Use JSSE and JCE with Servlets and enterprise bean files

 

Java Secure Socket Extension

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Java Secure Socket Extension (JSSE) provides the transport security for WebSphere Application Server. It provides application programming interface (API) framework and the implementation of the APIs, for SSL and Transport Layer Security (TLS) protocols, including functionality for data encryption, message integrity and authentication. With the JSSE APIs, other SSL or TLS protocols, and Public Key Infrastructure (PKI), implementations can plug in.

 

IBM Java Secure Socket Extension

The WebSphere Application Server uses the IBMJSSE provider, which is pre-installed and pre-registered with the Java Cryptography Architecture (JCA) of the J2EE services...

The IBMJSSE provider is pre-registered in the java.security properties file located at $WAS_HOME/java/jre/lib/security directory. It also supports cryptographic token types PKCS#7, PKCS#11, PKCS#12 and MSCAPI (only on Windows platforms) for cryptographic token support.

Note that The IBM Java Secure Socket Extension (JSSE) is currently not supported within applets.

 

Customize Java Secure Socket Extension

Note that Make sure you understand the implication to your application before you begin customizing.

You can customize a number of aspects of JSSE by plugging in different implementations of Cryptography Package Provider, X509Certificate and HTTPS protocols, or specifying different default keystore files, key manager factories and trust manager factories. A provided table summarizes which aspects can be customized, what the defaults are, and which mechanisms are used to provide customization. Some of the key customizable aspects follow...

Customizable item Default How to customize
X509Certificate X509Certificate implementation from IBM cert.provider.x509v1 security property
HTTPS protocol Implementation from IBM java.protocol.handler.pkgs system property
Cryptography Package Provider IBMJSSE A security.provider.n= line in security properties file. See description.
Default keystore None * javax.net.ssl.keyStore system property
Default truststore jssecacerts, if it exists. Otherwise, cacerts * javax.net.ssl.trustStore system property
Default key manager factory IbmX509 ssl.KeyManagerFactory.algorithm security property
Default trust manager factory IbmX509 ssl.TrustManagerFactory.algorithm security property

For aspects that you can customize by setting a system property, statically set the system property by using the -D option of the Java command (you can set the system property using the administrative console), or set the system property dynamically by calling the java.lang.System.setProperty method in your code: System.setProperty(propertyName,"propertyValue").

For aspects that you can customize by setting a Java security property, statically specify a security property value in the java.security properties file located in the $WAS_HOME/java/jre/lib/security directory. The security property is propertyName=propertyValue. Dynamically set the Java security property by calling the java.security.Security.setProperty method in your code.

 

Application Programming Interface

The JSSE provides a standard application programming interface (API) available in packages of the javax.net file, javax.net.ssl file, and the javax.security.cert file. The APIs cover...

There is more information documented for the JSSE APIs in the jssedocs.jar file located at $WAS_HOME/web/docs/jsse directory. Unzip the JAR file and open index.html file with your browser.

 

Samples using Java Secure Socket Extension

The Java Secure Socket Extension (JSSE) also provides samples to demonstrate its functionality. The samples are included in $WAS_HOME/web/docs/jsse/samplejsse.jar. Unzip the file. The following files display...

Files Description
ClientJsse.java Demonstrates a simple client and server interaction using JSSE. All enabled cipher suites are used.
ClientJsseProvider.java Demonstrates a simple client and server interaction using JSSE. All enabled cipher suites are used. 

ServerJsse.java 
ServerJsseProvider.java 
OldClientJsse.java
Demonstrates a simple client and server interaction using JSSE. All enabled cipher suites are used.
OldServerJsse.java Back-level samples
ServerPKCS12Jsse.java Demonstrates a simple client and server interaction using JSSE with the PKCS12 keystore file. All enabled cipher suites are used.
ClientPKCS12Jsse.java Demonstrates a simple client and server interaction using JSSE with the PKCS12 keystore file. All enabled cipher suites are used.
OldClientPKCS12Jsse.java Back-level samples
OldServerPKCS12Jsse.java Back-level samples
UseHttps.java Demonstrates accessing an SSL or non-SSL Web server using the Java protocol handler of the com.ibm.net.ssl.www.protocol class. The URL is specified with the http or https prefix. The HTML returned from this site displays.
HTTPTest.java Demonstrates accessing an SSL or non-SSL Web server using the Java protocol handler of the com.ibm.net.ssl.www.protocol class. The URL is specified with the http or https prefix. The HTML returned from this site is displayed. 

HTTPSPanel.java 
OldHTTPTest.java
Back-level sample

See more instructions in the source code. Follow these instructions before you run the samples.

 

Permissions for Java 2 security

You might need the following permissions to run an application with JSSE: (This is a reference list only.)

For the IBMJSSE provider...

For the SUNJSSE provider...

 

Debugging

By configuring through the javax.net.debug system property, JSSE provides the following dynamic debug tracing: -Djavax.net.debug=true.

A value of true turns on the trace facility, provided that the debug version of JSSE is installed. Use the administrative console to set the system property for debugging the application server.

The debug version of JSSE, ibmjsse-debug.jar, is located in the $WAS_HOME/web/docs/jsse directory. To collect a trace complete the following steps...

  1. Stop your application.

  2. Save the default version of JSSE (ibmjsse.jar) into a separate directory.

  3. Locate the ibmjsse.jar file in the $WAS_HOME/java/jre/lib/ext directory.

  4. Replace the ibmjsse.jar file with the ibmjsse-debug.jar file in the $WAS_HOME/java/jre/lib/ext directory.

  5. Specify the javax.net.debug system property.

  6. Restart your application.

The trace is logged in the trace.log file for the appserver or in the file specified by a system property, DtraceFileName for a Java client application.

 

Documentation

See the Security: Resources for learning article for documentation references to JSSE.

 

JCE

Java Cryptography Extension (JCE) provides cryptographic, key and hash algorithms for WAS. It provides a framework and implementations for encryption, key generation, key agreement, and Message Authentication Code (MAC) algorithms. Support for encryption includes symmetric, asymmetric, block and stream ciphers.

 

IBMJCE

The IBM Java Cryptography Extension (JCE) is an implementation of the JCE cryptographic service provider used in WebSphere Application Server. The IBMJCE is similar to SunJCE, except that the IBMJCE offers more algorithms...

The IBMJCE is also moving com.sun.crypto.provider.* packages to com.ibm.crypto.provider.* packages. Read $WAS_HOME/web/docs/jce/readme.jce.ibm.html for further details.

 

Implement a Java Cryptography Extension cryptographic service provider

A Cryptographic Service Provider, or provider, refers to a package (or a set of packages) that supply a concrete implementation of a subset of the cryptography aspects of the Java Security API. A provider can contain an implementation of one or more digital signature algorithms and one or more cipher algorithms. Complete the following steps to implement and integrate a JCE provider...

  1. Write your service implementation code.

  2. Give your provider a name.

  3. Write your Master Class, a subclass of your provider.

  4. Compile your code.

  5. Prepare for testing.

  6. Write and compile test programs.

  7. Run your test programs.

  8. Document your provider and its supported services.

  9. Prepare for production.

  10. Run your test programs again.

  11. Make your provider software and documentation available to clients.

Refer to $WAS_HOME/web/docs/jce/xyz_HowToImplAProvider.html for further information.

 

Application Programming Interface

Java Cryptography Extension (JCE) has a provider-based architecture. Providers can be plugged into the JCE framework by implementing the APIs defined by the JCE. The JCE APIs covers...

Refer to $WAS_HOME/web/docs/jce/xyz_api_users_guide.html and $WAS_HOME/web/docs/jce/xyz_CryptoSpec.html for more information about Java Cryptography Extension technology. Locate Javadoc for the JCE APIs by unzipping $WAS_HOME/web/docs/jce/jcedocs.jar.

 

Samples using Java Cryptography Extension

There are samples provided in SampleJCE.jar file located in the $WAS_HOME/web/docs/jce directory. Unzip the file. The following source code displays...

File Description
SampleDSASignature.java Demonstrates how to generate a pair of DSA keys (a public key and a private key) and use the key to digitally sign a message using the SHA1with DSA algorithm
SampleMarsCrypto.java Demonstrates how to generate a Mars secret key, and how to do Mars encryption and decryption
SampleMessageDigests.java Demonstrates how to use the message digest for MD2 and MD5 algorithms
SampleRSACrypto.java Demonstrates how to generate an RSA key pair, and how to do RSA encryption and decryption
SampleRSASignatures.java Demonstrates how to generate a pair of RSA keys (a public key and a private key) and use the key to digitally sign a message using the SHA1withRSA algorithm
SampleX509Verification.java Demonstrates how to verify X509 Certificates

 

Documentation

Refer to the Security: Resources for learning article for documentation on JCE.

 

See Also

Configuring to use cryptographic tokens