This document summarizes a presentation on Java EE 6 security best practices using the GlassFish application server. It discusses the OWASP Top 10 security risks and provides recommendations for how to address each one when developing applications on the Java EE 6 platform. Specific topics covered include injection, cross-site scripting, authentication and session management, insecure direct object references, cross-site request forgery, security misconfiguration, failure to restrict URL access, insecure cryptographic storage, insufficient transport layer protection, and unvalidated redirects/forwards.

1. Java EE 6 Security
in practice with
GlassFish
Markus Eisele & Masoud Kalali

2. Agenda
• Introduction
• The Top 10 Most Critical Web Application
Security Risks
• Take Away

3. Masoud Kalali Markus Eisele
http://kalali.me http://blog.eisele.net
http://twitter.com/MasoudKalali http://twitter.com/myfear
Masoud.Kalali@oracle.com Markus.eisele@msg-systems.com
software engineer, Java EE 7 EG,
author, blogger, architect, husband, father of two,
climber and flute enthusiast photographer, speaker, writer

4. Java EE 6 & GlassFish
glassfish.org

5. Galleria Project
https://bitbucket.org/VineetReynolds/java-ee-6-galleria/

6. Galleria Project
?
http://blog.eisele.net/2012/03/java-ee-6-galleria-example-part-1.html

8. Galleria and Security
• Form based authentication
• JDBCRealm
• request.login(userId, new String(password));
• @RolesAllowed({ "RegisteredUsers" })
Enough? State-of-the-Art? Feeling-good-with-it™?

9. Motivation for this talk
• Seen a lot
• Providing a starting point
• Sharing something
• Making you aware
• Plus:
Finding out about “the security state of Galleria”

10. The Top 10 Most Critical Web
Application Security Risks
Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Aka OWASP Top-10* Source: http://owasptop10.googlecode.com

11. What is OWASP?
• Open Web Application Security Project
• Improving the security of (web) application software
– Not-for-profit organization since 2001
– Raise interest in secure development
• Documents
– Top 10
– Cheat Sheets
– Development Guides
• Solutions
– Enterprise Security API (ESAPI)
– WebScarab
– WebGoat

12. A1 - Injection

13. What is it?
• Sending unintended data to applications
• Manipulating and reading Data stores (e.g.
DB, LDAP)
• Java EE 6 affected:
– UI technology of choice (e.g. JSF, JSP)
– Database access (JPA, JDBC)

14. How to spot it
String id = "x'; DROP TABLE members; --"; // user-input
Query query = em.createNativeQuery("SELECT * FROM PHOTO
WHERE ID =" + id, Photo.class);
Query query2 = em.createNativeQuery("SELECT * FROM MAG
WHERE ID ?1", Magazine.class);
query2.setParameter(1, id);

15. Prevent Injection
• Sanitize the input
• Escape/Quotesafe the input
• Use bound parameters (the PREPARE statement)
• Limit database permissions and segregate users
• Use stored procedures for database access (might
work)
• Isolate the webserver
• Configure error reporting

16. A2 - Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)

17. What is it?
• Inject malicious code into user interfaces
• Get access to browser information
– E.g. javascript:alert(document.cookie)
• Steal user’s session, steal sensitive data
• Rewrite web page or parts
• Redirect user to phishing or malware site
• Java EE 6 affected:
– UI technology of choice (e.g. JSF, JSP)

18. How to spot it
• Problems with sanitizing
<h:outputText value="#{user.content}" escape="false"/>
• Weird Input
<a
href="data:text/html;base64,PHNjcmlwdD5hbGVydCgvWFNTLyk8L3NjcmlwdD4=">T
est</a>

19. Prevent
• Sanitize the input
• Escape/Quotesafe the input
• Use Cookie flags:
– httpOnly (prevents XSS access)
https://code.google.com/p/owasp-esapi-java/

20. A3 - Broken Authentication and
Session Management

21. What is it?
• Container Security vs. own solution
• Session Binding / Session Renewal
• Passwords
– Strength (length/complexity)
– Plain text passwords (http/https)
– Recovery mechanisms
• Number of factors used for authentication
• Java EE 6 affected:
– JAAS / JASPIC
– Filter / PhaseListener
– Container and Web-App configuration

22. How to spot it
• Authentication over http
• Custom security filter
• Not using Container Functionality
• No password strength requirements
• No HttpSession binding
• Way of saving Passwords
• Not testing security

23. Best Practices
• Go with provided Standard Realms and
LoginModules whenever possible
• If you need custom ones: Test them extremely
carefully!
• Use transport layer encryption (TLS/SSL)
• Use Cookie flags:
– secure (avoid clear text transmission)

24. A4 – Insecure Direct Object References

25. What is it?
• Accessing domain objects with their PK
https://you.com/user/1 => https://you.com/user/21
• Opening opportunities for intruders
• Information hiding on the client
• Parameter value tampering
• Java EE 6 affected:
– All layers
– Especially data access

26. How to spot it
• Data separation for users (tenants)
• Request mode access for data (RUD)
• Query constraints

27. Best Practices
• Use AccessReferenceMaps
http://app?file=Report123.xls
http://app?file=1
http://app?id=9182374
http://app?id=7d3J93
• Validate object references
• Use data-driven security
• Always Perform additional data authorization
on the view

28. A5 - Cross Site Request Forgery (CSRF)

29. What is it?
• Basically a capture-replay attack
• Malicious code executes functions on your
behalf while being authenticated
• Deep links make this easier
• JavaEE 6 affected:
– UI technology of choice (e.g. JSF, JSP)

30. How to spot it
• A “secret Cookie”
• Only POST requests
• Wizard like transactions
• Simple URL rewriting

31. Best Practices
• Add Unpredictability (tokens)
– Hidden Field, Single-Use URLs
– Request or Session Scope
• CSRFPreventionForm (JSF 1.2 & 2)
http://blog.eisele.net/2011/02/preventing-csrf-with-jsf-20.html
• Use OWASP ESAPI
http://www.jtmelton.com/2010/05/16/the-owasp-top-ten-and-esapi-part-6-cross-
site-request-forgery-csrf/

32. A6 - Security Misconfiguration

33. What is it?
• Applies to
– Operating System
– Application Server
– Databases
– Additional Services
• Includes (beside _many_ others)
– All security relevant configuration
– Missing Patches
– Default accounts

34. Worst Practices
• Not restricting GlassFish user nor enabling
security manager
• Network interfaces/sockets access control
• Relaxed File system access control
• Using any defaults like:
– Passwords: Admin, master password
– Network interface binding: Listening on 0.0.0.0
– Certificates: Self signed certificate
• Using a not hardened OS!

35. Policy Files location
• Global Policy File:
java.home/jre/lib/security/java.policy
• User Policy File: user.home/.java.policy
• Domain Policy File:
domain.home/config/server.policy
• Application Policy File:
domain.home/generated/policy/<app.name>/
<module.name>/granted.policy

36. Running GlassFish in a
Secure Environment
• Use the latest version (3.1.2.2)
• Enable secure admin (TLS/https)
• Use password aliasing
• Enable security manager and put forth a
proper security policy file
• Set correct file system permissions
http://blog.eisele.net/2011/05/securing-your-glassfish-hardening-guide.html
http://docs.oracle.com/cd/E18930_01/html/821-2435/gkscr.html

37. Review the *.policy files
• Policy files precedence order
• Remove unused grants
• Add extra permissions only to applications or
modules that require them, not to all
applications deployed to a domain.
• Document your changes!

38. A7 - Failure to Restrict URL Access

39. What is it?
• Presentation layer access control
• Related to A4 – Insecure Direct Object
References

40. Worst Practice
• Using home-grown security features instead
of container provided ones
• Assuming people wont know some URLs to try
them
• Assuming no one would misuse the extra
permission and access they have

41. Java EE 6
• What you do to prevent, A4 plus:
– Use Container security (security-constraint)
– Use programmatic login of Java EE 6 if needed.
– Properly configure security realms
– Accurately map roles to principal/groups (auth-
constraint / security-role-mapping)
– Only allow supported/required HTTP methods
– Accurately Categorize the URL patterns and permit
the relevant roles for each

42. Best Practices
• Any none public URL should be protected
• Use container authentication/authorization
features or extend on top of them
• If not enough use proven frameworks/
products to protect the resources
• If user can get /getpic?id=1x118uf it does not
mean you should show /getpic?id=1x22ug

43. A8 - Insecure Cryptographic Storage

44. What is it?
• Sensitive data kept unprotected
• Sensitive data exposed to wrong persons
• Could be:
– Passwords
– Financial/Health care data
– Credit cards

45. Worst Practices
• Storing sensitive data unencrypted
• Storing comparative data unhashed
(passwords/security question answer…)
• Keeping clear text copies of encrypted data
• Not keeping the keys/passwords well guarded

46. GlassFish
• Protect the keystore
• Protect GlassFish accounts
– Use aliasing to protect the password and keep the
master password safe to protect the aliases
• Ignoring digest authentication/hashed
password storage

47. Prevention
• Identify sensitive data
• Wisely encrypt sensitive data
– On every level (application, appserver, db)
– with the right algorithm and
– with the right mechanism
• Don’t keep clear text copies
• To decrypt and view clear text should be restricted to
authorized personnel
• Keep the keys as protected as possible (HSM)
• Keep offsite encrypted backups in addition to on-site
copies

48. A9- Insufficient Transport Layer Protection

49. What is it?

50. Worst Practice
• Using basic/form authentication without SSL
• Not using HTTPS for pages with private
information
• Using default self signed certificate
• Storing unencrypted cookies
• Not setting cookies to be securely transmitted
Cookie.setSecure(true)
• Forgetting about the rest of the
infrastructure

51. GlassFish
• Properly configure HTTPS listener/s (set the
right keystore)
• Install the right server certificates to be used
by SSL listeners
• Properly configure the ORB over SSL listeners
if needed (set the right keystore)
• Enable auditing under Security and access log
under HTTP Service

52. Java EE
• Group the resources in regard to transport
sensitivity using web-resource-collection
• Use user-data-constraint as widely as you
need for data integrity and encryption needs
• Ensure that login/logout pages (in case of
form auth-type) are protected by <transport-
guarantee>CONFIDENTIAL</transport-
guarantee>

53. Best Practice
• Use TLS on all connections with sensitive data
• Individually encrypt messages
• Sign messages before transmission
• Use standard strong algorithms
• Use proven mechanisms when sufficient

54. A10 - Unvalidated Redirects and Forwards

55. What is it?
• Redirecting to another URL computed by user
provided parameters
• Forward to another URL computed by user
provided parameters
http://www.java.net/external?url=http://www.adam-
bien.com/roller/abien/entry/conveniently_transactionally_a
nd_legally_starting

56. Worst Practices
• Not using a proper access control mechanism
(e.g container managed and proper security-
constraint )
• Redirecting to a user provided parameter, e.g
to an external website
• Not to validate/verify the target with user’s
access level before doing the forward

57. Java EE 6
• Don’t use redirect or forward as much as possible
• Accurately verify/validate the target URL before
forwarding or redirecting
• Redirects are safe when using container managed
authentication/authorization properly
• Forwards happen without authentication and
thus requires triple check to prevent
unauthorized access.

58. WRAP-UP

59. Galleria Wrap Up

60. Security isn‘t all candy..
… but you will love it in the end!

61. CC picture reference
• http://www.flickr.com/photos/wallyg/2439494447/sizes/l/in/photostream/
• http://www.flickr.com/photos/62983199@N04/7188112487/sizes/l/in/photostream/
• http://www.flickr.com/photos/stuckincustoms/3466470709/sizes/l/in/photostream/
• http://www.flickr.com/photos/lukemontague/187987292/sizes/l/in/photostream/
• http://www.flickr.com/photos/082007/7108942911/sizes/l/in/photostream/
• http://www.flickr.com/photos/ndrwfgg/140411433/sizes/l/in/photostream/
• http://www.flickr.com/photos/gingerblokey/4130969725/sizes/l/in/photostream/
• http://www.flickr.com/photos/bpc009/3328427457/sizes/l/in/photostream/
• http://www.flickr.com/photos/marine_corps/6950409157/sizes/l/in/photostream/
• http://www.flickr.com/photos/cindy47452/2898015652/sizes/l/in/photostream/