3 Understanding OC4J Security

Development

If your application relies on the declarative security model (where J2EE security roles are defined in deployment descriptors, such as web.xml), the developer must determine if the application uses application-specific roles. If so, the developer must define these roles so that they can be mapped to the J2EE logical roles during the deployment phase.

Deployment

Using the declarative security model, the deployer must make the following security-related decisions:

• Determine the J2EE logical roles that are assumed in the application, then define these roles in the deployment descriptors. For example, an HR application may assume that the J2EE logical role hr_manager is running the application; the deployer must define that role.

• Determine the authorization constraints that apply to these roles and define them in the deployment descriptors. For web modules, these constraints typically apply to URL patterns as defined in the J2EE specification. EJB modules typically have constraints at the EJB-method level.

• Decide whether to use an XML flat file or Oracle Internet Directory (LDAP) as the repository for the OracleAS JAAS Provider. This also determines which provider, XML-based or LDAP-based, and user manager the application uses.

• Map the security roles (including the application-specific roles, if they exist) to users and groups defined by the OC4J user manager (for instance, JAZNUserManager). For example, the J2EE logical role called hr_manager may be mapped to a given set of users defined by the OC4J user manager.

OC4J Integration

The OracleAS JAAS Provider is integrated with OC4J and with OracleAS Single Sign-On to enhance application security. This integration provides the following benefits:

• run-as identity support, delegation support (from servlet to Enterprise JavaBeans)

• Full support for OracleAS Single Sign-On

• Support for custom login modules

JAZNUserManager

The OracleAS JAAS Provider is supported through JAZNUserManager. JAZNUserManager, an implementation of the OC4J UserManager interface, supports the following features:

• Secure storage of obfuscated passwords

• Full role-based access control (RBAC), including hierarchical roles

• Full support for the Java 2 permission model and JAAS

• Secure implementation based on the Java 2 permission model, allowing non-trusted (or partially trusted) code to run in the same JVM as the OracleAS JAAS Provider

• OracleAS Single Sign-On integration with OC4J

• RealmLoginModule integration in non-OracleAS Single Sign-On environments

• Support for custom JAAS login modules

• Identity propagation

Authentication Environments

The OracleAS JAAS Provider integrates with several different login authentication environments in a J2EE application.

• OracleAS Single Sign-On

  Uses OracleAS Single Sign-On to authenticate logins.

• SSL

  • Uses Secure Socket Layers for client certificate-based authentication.

  • Uses a login module (for example, RealmLoginModule) to authenticate logins.

• Basic Authentication

  • Prompts user directly for user name and password, without going through OracleAS Single Sign-On.

  • Uses a login module (for example, RealmLoginModule) to authenticate logins.

• Form-based Authentication

  When the user attempts to access a protected resource, OC4J checks whether the user has already been authenticated. If not, OC4J displays an application-specific login prompt for user name and password.

• Digest Authentication

  With the digest mechanism (a standard but optional feature of J2EE), the credentials that a client presents to authenticate itself consist of an MD5 digest. This is transmitted in the request message.

The following sections discuss how the OracleAS JAAS Provider integrates with each of these authentication types.

Enabling OracleAS Single Sign-On in J2EE Applications

OracleAS Single Sign-On lets a user access multiple applications with a single set of login credentials. Figure 3-1 shows JAAS integration in an application running in an OracleAS Single Sign-On-enabled J2EE environment.

Figure 3-1 OracleAS Single Sign-On and J2EE Environments

Description of "Figure 3-1 OracleAS Single Sign-On and J2EE Environments"

Integrating the OracleAS JAAS Provider with SSL-Enabled Applications

SSL is an industry standard protocol for managing the security of message transmission on the Internet. Figure 3-2 shows JAAS integration in an application running in an SSL-enabled J2EE environment.

Figure 3-2 Oracle Component Integration in SSL-Enabled J2EE Environments

Description of "Figure 3-2 Oracle Component Integration in SSL-Enabled J2EE Environments"

Integrating the OracleAS JAAS Provider with Basic Authentication

Basic authentication bypasses OracleAS Single Sign-On. Figure 3-3 shows specific JAAS integration in an application configured for Basic authentication in a J2EE environment.

Figure 3-3 Oracle Component Integration in J2EE Environment

Description of "Figure 3-3 Oracle Component Integration in J2EE Environment"

Running with an Authenticated Identity

You can choose to configure the JAZNUserManager so that a filter enables the target servlet to run with the permissions and roles associated with an authenticated identity or run-as identity. To do this, configure the <jazn-web-app> element.

Retrieving Authentication Information

The following javax.servlet.HttpServletRequest APIs retrieve authentication information within the servlet:

• getRemoteUser() for the authenticated user name

• getAuthType() for the authentication scheme

• getUserPrincipal() for the authenticated principal object

  
  

  Note: The returned principal is an instance of the interface oracle.j2ee.security.User, which extends the java.security.Principal interface.

  
  

• getAttribute("javax.servlet.request.X509certificate") for the SSL client certificate

Security Role Mapping

Two distinct role types are available to application developers creating secure applications in J2EE environments: J2EE roles and JAAS roles. When these role types are mapped together using OC4J group mappings, users can access an application with a defined set of role permissions for as long as the user is mapped to this role.

This section describes these role types and how they are mapped together.

• J2EE Security Roles

• Deployment Roles and Users

• OC4J Group Mapping to J2EE Security Roles

<security-role>
     <role-name>sr_developer</role-name>
</security-role>  
 

 <security-constraint>
    <web-resource-collection>
      <web-resource-name>access to the entire application</web-resource-name>
      <url-pattern>/*</url-pattern>
    </web-resource-collection>
        <!-- authorization -->
    <auth-constraint>
      <role-name>sr_developer</role-name>
    </auth-constraint>
  </security-constraint>

<role>
  <name>developer</name>
  <members>
    <member>
      <type>user<type>
      <name>john<name>
    </member>
  </members>
</role>

<security-role-mapping name="sr_developer">
   <group name="developer" />
</security-role-mapping>

Introduction to Lightweight J2EE Single Sign-On

After a client has been authenticated in a given Web application, SSO allows the current security credential to be applied to additional Web applications within the same J2EE application (EAR file). OracleAS Single Sign-On is available for this functionality in a full Oracle Application Server environment (as described in "Enabling OracleAS Single Sign-On in J2EE Applications"), and now there is also a lighter-weight SSO alternative for use with OC4J.

Security credentials for a Web application are generally stored within HTTP client sessions. However, because the servlet specification dictates that an HTTP session can extend only across the scope of a single Web application, OC4J must use a component outside the session to manage J2EE SSO across Web applications. The chosen component for this implementation of lightweight J2EE Single Sign-On is a stateful session EJB.

When J2EE Single Sign-On is enabled, OC4J creates the stateful session bean automatically, including the home interface, bean interface, and implementation class. Once a user is successfully authorized for a Web application participating in J2EE Single Sign-On, OC4J registers the user with the bean.

OC4J also creates a J2EE SSO cookie. The cookie indicates to Web applications that there is an authenticated user for J2EE Single Sign-On.

Also be aware of the following:

• The lightweight J2EE SSO implementation works across distributed environments, assuming EJB replication is enabled for the J2EE SSO bean as shown in "Contents of Specialized orion-ejb-jar.xml File".

• The J2EE SSO implementation works with standalone OC4J. It will also work in a full Oracle Application Server (OPMN-managed) environment if all of the following are true:

  • Session replication is enabled for each Web application involved, through the <distributable/> subelement of <web-app> in the web.xml file.

  • EJB replication is enabled for the J2EE SSO bean.

  • You use only a single OC4J cluster island.

• The J2EE SSO implementation has a small performance impact.

• If a user who has been looked up has sufficient privilege to access the restricted resource, then OC4J displays the resource. Otherwise, a form authentication page is displayed, allowing a user with sufficient privilege to be specified for the login.

• If the HTTP session is invalidated, the user name is no longer set. The next attempted access of the resource will force another login through the form authentication page.

Configuring Lightweight J2EE Single Sign-On

The 10.1.2 implementation of lightweight J2EE Single Sign-On requires a specialized JAR file, named OC4JINTERNAL_httpSession.jar, to be included in your EAR file. This JAR file must contain the following XML files, each with specific contents as described immediately below:

• /META-INF/ejb-jar.xml

• /META-INF/orion-ejb-jar.xml

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<!DOCTYPE ejb-jar PUBLIC "-//Sun Microsystems, Inc.//DTD Enterprise JavaBeans
 1.1//EN" "http://java.sun.com/j2ee/dtds/ejb-jar_1_1.dtd">
<ejb-jar>
   <display-name>stateful, ejb-jar:</display-name>
   <enterprise-beans>
      <session>
         <display-name>WebAppsClusterBean</display-name>
         <ejb-name>WebAppsClusterBean</ejb-name>
         <home>
            oracle.oc4j.server.ejb.httpSession.HttpSessionSharingSFSBHome
         </home>
         <remote>
            oracle.oc4j.server.ejb.httpSession.HttpSessionSharingSFSB
         </remote>
         <ejb-class>
            oracle.oc4j.server.ejb.httpSession.HttpSessionSharingSFSBBean
         </ejb-class>
         <session-type>Stateful</session-type>
         <transaction-type>Container</transaction-type>
      </session>
   </enterprise-beans>
   <assembly-descriptor>
      <container-transaction>
         <method>
            <ejb-name>WebAppsClusterBean</ejb-name>
            <method-name>*</method-name>
         </method>
         <trans-attribute>Supports</trans-attribute>
      </container-transaction>
      <security-role>
         <role-name>users</role-name>
      </security-role>
   </assembly-descriptor>
</ejb-jar>

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE orion-ejb-jar PUBLIC "-//Evermind//DTD Enterprise JavaBeans 1.1
 runtime//EN" "http://xmlns.oracle.com/ias/dtds/orion-ejb-jar.dtd">
<orion-ejb-jar>
   <enterprise-beans>
      <session-deployment name="WebAppsClusterBean"
                          location="webAppsCluster/WebAppsClusterBean"
                          idletime="600" copy-by-value="false"  />
   </enterprise-beans>
   <assembly-descriptor>
      <security-role-mapping name="users" />
      <default-method-access>
         <security-role-mapping name="default-ejb-caller-role" 
                                impliesAll="true" />
      </default-method-access>
   </assembly-descriptor>
</orion-ejb-jar>

      <session-deployment name="WebAppsClusterBean"
                          location="webAppsCluster/WebAppsClusterBean"
                          idletime="600" copy-by-value="false"
                          replication="EndOfCall" />

Enabling Lightweight J2EE Single Sign-On

Enable the lightweight J2EE Single Sign-On implementation by specifying a true setting for the system property oracle.application.sso.appname when you start OC4J, where appname is the name of your J2EE application. For example, for the application petstore:

java ... -Doracle.application.sso.petstore=true ... -jar oc4j.jar