Configure Java 2 security policy files

 

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Users can configure Java 2 security policy files so that the required permission is granted for the specified WAS enterprise application.

Java 2 security uses several policy files to determine the permissions for each Java programs.

Two types of policy files are supported by WAS:

Static policy files provide the default permissions. Dynamic policy files provide application permissions. Six dynamic policy files are provided:

Policy file name Description
app.policy Default permissions for all of the enterprise applications in the cell.
was.policy Application-specific permissions for an WAS enterprise application. This file is packaged in an EAR file.
ra.xml Connector application specific permissions for a WAS enterprise application. This file is packaged in a RAR file.
spi.policy Permissions for SPI or third-party resources that are embedded in WAS. The default contents grant everything. Update this file carefully when the cell requires more protection against SPI in the cell. This file is applied to all of the SPIs that are defined in the resources.xml file.
library.policy Permissions for the shared library of enterprise applications.
filter.policy List of permissions that require filtering from the was.policy file and the app.policy file in the cell. This filtering mechanism only applies to the was.policy and app.policy files.

In WAS, applications must have the appropriate thread permissions specified in the was.policy or app.policy file.

Without the thread permissions specified, the application cannot manipulate threads and WAS creates a java.security.AccessControlException exception. The app.policy file applies to a specified node. If you change the permissions in one app.policy file, incorporate the new thread policy in the same file on the remaining nodes. Also, if you add the thread permissions to the app.policy file, restart WAS to enforce the new permissions. However, if you add the permissions to the was.policy file for a specific application, you do not need to restart WAS. An administrator must add the following code to a was.policy or app.policy file for an application to manipulate threads: 

grant codeBase "file:${application}" { permission java.lang.RuntimePermission "stopThread"; permission java.lang.RuntimePermission "modifyThread"; permission java.lang.RuntimePermission "modifyThreadGroup";
};

The Signed By keyword is not supported in the following policy files: app.policy, spi.policy, library.policy, was.policy, and filter.policy files. However, the Signed By keyword is supported in the following policy files:java.policy, server.policy, and client.policy files. The Java Authentication and Authorization Service (JAAS) is not supported in the app.policy, spi.policy, library.policy, was.policy, and filter.policy files. However, the JAAS principal keyword is supported in a JAAS policy file when it is specified by the java.security.auth.policy Java virtual machine (JVM) system property. You 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. Identify the policy file to update.

    Pick up the policy file with the smallest scope. You can avoid giving an extra permission to the Java programs and protect the resources. You can update the ra.xml file or the was.policy file rather than the app.policy file. Use specific component symbols ($(ejbcomponent), ${webComponent},${connectorComponent} and ${jars}) than ${application} symbols. Update dynamic policy files, rather than static policy files.

    Add any permission that you never want granted to the WAS enterprise application in the cell to the filter.policy file. Refer to filter.policy file permissions.

  2. Restart the WAS enterprise application.

 

Results

The required permission is granted for the specified WebSphere Application Server enterprise application.

 

Example

If an WAS enterprise application in a cell requires permissions, some of the dynamic policy files need updating. The symptom of the missing permission is the java.security.AccessControlException exception. The missing permission is listed in the exception data. 

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

The previous two lines were split onto two lines because of the width of the page. Enter the permission on one line.

When a Java program receives this exception and adding this permission is justified, add a permission to an adequate dynamic policy file. 

grant codeBase "file:user_client_installed_location" {  permission java.io.FilePermission 
"C:\WebSphere\AppServer\java\jre\lib\ext\mail.jar", "read";
};

The previous permission information lines were split onto more than one line because of their length. Enter the permission on one line.

To decide whether to add a permission, refer to the Access control exception topic.

app.policy file permissions
filter.policy file permissions
Configure the was.policy file
spi.policy file permissions
library.policy file permissions
Adding the was.policy file to applications

 

Related concepts

Java 2 security
Access control exception

 

Related tasks

Migrating, coexisting, and interoperating – Security considerations
Configure static policy files
Protecting system resources and APIs (Java 2 security)

 

Related Reference


Java 2 security policy files