Use JSSE and JCE with Servlets and enterprise bean files

 

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Java Secure Socket Extension

Java Secure Socket Extension (JSSE) provides the transport security for WAS. It provides the API framework and the implementation of the APIs, for SSL and TLS protocols, including functionality for data encryption, message integrity and authentication.

JSSE APIs are integrated into the J2SDK, V1.4. The API package for JSSE APIs is javax.net.ssl.*. Documentation for using JSSE APIs can be found in the J2SE 1.4.2 JavaDoc

Several JSSE providers ship with the J2SDK V1.4 that comes with WAS. The IBMJSSE provider is used in previous WebSphere releases. Associated with the IBMJSSE provider is the IBMJSSEFIPS provider, which is used when FIPS is enabled on the server. Both of these providers do not work with the JMS and HTTP transports in WAS (WAS) V6. These transports take advantage of the J2SDK Verison 1.4 network input/output (NIO) asynchronous channels.

The HTTP and JMS transports use a new IBMJSSE2 provider. All other transports in WAS V6 currently use the IBMJSSE2 provider, but can be switched to the old IBMJSSE provider, if necessary (specified in the SSL repertoire configuration).

After it is unzipped, the JSSE2 Reference Guide can be found at jsse2Docs/JSSE2RefGuide.html, the JSSE2 API documentation can be found at jsse2Docs/api/index.html and finally, the JSSE2 samples can be found at jsse2Docs/samples.

 

Customizing Java Secure Socket Extension

We 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 one can customize by setting a system property, statically set the system property by using the -D option of the Java command (one 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 one can customize by setting a Java security property, statically specify a security property value in the java.security properties file located in...

install_root/java/jre/lib/security

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 API available in packages of the javax.net file, javax.net.ssl file, and the javax.security.cert file. The APIs cover:

  • Sockets and SSL sockets
  • Factories to create the sockets and SSL sockets
  • Secure socket context that acts as a factory for secure socket factories
  • Key and trust manager interfaces
  • Secure HTTP URL connection classes
  • Public key certificate API

We can find more information documented for the JSSE APIs if you download and unzip...

http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/java/jdk/security/142/jsse2Docs.zip

...and look at the jsse2Docs/api/index.html file.

 

Samples using Java Secure Socket Extension

The Java Secure Socket Extension (JSSE) also provides samples to demonstrate its functionality. The Java Secure Socket Extension (JSSE) also provides samples to demonstrate its functionality. Download and unzip the samples included in the http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/java/jdk/security/142/jsse2Docs.zip file. Look in the jsse2Docs/samples/ directory for the following files:

Files Description
ClientJsse.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.
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.
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.

 

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

  • Cipher algorithm (AES, DES, TripleDES, PBEs, Blowfish, and so on)

  • Signature algorithm (SHA1withRSA, MD5withRSA, SHA1withDSA)

  • Message digest algorithm (MD5, MD2, SHA1, SHA-256, SHA-384, SHA-512)

  • Message authentication code (HmacSHA1, HmacMD5)

  • Key agreement algorithm (DiffieHellman)

  • Random number generation algorithm (IBMSecureRandom, SHA1PRNG)

  • Key store (JKS, JCEKS, PKCS12)

The IBMJCE belongs to the com.ibm.crypto.provider.* packages.

For further information, see the http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/java/jdk/security/142/jceDocs.zip file.

 

IBMJCEFIPS

The IBM version of the Java Cryptography

Extension Federal Information Processing Standard (IBMJCEFIPS) is an implementation of the JCE cryptographic service provider that is used in WebSphere Application Server. The IBMJCEFIPS service provider implements the following:

  • Signature algorithms (SHA1withDSA, SHA1withRSA)

  • Cipher algorithms (AES, TripleDES, RSA)

  • Key agreement algorithm (DiffieHellman)

  • Key (pair) generator (DSA, AES, TripleDES, HmacSHA1, RSA, DiffieHellman)

  • Message authentication code (MAC) (HmacSHA1)

  • Message digest (MD5, SHA-1, SHA-256, SHA-384, SHA-512)

  • Algorithm parameter generator (DiffieHellman, DSA)

  • Algorithm parameter (AES, DiffieHellman, DES, TripleDES, DSA)

  • Key factory (DiffieHellman, DSA, RSA)

  • Secret key factory (AES, TripleDES)

  • Certificate (X.509)

  • Secure random (IBMSecureRandom)

 

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:

  • Symmetric bulk encryption, such as DES, RC2, and IDEA

  • Symmetric stream encryption, such as RC4

  • Asymmetric encryption, such as RSA

  • Password-based encryption (PBE)

  • Key Agreement

  • Message Authentication Codes

There is more information documented for the JCE APIs in the http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/java/jdk/security/jceDocs.zip file.

 

Samples using Java Cryptography Extension

There are samples located in http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/java/jdk/security/142/jceDocs.zip file. Unzip the file and locate the following samples in thejceDocs/samples directory:

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 for documentation on JCE.