Configure library.policy files

 

Overview

Java 2 security uses several policy files to determine the granted permission for each Java program. See Java 2 security policy files for the list of available policy files supported by WebSphere Application Server. The library.policy file is the template for shared libraries (Java library classes). Multiple enterprise applications can define and use shared libraries. Refer to Managing shared libraries for information on how to define and manage the shared libraries.

If the default permissions for a shared library (union of the permissions defined in the java.policy file, app.policy and the library.policy file) are enough, no action is required. The default library policy is picked up automatically. If a specific change is required to share a library in the cell, update the library.policy file.

Syntax errors in the policy files cause the application server to fail. Edit these policy files carefully.

Important: Do not place the codebase keyword or any other keyword after the grant keyword. The Signed By keyword and the Java Authentication and Authorization Service (JAAS) Principal keyword are not supported in the library.policy file. The Signed By keyword is supported in the following policy files: java.policy, server.policy, and client.policy. The JAAS Principal keyword is supported in a JAAS policy file when it is specified by the Java Virtual Machine (JVM) system property, java.security.auth.policy. We can statically set the authorization policy files in java.security.auth.policy with auth.policy.url.n=URL where URL is the location of the authorization policy.

 

Procedure

  1. Extract the policy file.

    1. From the command prompt, enter wsadmin wsadmin> set obj [$AdminConfig extract cells/cell/nodes/node/library.policy c:/temp/test/library.policy]

  2. Edit the extracted library.policy file with the Policy Tool. For more information, see Using PolicyTool to edit policy files.

  3. Check in the policy file.

    1. Enter the following from a command prompt wsadmin> $AdminConfig checkin cells/cell/nodes/node/library.policy c:/temp/test/library.policy $obj.

 

Result

An updated library.policy is applied to shared libraries after the servers restart.

 

Examplejava.policyapp.policylibrary.policylibrary.policy

The library.policy file

supplied by WAS resides at: install_root/config/cells/cell/nodes/node/library.policy, contains an empty permission entry as a default. For example,

grant {
};

If the shared library in a cell requires permissions that are not defined as defaults in the java.policy file, app.policy file and the library.policy file, update the library.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 lines are one continuous line.

When a Java program receives this exception and adding this permission is justified, add a permission to the library.policy file, 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 Access control exception.

 

What to do next

Restart the related Java processes for the changes in the library.policy file to become effective.

 

See Also


Access control exception
Java 2 security policy files

 

Related Tasks


Configuring the was.policy file
Configuring spi.policy files
Configuring library.policy files
Adding the was.policy file to applications
Configuring server.policy files
Configuring java.policy files
Using PolicyTool to edit policy files