Web authentication settings
Specify the web authentication settings associated with a web client.
To view this administrative console page:
Security > Global security > Authentication > Web and SIP security > General settings
We can override the global Web authentication settings that we select on this panel by specifying one or more of the following system properties on the server level.
Servers > Server Types > WebSphere application servers > server > Server infrastructure > Java and Process Management > Process definition > Additional properties > Java Virtual Machine > Custom Properties > New
Property name Value Explanation com.ibm.wsspi.security.web.webAuthReq lazy Authenticate only when the URI is protected option. We can set webAuthReq differently through the administrative console or scripting when using a global or a security domain, but the global level always takes precedence.
com.ibm.wsspi.security.web.webAuthReq persisting Use available authentication data when an unprotected URI is accessed option. com.ibm.wsspi.security.web.webAuthReq always Authenticate when any URI is accessed option. com.ibm.wsspi.security.web.failOverToBasicAuth true Default to basic authentication when certificate authentication for the HTTPS client fails option.
Authenticate only when the URI is protected
The application server challenges the web client to provide authentication data when the web client accesses a URI protected by a Java EE role. The authenticated identity is available only when the web client accesses a protected URI. This option is the default Java EE web authentication behavior that is also available in previous releases of WebSphere Application Server.
When selected, the administrative console login page is missing images. We might encounter the following error in the administrative console: "CWLAA6003: Could not display the portlet, the portlet may not be started. Check the error logs". The missing images and the error message are a side-effect of this option. The images do not display because the URIs for the images now need authentication, which requires us to log in. We can ignore this error message.
Information Value Default: Enabled
Use available authentication data when an unprotected URI is accessed
The web client can access validated authenticated data that it previously could not access. The web client calls the getRemoteUser, isUserInRole, and getUserPrincipal methods to retrieve an authenticated identity from an unprotected URI. When selected with the Authenticate only when the URI is protected option, the web client can use authenticated data when the URI is protected or not protected.
If Form-based authentication is being used, a WASPostParam cookie is generated during the authentication procedure of the HTTP POST request even if the target URL is unprotected. A WASPOSTParam cookie is a temporary cookie used to store HTTP POST parameters. This results in the Web client being sent the unnecessary cookie with an HTTP response. This might cause unexpected behavior when the size of the cookie is larger than the browser limit. To avoid this behavior, a custom property, com.ibm.websphere.security.util.postParamMaxCookieSize can be set to cause the security code to stop generating the cookie if the maximum size is reached.
Important: This option does not challenge the web client to provide authenticated data if the web client accesses an unprotected URI without authenticated data.
Information Value Default: Enabled
Authenticate when any URI is accessed
The web client must provide authentication data regardless of whether the URI is protected.
Information Value Default: Disabled
Default to basic authentication when certificate authentication for the HTTPS client fails
When the required HTTPS client certificate authentication fails, the application server uses the basic authentication method to challenge the web client to provide a user ID and password.
The HTTP client certification authentication performed by the application server security is different from the client authentication performed by the web server plug-in. If we configure the web server plug-in for mutual authentication and client authentication fails, the following situations will occur:
- The web server produces a error and the web request is not processed by application server security.
- The application server cannot fail over to basic authentication.
Information Value Default: Disabled
Developing with programmatic security APIs for web applications Servlet security methods Global security settings