server.policy file permissions

 

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Java 2 security uses several policy files to determine the granted permission for each Java program.

The file...

install_root/properties/server.policy

...is a default policy file that is shared by all of the WAS servers on a node. The server.policy file is not a configuration file that is managed by the repository and the file replication service. Changes to this file are local and do not replicate to the other machine.

If the default permissions for a server (the union of the permissions that is defined in the java.policy file and the server.policy file) are enough, no action is required. The default server.policy is picked up automatically. If a specific change is required to some of the server programs on a node, update the server.policy file with the Policy Tool.

Changes to the server.policy file are local for the node. Syntax errors in the policy files cause the appserver to fail. Edit these policy files carefully. An updated server.policy file is applied to all the server programs on the local node. Restart the servers for the updates to take effect.

To add permissions to an application, use the app.policy file and the was.policy file.

Here are the default permissions for server.policy:

// Allow to use ibm jdk extensions grant codeBase "file:${was.install.root}/java/ext/-" 
{
  permission java.security.AllPermission;
};

// Allow to use ibm tools grant codeBase "file:${was.install.root}/java/tools/ibmtools.jar" 
{
  permission java.security.AllPermission;
};

// Allow to use sun tools grant codeBase "file:/QIBM/ProdData/Java400/jdk14/lib/tools.jar" 
{
  permission java.security.AllPermission;
};

// Allow to use sun tools (V5R2M0 codebase) grant codeBase "file:/QIBM/ProdData/OS400/Java400/jdk/lib/tools.jar" 
{
  permission java.security.AllPermission;
};

// WebSphere system classes grant codeBase "file:${was.install.root}/plugins/-" 
{
  permission java.security.AllPermission;
}; grant codeBase "file:${was.install.root}/lib/-" 
{
  permission java.security.AllPermission;
}; grant codeBase "file:${was.install.root}/classes/-" 
{
  permission java.security.AllPermission;
};

// Allow the WebSphere deploy tool all permissions grant codeBase "file:${was.install.root}/deploytool/-" 
{
  permission java.security.AllPermission;
};

// Allow the WebSphere deploy tool all permissions grant codeBase "file:${was.install.root}/optionalLibraries/-" 
{
  permission java.security.AllPermission;
};

// Allow Channel Framework classes all permission grant codeBase "file:${was.install.root}/installedChannels/-" 
{
  permission java.security.AllPermission;
};
 grant codeBase "file:${user.install.root}/lib/-" 
{
  permission java.security.AllPermission;
};
 grant codeBase "file:${user.install.root}/classes/-" 
{
  permission java.security.AllPermission;
};

If some server programs on a node require permissions that are not defined as defaults in the server.policy file and the server.policy file, update the server.policy file. The missing permission creates the exception...

java.security.AccessControlException

The missing permission is listed in the exception data. For example:

 java.security.AccessControlException: access denied  (java.io.FilePermission /WebSphere/AppServer/java/jre/lib/ext/mail-impl.jar read)

The previous two lines are split into two lines for illustrative purposes only.

When a Java program receives this exception and adding this permission is justified, add a permission to the server.policy file. For example:

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

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

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

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Related concepts

Access control exception

 

Related tasks

Migrating, coexisting, and interoperating – Security considerations
Use PolicyTool to edit policy files
Configure static policy files

 

Related Reference

app.policy file permissions
client.policy file permissions
filter.policy file permissions
java.policy file permissions
Java 2 security policy files