Configure java.policy files

Java 2 security uses several policy files to determine the granted permission for each Java program. See Dynamic policy for the list of available policy files supported by WebSphere Application Server Version 5. The java.policy file is a global default policy file shared by all of the Java programs running in the Java Virtual Machine (JVM) on the node. Modifying this file is not recommended.

1. If a specific change is required to some of the Java programs on a node and the java.policy file requires updating, modify the java.policy file with policy tool. A change to the java.policy file is local for the node.The default Java policy is picked up automatically. Syntax errors in the policy files cause the appserver to fail. Edit these policy files carefully.

An updated java.policy file is applied to all the Java programs running in all the JVMs on the local node. Restart the programs for the updates to take effect

 Usage scenariojava.policyjava.policy$WAS_HOME/java/jre/lib/security/java.policy

// Standard extensions get all permissions by default
grant codeBase "file:${java.home}/lib/ext/*" {
        permission java.security.AllPermission;
};
// default permissions granted to all domains
grant {
        // Allows any thread to stop itself using the java.lang.Thread.stop()
        // method that takes no argument.
        // Note that  this permission is granted by default only to remain
        // backwards compatible.
        // It is strongly recommended that you either remove this permission
        // from this policy file or further restrict it to code sources
        // that you specify, because Thread.stop() is potentially unsafe.
        // See "http://java.sun.com/notes" for more information.
        // permission java.lang.RuntimePermission "stopThread";

        // allows anyone to listen on un-privileged ports
        permission java.net.SocketPermission "localhost:1024-", "listen";

        // "standard" properties that can be read by anyone

        permission java.util.PropertyPermission "java.version", "read";
        permission java.util.PropertyPermission "java.vendor", "read";
        permission java.util.PropertyPermission "java.vendor.url", "read";
        permission java.util.PropertyPermission "java.class.version", "read";
        permission java.util.PropertyPermission "os.name", "read";
        permission java.util.PropertyPermission "os.version", "read";
        permission java.util.PropertyPermission "os.arch", "read";
        permission java.util.PropertyPermission "file.separator", "read";
        permission java.util.PropertyPermission "path.separator", "read";
        permission java.util.PropertyPermission "line.separator", "read";

        permission java.util.PropertyPermission "java.specification.version", "read";
        permission java.util.PropertyPermission "java.specification.vendor", "read";
        permission java.util.PropertyPermission "java.specification.name", "read";

        permission java.util.PropertyPermission "java.vm.specification.version","read";
        permission java.util.PropertyPermission "java.vm.specification.vendor","read";
        permission java.util.PropertyPermission "java.vm.specification.name", "read";
        permission java.util.PropertyPermission "java.vm.version", "read";
        permission java.util.PropertyPermission "java.vm.vendor", "read";
        permission java.util.PropertyPermission "java.vm.name", "read";
       };

If some Java programs on a node require permissions that are not defined as defaults in the java.policy file, then consider updating the java.policy file. Most of the time, other policy files are updated instead of the java.policy file. The missing permission causes the exception, java.security.AccessControlException. The missing permission is listed in the exception data, for example:

java.security.AccessControlException: access denied  java.io.FilePermission(
C:\WebSphere\AppServer\java\jre\lib\ext\mail.jar read)

The previous two lines are one continuous line.

When a Java program receives this exception and adding this permission is justified, add a permission to the java.policyfile, for example:

grant codeBase "file:<user client installed location>" {   
permission java.io.FilePermission 
"C:\WebSphere\AppServer\java\jre\lib\ext\mail.jar", "read"; };

To decide whether to add a permission, refer to AccessControlException.

Restart all of the Java processes for the updated java.policy file to take effect.

 

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