue  
        DataType="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#anyURI">employee</AttributeValue>  
        <SubjectAttributeDesignator  
        AttributeId="urn:oasis:names:tc:xacml:2.0:subject:role"  
        DataType="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#anyURI"/>  
        </SubjectMatch>  
        </Subject>  
        </Subjects>  
        </Target>  
        <!-- Use permissions associated with the employee role -->  
        <PolicySetIdReference>PPS:employee:role</PolicySetIdReference>  
        </PolicySet>
    

    Manager

    <PolicySet xmlns="urn:oasis:names:tc:xacml:2.0:policy:schema:os"  
    PolicySetId="RPS:manager:role"  
    PolicyCombiningAlgId="urn:oasis:names:tc:xacml:1.0:policy-combining-algorithm:permit-overrides">  
    <Target>  
    <Subjects>  
    <Subject>  
    <SubjectMatch MatchId="urn:oasis:names:tc:xacml:1.0:function:anyURI-equal">  
    <AttributeValue  
    DataType="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#anyURI">manager</AttributeValue>  
    <SubjectAttributeDesignator  
    AttributeId="urn:oasis:names:tc:xacml:2.0:subject:role"  
    DataType="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#anyURI"/>  
    </SubjectMatch>  
    </Subject>  
    </Subjects>  
    </Target>  
    <!-- Use permissions associated with the manager role -->  
    <PolicySetIdReference>PPS:manager:role</PolicySetIdReference>  
    </PolicySet>
    

    Example 13.10. Permission Policy Sets (PPS)

    Employee

        <PolicySet xmlns="urn:oasis:names:tc:xacml:2.0:policy:schema:os"  
            PolicySetId="PPS:employee:role"  
            PolicyCombiningAlgId="urn:oasis:names:tc:xacml:1.0:policy-combining-algorithm:permit-overrides">  
            <Target />  
            <!-- Permissions specifically for the employee role -->  
            <Policy PolicyId="Permissions:specifically:for:the:employee:role"  
                RuleCombiningAlgId="urn:oasis:names:tc:xacml:1.0:rule-combining-algorithm:permit-overrides">  
                <Target />  
                <!-- Permission to create a purchase order -->  
                <Rule RuleId="Permission:to:create:a:purchase:order" Effect="Permit">  
                    <Target>  
                        <Resources>  
                            <Resource>  
                                <ResourceMatch  
                                    MatchId="urn:oasis:names:tc:xacml:1.0:function:string-equal">  
                                    <AttributeValue DataType="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string">purchase order  
                                    </AttributeValue>  
                                    <ResourceAttributeDesignator  
                                        AttributeId="urn:oasis:names:tc:xacml:1.0:resource:resource-id" DataType="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string" />  
                                </ResourceMatch>  
                            </Resource>  
                        </Resources>  
                        <Actions>  
                            <Action>  
                                <ActionMatch MatchId="urn:oasis:names:tc:xacml:1.0:function:string-equal">  
                                    <AttributeValue DataType="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string">create</AttributeValue>  
                                    <ActionAttributeDesignator AttributeId="urn:action-id"  
                                        DataType="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string" />  
                                </ActionMatch>  
                            </Action>  
                        </Actions>  
                    </Target>  
                </Rule>  
            </Policy>  
            <!-- HasPrivilegesOfRole Policy for employee role -->  
        <Policy PolicyId="Permission:to:have:employee:role:permissions"  
            RuleCombiningAlgId="urn:oasis:names:tc:xacml:1.0:rule-combining-algorithm:permit-overrides">  
            <Target />  
            <!-- Permission to have employee role permissions -->  
            <Rule RuleId="Permission:to:have:employee:permissions" Effect="Permit">  
                <Condition>  
                    <Apply FunctionId="urn:oasis:names:tc:xacml:1.0:function:and">  
                        <Apply FunctionId="urn:oasis:names:tc:xacml:1.0:function:anyURI-is-in">  
                            <AttributeValue DataType="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#anyURI">employee</AttributeValue>  
                            <ResourceAttributeDesignator  
                                AttributeId="urn:oasis:names:tc:xacml:2.0:subject:role" DataType="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#anyURI" />  
                        </Apply>  
                        <Apply FunctionId="urn:oasis:names:tc:xacml:1.0:function:anyURI-is-in">  
                            <AttributeValue DataType="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#anyURI">urn:oasis:names:tc:xacml:2.0:actions:hasPrivilegesOfRole  
                            </AttributeValue>  
                            <ActionAttributeDesignator AttributeId="urn:oasis:names:tc:xacml:1.0:action:action-id"  
                                DataType="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#anyURI" />  
                        </Apply>  
                    </Apply>  
                </Condition>  
            </Rule>  
        </Policy>  
        </PolicySet>
    

    Manager

    <PolicySet xmlns="urn:oasis:names:tc:xacml:2.0:policy:schema:os"  
            PolicySetId="PPS:manager:role"  
            PolicyCombiningAlgId="urn:oasis:names:tc:xacml:1.0:policy-combining-algorithm:permit-overrides">  
            <Target />  
            <!-- Permissions specifically for the manager role -->  
            <Policy PolicyId="Permissions:specifically:for:the:manager:role"  
                RuleCombiningAlgId="urn:oasis:names:tc:xacml:1.0:rule-combining-algorithm:permit-overrides">  
                <Target />  
                <!-- Permission to sign a purchase order -->  
                <Rule RuleId="Permission:to:sign:a:purchase:order" Effect="Permit">  
                    <Target>  
                        <Resources>  
                            <Resource>  
                                <ResourceMatch  
                                    MatchId="urn:oasis:names:tc:xacml:1.0:function:string-equal">  
                                    <AttributeValue DataType="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string">purchase order  
                                    </AttributeValue>  
                                    <ResourceAttributeDesignator  
                                        AttributeId="urn:oasis:names:tc:xacml:1.0:resource:resource-id" DataType="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string" />  
                                </ResourceMatch>  
                            </Resource>  
                        </Resources>  
                        <Actions>  
                            <Action>  
                                <ActionMatch MatchId="urn:oasis:names:tc:xacml:1.0:function:string-equal">  
                                    <AttributeValue DataType="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string">sign</AttributeValue>  
                                    <ActionAttributeDesignator AttributeId="urn:action-id"  
                                        DataType="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string" />  
                                </ActionMatch>  
                            </Action>  
                        </Actions>  
                    </Target>  
                </Rule>  
            </Policy>  
            <!-- HasPrivilegesOfRole Policy for manager role -->  
        <Policy PolicyId="Permission:to:have:manager:role:permissions"  
            RuleCombiningAlgId="urn:oasis:names:tc:xacml:1.0:rule-combining-algorithm:permit-overrides">  
            <Target />  
            <!-- Permission to have manager role permissions -->  
            <Rule RuleId="Permission:to:have:manager:permissions" Effect="Permit">  
                <Condition>  
                    <Apply FunctionId="urn:oasis:names:tc:xacml:1.0:function:and">  
                        <Apply FunctionId="urn:oasis:names:tc:xacml:1.0:function:anyURI-is-in">  
                            <AttributeValue DataType="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#anyURI">manager</AttributeValue>  
                            <ResourceAttributeDesignator  
                                AttributeId="urn:oasis:names:tc:xacml:2.0:subject:role" DataType="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#anyURI" />  
                        </Apply>  
                        <Apply FunctionId="urn:oasis:names:tc:xacml:1.0:function:anyURI-is-in">  
                            <AttributeValue DataType="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#anyURI">urn:oasis:names:tc:xacml:2.0:actions:hasPrivilegesOfRole  
                            </AttributeValue>  
                            <ActionAttributeDesignator AttributeId="urn:oasis:names:tc:xacml:1.0:action:action-id"  
                                DataType="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#anyURI" />  
                        </Apply>  
                    </Apply>  
                </Condition>  
            </Rule>  
        </Policy>  
            <!-- Include permissions associated with employee role -->  
            <PolicySetIdReference>PPS:employee:role</PolicySetIdReference>  
        </PolicySet>
    

  3. Create a configuration file for the XACML engine.

    A configuration file is created to configure the locators and mention the directories where the policies are saved.

    Example 13.11. Configuration File

    Configuration File Only Indicating The Directory Of The Policy Files.

        <ns:jbosspdp xmlns:ns="urn:jboss:xacml:2.0">  
          <ns:Policies>   
           <ns:PolicySet>  
              <ns:Location>test/policies/rbac/</ns:Location>   
            </ns:PolicySet>  
          </ns:Policies>  
          <ns:Locators>  
            <ns:Locator Name="org.jboss.security.xacml.locators.JBossRBACPolicySetLocator"/>  
          </ns:Locators>  
        </ns:jbosspdp>
    

    Configuration File Defining the Policy Set

    <ns:jbosspdp xmlns:ns="urn:jboss:xacml:2.0">  
      <ns:Policies>    
        <ns:PolicySet>  
          <ns:Location>test/policies/rbac/employee-PPS-policyset.xml</ns:Location>   
        </ns:PolicySet>  
        <ns:PolicySet>  
          <ns:Location>test/policies/rbac/manager-PPS-policyset.xml</ns:Location>   
        </ns:PolicySet>  
        <ns:PolicySet>  
          <ns:Location>test/policies/rbac/employee-RPS-policyset.xml</ns:Location>   
        </ns:PolicySet>  
        <ns:PolicySet>  
          <ns:Location>test/policies/rbac/manager-RPS-policyset.xml</ns:Location>   
        </ns:PolicySet>  
      </ns:Policies>  
      <ns:Locators>  
        <ns:Locator Name="org.jboss.security.xacml.locators.JBossRBACPolicySetLocator"/>  
      </ns:Locators>  
    </ns:jbosspdp>
    

  4. Create a Policy Decision Point (PDP) and pass it in the Configuration File.
  5. In the Policy Enforcement Point (PEP), create an XACML request based on the context. Pass the XACML request to the PDP to get one of the following access decisions:
    • Permit
    • Deny
    • Indeterminate
    • Not Applicable

    Example 13.12. Access Decisions

    Permit condition

        <Request   
              xmlns="urn:oasis:names:tc:xacml:2.0:context:schema:os"  
              xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"  
              xsi:schemaLocation="urn:oasis:names:tc:xacml:2.0:context:schema:os  
                 access_control-xacml-2.0-context-schema-os.xsd">  
        <Subject>  
        <Attribute AttributeId="urn:oasis:names:tc:xacml:1.0:subject:subject-id"  
         DataType="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string">  
        <AttributeValue>Anne</AttributeValue>  
        </Attribute>  
          
        <Attribute AttributeId="urn:oasis:names:tc:xacml:2.0:subject:role"  
         DataType="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#anyURI">  
        <AttributeValue>manager</AttributeValue>  
        </Attribute>  
        </Subject>   
          
        <Resource>  
        <Attribute AttributeId="urn:oasis:names:tc:xacml:2.0:subject:role"  
        DataType="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#anyURI">  
        <AttributeValue>manager</AttributeValue>  
        </Attribute>  
        </Resource>  
          
        <Action>  
        <Attribute AttributeId="urn:oasis:names:tc:xacml:1.0:action:action-id"  
         DataType="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#anyURI">  
         <AttributeValue>urn:oasis:names:tc:xacml:2.0:actions:hasPrivilegesOfRole</AttributeValue>  
        </Attribute>  
        </Action>  
        </Request>
    

    Deny Permission

        <Request xmlns="urn:oasis:names:tc:xacml:2.0:context:schema:os"  
            xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"  
            xsi:schemaLocation="urn:oasis:names:tc:xacml:2.0:context:schema:os  
                 access_control-xacml-2.0-context-schema-os.xsd">  
            <Subject>  
                <Attribute AttributeId="urn:oasis:names:tc:xacml:1.0:subject:subject-id"  
                    DataType="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string">  
                    <AttributeValue>Anne</AttributeValue>  
                </Attribute>  
          
                <Attribute AttributeId="urn:oasis:names:tc:xacml:2.0:subject:role"  
                    DataType="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#anyURI">  
                    <AttributeValue>manager</AttributeValue>  
                </Attribute>  
            </Subject>  
          
            <Resource>  
                <Attribute AttributeId="urn:oasis:names:tc:xacml:2.0:subject:role"  
                    DataType="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#anyURI">  
                    <AttributeValue>manager</AttributeValue>  
                </Attribute>  
            </Resource>  
          
            <Action>  
                <Attribute AttributeId="urn:oasis:names:tc:xacml:1.0:action:action-id"  
                    DataType="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#anyURI">  
                    <AttributeValue>urn:nobody</AttributeValue>  
                </Attribute>  
            </Action>  
        </Request>
    

13.7. Security Auditing

13.7.1. About Security Auditing

Security auditing refers to triggering events, such as writing to a log, in response to an event that happens within the security subsystem. Auditing mechanisms are configured as part of a security domain, along with authentication, authorization, and security mapping details.
Auditing uses provider modules. You can use one of the included ones, or implement your own.

13.7.2. Configure Security Auditing

To configure security auditing settings for a security domain, log into the management console and follow this procedure.

Procedure 13.11. Setup Security Auditing for a Security Domain

  1. Open the security domain's detailed view.

    1. Click Configuration at the top of the screen.
    2. In a managed domain, select a profile to modify from the Profile selection box at the top left.
    3. Expand the Security menu and select Security Domains.
    4. Click View for the security domain you want to edit.
  2. Navigate to the Auditing subsystem configuration.

    Select the Audit tab at the top of the screen.
    The configuration area is divided into two areas: Provider Modules and Details. The provider module is the basic unit of configuration. A security domain can include several provider modules each of which can include attributes and options.
  3. Add a provider module.

    Click Add. Fill in the Code section with the classname of the provider module.
  4. Verify if your module is working

    The goal of an audit module is to provide a way to monitor the events in the security subsystem. This monitoring can be done by means of writing to a log file, email notifications or any other measurable auditing mechanism.
    For example, JBoss EAP 6 includes the LogAuditProvider module by default. If enabled following the steps above, this audit module writes security notifications to a audit.log file in the log subfolder within the EAP_HOME directory.
    To verify if the steps above have worked in the context of the LogAuditProvider, perform an action that is likely to trigger a notification and then check the audit log file.
    For a full list of included security auditing provider modules, see here: Section A.4, “Included Security Auditing Provider Modules”
  5. Optional: Add, edit, or remove module options.

    To add options to your module, click its entry in the Modules list, and select the Module Options tab in the Details section of the page. Click Add, and provide the key and value for the option.
    To edit an option that already exists, click Remove to remove it, and click Add to add it again with the correct options.
Result

Your security auditing module is added to the security domain, and is immediately available to applications which use the security domain.

13.7.3. New Security Properties

New system properties have been added to the security audit functionality for JBoss EAP versions 6.2.2 and later. These new properties mitigate security concerns surrounding plain text logging of web request components, particularly in scenarios involving BASIC or FORM based authentication.
The new properties allow greater control over which components of a web request are captured in audit logs (parameters, cookies, headers or attributes). These components can also be masked using the new properties.
The new properties are:
Table 13.1. New Security Properties
Name Description Possible values Behavior Default
org.jboss.security.web.audit This property controls the granularity of the security auditing of web requests. off, headers, cookies, parameters, attributes Any component (or comma-separated group of components) specified will be audited out of web requests. headers,parameters
org.jboss.security.web.audit.mask This property can be used to specify a list of strings to be matched against headers, parameters, cookies, and attributes of web requests. Any element matching the specified masks will be excluded from security audit logging. Any comma separated string indicating keys of headers, parameters, cookies, and attributes. Currently, the matching of the masks is fuzzy rather than strict. For example, a mask of authorization will mask both the header called authorization and the parameter called custom_authorization. A future release may introduce strict masks. j_password,authorization

13.8. Security Mapping

13.8.1. About Security Mapping

Security mapping allows you to combine authentication and authorization information after the authentication or authorization happens, but before the information is passed to your application.
You can map principals (authentication), roles (authorization), or credentials (attributes which are not principals or roles).
Role Mapping is used to add, replace, or remove roles to the subject after authentication.
Principal mapping is used to modify a principal after authentication.
Attribute mapping is used to convert attributes from an external system to be used by your application, and vice versa.

13.8.2. Configure Security Mapping in a Security Domain

To configure security mapping settings for a security domain, log into the management console and follow this procedure.

Procedure 13.12. Setup Security Mapping Settings in a Security Domain

  1. Open the security domain's detailed view.

    1. Click the Configuration label at the top of the management console.
    2. In a managed domain, select a profile from the Profile selection box at the top left.
    3. Expand the Security menu, and select Security Domains.
    4. Click View for the security domain you want to edit.
  2. Navigate to the Mapping subsystem configuration.

    Select the Mapping label at the top of the screen.
    The configuration area is divided into two areas: Modules and Details. The mapping module is the basic unit of configuration. A security domain can include several mapping modules, each of which can include several attributes and options.
  3. Add a security mapping module.

    Click Add.
    Fill in the details for your module. The Code is the class name of the module. The Type field refers to the type of mapping this module performs. Allowed values are principal, role, attribute or credential.
  4. Edit a security mapping module

    After you have added your module, you can modify its Code or Type.
    1. Select the Attributes tab.
    2. Click Edit in the Details section of the screen.
  5. Optional: Add, edit, or remove module options.

    To add options to your module, click its entry in the Modules list, and select the Module Options tab in the Details section of the page. Click Add, and provide the key and value for the option.
    To edit an option that already exists, click Remove to remove it, and add it again with the new value.
    Use the Remove button to remove an option.
Result

Your security mapping module is added to the security domain, and is immediately available to applications which use the security domain.

13.9. Use a Security Domain in Your Application

Overview

To use a security domain in your application, first you need to define the security domain in the server's configuration and then enable it for an application in the application's deployment descriptor. Then you must add the required annotations to the EJB that uses it. This topic covers the steps required to use a security domain in your application.

Warning

If an application is part of a security domain that uses an authentication cache, user authentications for that application will also be available to other applications in that security domain.

Procedure 13.13. Configure Your Application to Use a Security Domain

  1. Define the Security Domain

    You need to define the security domain in the server's configuration file, and then enable it for an application in the application's descriptor file.
    1. Configure the security domain in the server's configuration file

      The security domain is configured in the security subsystem of the server's configuration file. If the JBoss EAP 6 instance is running in a managed domain, this is the domain/configuration/domain.xml file. If the JBoss EAP 6 instance is running as a standalone server, this is the standalone/configuration/standalone.xml file.
      The other, jboss-web-policy, and jboss-ejb-policy security domains are provided by default in JBoss EAP 6. The following XML example was copied from the security subsystem in the server's configuration file.
      The cache-type attribute of a security domain specifies a cache for faster authentication checks. Allowed values are default to use a simple map as the cache, or infinispan to use an Infinispan cache.
      <subsystem xmlns="urn:jboss:domain:security:1.2">
          <security-domains>
              <security-domain name="other" cache-type="default">
                  <authentication>
                      <login-module code="Remoting" flag="optional">
                          <module-option name="password-stacking" value="useFirstPass"/>
                      </login-module>
                      <login-module code="RealmDirect" flag="required">
                          <module-option name="password-stacking" value="useFirstPass"/>
                      </login-module>
                  </authentication>
              </security-domain>
              <security-domain name="jboss-web-policy" cache-type="default">
                  <authorization>
                      <policy-module code="Delegating" flag="required"/>
                  </authorization>
              </security-domain>
              <security-domain name="jboss-ejb-policy" cache-type="default">
                  <authorization>
                      <policy-module code="Delegating" flag="required"/>
                  </authorization>
              </security-domain>
          </security-domains>
      </subsystem>
      You can configure additional security domains as needed using the Management Console or CLI.
    2. Enable the security domain in the application's descriptor file

      The security domain is specified in the <security-domain> child element of the <jboss-web> element in the application's WEB-INF/jboss-web.xml file. The following example configures a security domain named my-domain.
      <jboss-web>
          <security-domain>my-domain</security-domain>
      </jboss-web>
      This is only one of many settings which you can specify in the WEB-INF/jboss-web.xml descriptor.
  2. Add the Required Annotation to the EJB

    You configure security in the EJB using the @SecurityDomain and @RolesAllowed annotations. The following EJB code example limits access to the other security domain by users in the guest role.
    package example.ejb3;
    
    import java.security.Principal;
    
    import javax.annotation.Resource;
    import javax.annotation.security.RolesAllowed;
    import javax.ejb.SessionContext;
    import javax.ejb.Stateless;
    
    import org.jboss.ejb3.annotation.SecurityDomain;
    
    /**
     * Simple secured EJB using EJB security annotations
     * Allow access to "other" security domain by users in a "guest" role.
     */
    @Stateless
    @RolesAllowed({ "guest" })
    @SecurityDomain("other")
    public class SecuredEJB {
    
       // Inject the Session Context
       @Resource
       private SessionContext ctx;
    
       /**
        * Secured EJB method using security annotations
        */
       public String getSecurityInfo() {
          // Session context injected using the resource annotation
          Principal principal = ctx.getCallerPrincipal();
          return principal.toString();
       }
    }
    For more code examples, see the ejb-security quickstart in the JBoss EAP 6 Quickstarts bundle, which is available from the Red Hat Customer Portal.

Chapter 14. Single Sign On (SSO)

14.1. About Single Sign On (SSO) for Web Applications

Overview

Single Sign On (SSO) allows authentication to one resource to implicitly authorize access to other resources.

Clustered and Non-Clustered SSO

Non-clustered SSO limits the sharing of authorization information to applications on the same virtual host. In addition, there is no resiliency in the event of a host failure. Clustered SSO data can be shared between applications in multiple virtual hosts, and is resilient to failover. In addition, clustered SSO is able to receive requests from a load balancer.

How SSO Works

If a resource is unprotected, a user is not challenged to authenticate at all. If a user accesses a protected resource, the user is required to authenticate.

Upon successful authentication, the roles associated with the user are stored and used for authorization of all other associated resources.
If the user logs out of an application, or an application invalidates the session programmatically, all persisted authorization data is removed, and the process starts over.
A session timeout does not invalidate the SSO session if other sessions are still valid.

14.2. About Clustered Single Sign On (SSO) for Web Applications

Single Sign On (SSO) is the ability for users to authenticate to a single web application, and by means of a successful authentication, will successfully authenticate to multiple other applications without needing to be prompted at each one. Clustered SSO stores the authentication and authorization information in a clustered cache. This allows for applications on multiple different servers to share the information, and also makes the information resilient to a failure of one of the hosts.
A SSO configuration is called a valve. A valve is connected to a security domain, which is configured at the level of the server or server group. Each application which should share the same cached authentication information is configured to use the same valve. This configuration is done in the application's jboss-web.xml.
Some common SSO valves supported by the web subsystem of JBoss EAP 6 include:
  • Apache Tomcat ClusteredSingleSignOn
  • Apache Tomcat IDPWebBrowserSSOValve
  • SPNEGO-based SSO provided by PicketLink
Depending on the specific type of valve, you may need to do some additional configuration in your security domain, in order for your valve to work properly.

14.3. Choose the Right SSO Implementation

JBoss EAP 6 runs Java Enterprise Edition (EE) applications, which may be web applications, EJB applications, web services, or other types. Single Sign On (SSO) allows you to propagate security context and identity information between these applications. Several SSO solutions are available but choosing the right solution depends on your requirements.
Note that there is a distinct difference between a clustered web application and clustered SSO. A clustered web application is one which is distributed across the nodes of a cluster to spread the load of hosting that application. If marked as distributable, all new sessions, and changes to existing sessions are replicated to other members of the cluster. An application is marked as able to be distributed across cluster nodes with the <distributable/> tag in the web.xml deployment descriptor. Clustered SSO allows for replication of security context and identity information, regardless of whether or not the applications are themselves clustered. Although these technologies may be used together they are separate concepts.
Kerberos-Based Desktop SSO

If your organization already uses a Kerberos-based authentication and authorization system, such as Microsoft Active Directory, you can use the same systems to transparently authenticate to your enterprise applications running on JBoss EAP 6.

Non-Clustered Web Application SSO

If you are running multiple applications on a single instance and need to enable SSO session replication for those applications, non-clustered SSO will meet your requirements.

Clustered Web Application SSO

If you are running either a single application, or multiple applications, across a cluster and need to enable SSO session replication for those applications, clustered SSO will meet your requirements.

14.4. Use Single Sign On (SSO) In A Web Application

Overview

Single Sign On (SSO) capabilities are provided by the web and Infinispan subsystems. Use this procedure to configure SSO in web applications.

Prerequisites

  • A configured security domain which handles authentication and authorization.
  • The infinispan subsystem. It is present in the full-ha profile for a managed domain, or by using the standalone-full-ha.xml configuration in a standalone server.
  • The web cache-container and SSO replicated-cache. The initial configuration files already contain the web cache-container, and some of the configurations already contain the SSO replicated-cache as well. Use the following commands to check for and enable the SSO replicated-cache. Note that these commands modify the ha profile of a managed domain. You can change the commands to use a different profile, or remove the /profile=ha portion of the command, for a standalone server.

    Example 14.1. Check for the web cache-container

    The profiles and configurations mentioned above include the web cache-container by default. Use the following command to verify its presence. If you use a different profile, substitute its name instead of ha.
    /profile=ha/subsystem=infinispan/cache-container=web/:read-resource(recursive=false,proxies=false,include-runtime=false,include-defaults=true)
    If the result is success the subsystem is present. Otherwise, you need to add it.

    Example 14.2. Add the web cache-container

    Use the following three commands to enable the web cache-container to your configuration. Modify the name of the profile as appropriate, as well as the other parameters. The parameters here are the ones used in a default configuration.
    /profile=ha/subsystem=infinispan/cache-container=web:add(aliases=["standard-session-cache"],default-cache="repl",module="org.jboss.as.clustering.web.infinispan")
    /profile=ha/subsystem=infinispan/cache-container=web/transport=TRANSPORT:add(lock-timeout=60000)
    /profile=ha/subsystem=infinispan/cache-container=web/replicated-cache=repl:add(mode="ASYNC",batching=true)

    Example 14.3. Check for the SSO replicated-cache

    Run the following Management CLI command:
    /profile=ha/subsystem=infinispan/cache-container=web/:read-resource(recursive=true,proxies=false,include-runtime=false,include-defaults=true)
    Look for output like the following: "sso" => {
    If you do not find it, the SSO replicated-cache is not present in your configuration.

    Example 14.4. Add the SSO replicated-cache

    /profile=ha/subsystem=infinispan/cache-container=web/replicated-cache=sso:add(mode="SYNC", batching=true)
  • The web subsystem needs to be configured to use SSO. The following command enables SSO on the virtual server called default-host, and the cookie domain domain.com. The cache name is sso, and reauthentication is disabled.
    /profile=ha/subsystem=web/virtual-server=default-host/sso=configuration:add(cache-container="web",cache-name="sso",reauthenticate="false",domain="domain.com")
  • Each application which will share the SSO information must be configured to use the same <security-domain> in its jboss-web.xml deployment descriptor and the same Realm in its web.xml configuration file.
Configure Clustered or Non-Clustered SSO

Configure sso under the web subsystem in the server profile. The ClusteredSingleSignOn version is used when attribute cache-container is present, otherwise standard SingleSignOn class is used.

Example 14.5. Example Clustered SSO Configuration

/subsystem=web/virtual-server=default-host/sso=configuration:add(cache-container="web",cache-name="sso",reauthenticate="false",domain="domain.com")

Example 14.6. Example Non-Clustered SSO Configuration

/subsystem=web/virtual-server=default-host/sso=configuration:add(reauthenticate="false")
Invalidate a Session

An application can programmatically invalidate a session by invoking method javax.servlet.http.HttpSession.invalidate().

14.5. About Kerberos

Kerberos is a network authentication protocol for client/server applications. It allows authentication across a non-secure network in a secure way, using secret-key symmetric cryptography.
Kerberos uses security tokens called tickets. To use a secured service, you need to obtain a ticket from the Ticket Granting Service (TGS), which is a service running on a server on your network. After obtaining the ticket, you request a Service Ticket (ST) from an Authentication Service (AS), which is another service running on your network. You then use the ST to authenticate to the service you want to use. The TGS and the AS both run inside an enclosing service called the Key Distribution Center (KDC).
Kerberos is designed to be used in a client-server environment, and is rarely used in Web applications or thin client environments. However, many organizations already use a Kerberos system for desktop authentication, and prefer to reuse their existing system rather than create a second one for their Web Applications. Kerberos is an integral part of Microsoft Active Directory, and is also used in many Red Hat Enterprise Linux environments.

14.6. About SPNEGO

Simple and Protected GSS_API Negotiation Mechanism (SPNEGO) provides a mechanism for extending a Kerberos-based Single Sign On (SSO) environment for use in Web applications.
When an application on a client computer, such as a web browser, attempts to access a protect page on the web server, the server responds that authorization is required. The application then requests a service ticket from the Kerberos Key Distribution Center (KDC). After the ticket is obtained, the application wraps it in a request formatted for SPNEGO, and sends it back to the Web application, via the browser. The web container running the deployed Web application unpacks the request and authenticates the ticket. Upon successful authentication, access is granted.
SPNEGO works with all types of Kerberos providers, including the Kerberos service included in Red Hat Enterprise Linux and the Kerberos server which is an integral part of Microsoft Active Directory.

14.7. About Microsoft Active Directory

Microsoft Active Directory is a directory service developed by Microsoft to authenticate users and computers in a Microsoft Windows domain. It is included as part of Microsoft Windows Server. The computer in the Microsoft Windows Server is referred to as the domain controller. Red Hat Enterprise Linux servers running the Samba service can also act as the domain controller in this type of network.
Active Directory relies on three core technologies which work together:
  • Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP), for storing information about users, computers, passwords, and other resources.
  • Kerberos, for providing secure authentication over the network.
  • Domain Name Service (DNS) for providing mappings between IP addresses and host names of computers and other devices on the network.

14.8. Configure Kerberos or Microsoft Active Directory Desktop SSO for Web Applications

Introduction

To authenticate your web or EJB applications using your organization's existing Kerberos-based authentication and authorization infrastructure, such as Microsoft Active Directory, you can use the JBoss Negotiation capabilities built into JBoss EAP 6. If you configure your web application properly, a successful desktop or network login is sufficient to transparently authenticate against your web application, so no additional login prompt is required.

Difference from Previous Versions of the Platform

There are a few noticeable differences between JBoss EAP 6 and earlier versions:

  • Security domains are configured for each profile of a managed domain, or for each standalone server. They are not part of the deployment itself. The security domain a deployment should use is named in the deployment's jboss-web.xml or jboss-ejb3.xml file.
  • Security properties are configured as part of a security domain. They are not part of the deployment.
  • You can no longer override the authenticators as part of your deployment. However, you can add a NegotiationAuthenticator valve to your jboss-web.xml descriptor to achieve the same effect. The valve still requires the <security-constraint> and <login-config> elements to be defined in the web.xml. These are used to decide which resources are secured. However, the chosen auth-method will be overridden by the NegotiationAuthenticator valve in the jboss-web.xml.
  • The CODE attributes in security domains now use a simple name instead of a fully-qualified class name. The following table shows the mappings between the classes used for JBoss Negotiation, and their classes.
Table 14.1. Login Module Codes and Class Names
Simple Name Class Name Purpose
Kerberos
com.sun.security.auth.module.Krb5LoginModule
com.ibm.security.auth.module.Krb5LoginModule
Kerberos login module when using the Oracle JDK
Kerberos login module when using the IBM JDK
SPNEGO org.jboss.security.negotiation.spnego.SPNEGOLoginModule The mechanism which enables your Web applications to authenticate to your Kerberos authentication server.
AdvancedLdap org.jboss.security.negotiation.AdvancedLdapLoginModule Used with LDAP servers other than Microsoft Active Directory.
AdvancedAdLdap org.jboss.security.negotiation.AdvancedADLoginModule Used with Microsoft Active Directory LDAP servers.
JBoss Negotiation Toolkit

The JBoss Negotiation Toolkit is a debugging tool which is available for download from https://community.jboss.org/servlet/JiveServlet/download/16876-2-34629/jboss-negotiation-toolkit.war. It is provided as an extra tool to help you to debug and test the authentication mechanisms before introducing your application into production. It is an unsupported tool, but is considered to be very helpful, as SPNEGO can be difficult to configure for web applications.

Procedure 14.1. Setup SSO Authentication for your Web or EJB Applications

  1. Configure one security domain to represent the identity of the server. Set system properties if necessary.

    The first security domain authenticates the container itself to the directory service. It needs to use a login module which accepts some type of static login mechanism, because a real user is not involved. This example uses a static principal and references a keytab file which contains the credential.
    The XML code is given here for clarity, but you should use the Management Console or Management CLI to configure your security domains.
    <security-domain name="host" cache-type="default">
       <authentication>
          <login-module code="Kerberos" flag="required">
             <module-option name="storeKey" value="true"/>
             <module-option name="useKeyTab" value="true"/>
             <module-option name="principal" value="host/testserver@MY_REALM"/>
             <module-option name="keyTab" value="/home/username/service.keytab"/>
             <module-option name="doNotPrompt" value="true"/>
             <module-option name="debug" value="false"/>
          </login-module>
       </authentication>
    </security-domain>
  2. Configure a second security domain to secure the web application or applications. Set system properties if necessary.

    The second security domain is used to authenticate the individual user to the Kerberos or SPNEGO authentication server. You need at least one login module to authenticate the user, and another to search for the roles to apply to the user. The following XML code shows an example SPNEGO security domain. It includes an authorization module to map roles to individual users. You can also use a module which searches for the roles on the authentication server itself.
    <security-domain name="SPNEGO" cache-type="default">
       <authentication>
          <!-- Check the username and password -->
          <login-module code="SPNEGO"  flag="requisite">
             <module-option name="password-stacking" value="useFirstPass"/>
             <module-option name="serverSecurityDomain" value="host"/>
          </login-module>
          <!-- Search for roles -->
          <login-module code="UsersRoles" flag="required">
             <module-option name="password-stacking" value="useFirstPass" />
             <module-option name="usersProperties" value="spnego-users.properties" />
             <module-option name="rolesProperties" value="spnego-roles.properties" />
          </login-module> 
       </authentication>
    </security-domain>
  3. Specify the security-constraint and login-config in the web.xml

    The web.xml descriptor contain information about security constraints and login configuration. The following are example values for each.
    <security-constraint>
       <display-name>Security Constraint on Conversation</display-name>
       <web-resource-collection>
          <web-resource-name>examplesWebApp</web-resource-name>
          <url-pattern>/*</url-pattern>
       </web-resource-collection>
       <auth-constraint>
       <role-name>RequiredRole</role-name>
       </auth-constraint>
    </security-constraint>
    
    <login-config>
       <auth-method>SPNEGO</auth-method>
       <realm-name>SPNEGO</realm-name>
    </login-config>
     
    <security-role>
       <description> role required to log in to the Application</description>
       <role-name>RequiredRole</role-name>
    </security-role>
  4. Specify the security domain and other settings in the jboss-web.xml descriptor.

    Specify the name of the client-side security domain (the second one in this example) in the jboss-web.xml descriptor of your deployment, to direct your application to use this security domain.
    You can no longer override authenticators directly. Instead, you can add the NegotiationAuthenticator as a valve to your jboss-web.xml descriptor, if you need to. The <jacc-star-role-allow> allows you to use the asterisk (*) character to match multiple role names, and is optional.
    <jboss-web>
       <security-domain>SPNEGO</security-domain>
       <valve>
          <class-name>org.jboss.security.negotiation.NegotiationAuthenticator</class-name>
       </valve>
       <jacc-star-role-allow>true</jacc-star-role-allow>
    </jboss-web>
  5. Add a dependency to your application's MANIFEST.MF, to locate the Negotiation classes.

    The web application needs a dependency on class org.jboss.security.negotiation to be added to the deployment's META-INF/MANIFEST.MF manifest, in order to locate the JBoss Negotiation classes. The following shows a properly-formatted entry.
    Manifest-Version: 1.0
    Build-Jdk: 1.6.0_24
    Dependencies: org.jboss.security.negotiation
    • As an alternative, add a dependency to your application by editing the META-INF/jboss-deployment-structure.xml file:
      <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
      <jboss-deployment-structure>
        <deployment>
          <dependencies>
      	<module name='org.jboss.security.negotiation'/>
          </dependencies>
        </deployment>
      </jboss-deployment-structure>
Result

Your web application accepts and authenticates credentials against your Kerberos, Microsoft Active Directory, or other SPNEGO-compatible directory service. If the user runs the application from a system which is already logged into the directory service, and where the required roles are already applied to the user, the web application does not prompt for authentication, and SSO capabilities are achieved.

14.9. Configure SPNEGO Fall Back to Form Authentication

Follow the procedure below to setup a SPNEGO fall back to form authentication. ⁠

Procedure 14.2. SPNEGO security with fall back to form authentication

  1. Set up SPNEGO

  2. Modify web.xml

    Add a login-config element to your application and setup the login and error pages in web.xml:
    <login-config>
        <auth-method>SPNEGO</auth-method>
        <realm-name>SPNEGO</realm-name>
            <form-login-config>
                <form-login-page>/login.jsp</form-login-page>
                <form-error-page>/error.jsp</form-error-page>
            </form-login-config>
       </login-config>
    
  3. Add web content

    Add references of login.html and error.html to web.xml. These files are added to web application archive to the place specified in form-login-config configuration. For more information refer Enable Form-based Authentication section in the Security Guide for JBoss EAP 6. A typical login.html looks like this:
    <html>
        <head>
            <title>Vault Form Authentication</title>
        </head>
        <body>
            <h1>Vault Login Page</h1>
            <p>   
            <form method="post" action="j_security_check">
            <table>
                <tr>
                    <td>Username</td><td>-</td>
                    <td><input type="text" name="j_username"></td>
                </tr>
                <tr>
                    <td>Password</td><td>-</td>
                    <td><input type="password" name="j_password"></td>
                </tr>
                <tr>
                    <td colspan="2"><input type="submit"></td>
                </tr>              
            </table>
            </form>
            </p> 
            <hr>
        </body>
    </html>
    

Note