IBM SDK for Linux (all platforms), Java 2 Technology Edition, Version 1.4.1; Security Guide


Copyright information

Note: Before using this information and the product it supports, be sure to read the general information under Notices.

This edition of the User Guide applies to iKeyman, Java Authentication and Authorization Service (JAAS) v2.0, Java Certification Path (CertPath) v1.0, Java Cryptography Extension (JCE), Java Generic Security Service (JGSS) v1.0, and Java Secure Socket Extension (JSSE) v1.0.3, and to all subsequent releases and modifications until otherwise indicated in new editions.

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(c) Copyright International Business Machines Corporation, 1999, 2003. All rights reserved.

U.S. Government Users Restricted Rights - Use, duplication or disclosure restricted by GSA ADP Schedule Contract with IBM Corp.

Preface

The Java security configuration file does not refer to the Sun provider. The IBM(R) JCE provider has replaced the Sun provider. The JCE supplies all the signature handling message digest algorithms that were previously supplied by the Sun provider, excluding the secure random number generator, SHA1PRNG, which has been replaced by IBM's secure random number generator, IBMSecureRandom.

In the IBM 32-bit SDK for Linux, v1.4.1, new options have been added to the java.security.debug property to help you debug Java Cryptography Architecture (JCA)-related problems. The new options are:

An example of a valid option string is "provider, algorithm:stack".

In this release, the security components described in this document are shipped with the SDK instead of as optional extensions.

Contents

Copyright information
Preface
iKeyman tool
What's new?
Documentation
Java Authentication and Authorization Service (JAAS) V2.0 for Linux
Differences between IBM and Sun versions of JAAS
Notes for the IBM 32-bit SDK for Linux on Intel architecture
Documentation
Java Certification Path (CertPath)
Differences between IBM and Sun versions of CertPath
What's new?
Documentation
Java Cryptography Extension (JCE)
Differences between IBM and Sun versions of JCE
What's new?
Documentation
Java Generic Security Service (JGSS)
Differences between IBM and Sun versions of JGSS
What's new?
Documentation
Java Secure Socket Extension (JSSE)
Differences between IBM and Sun versions of JSSE
What's new?
Documentation
Anonymous ciphers
Using hardware cryptographic adapters with JSSE (zSeries only)
Notices
Trademarks

iKeyman tool

The iKeyman utility is a tool for managing your digital certificates. With iKeyman, you can:

The iKeyman utility allows you to store and retrieve keys and certificates to an installed cryptographic adapter . To access the adapter:

  1. Start iKeyman.
  2. If necessary, add the com.ibm.crypto.pkcs11.provider.IBMPKCS11 provider to the list of available providers, by clicking the blue man button in the GUI. (zSeries only).
  3. Open a database.
    1. Select fileOpen -> Cryptographic Token.
    2. Specify the location and name of the dll.
    3. Specify the slot number.
    4. Enter the password.

What's new?

An iKeyman wrapper that invokes the correct tool class.

Documentation

Go to http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/java/jdk/security/index.html to download the file iKeymanDocs.zip that contains the iKeyman documentation.

Table 1. Contents of iKeymanDocs.zip
File Contains
ikmuserguide.pdf iKeyman User Guide

Java Authentication and Authorization Service (JAAS) V2.0 for Linux

The Java(TM) 2 platform provides a means to enforce access controls based on where code came from and who signed it. These access controls are needed because of the distributed nature of the Java platform where, for example, a remote applet can be downloaded over a public network and then run locally.

However, before 1.4.0, the Java 2 platform did not provide a way to enforce similar access controls based on who runs the code. To provide this type of access control, the Java 2 security architecture requires the following:

The Java Authentication and Authorization Service (JAAS) framework provides these enhancements.

For a general overview of JAAS, see the Sun Web site: http://java.sun.com/products/jaas.

Differences between IBM and Sun versions of JAAS

The IBM(R) version of JAAS for Linux differs from the Sun version of JAAS in the following way:

Notes for the IBM 32-bit SDK for Linux on Intel architecture

The original release of JAAS for Linux and the Java 2 Platform included the following login module and principal classes:

These original platform-dependent principal classes will be replaced by a set of platform-independent principal classes in future releases of JAAS for Linux. To ease migration, this version of JAAS contains both the original set and the new set of principal classes. Also included is a new login module called com.ibm.security.auth.module.LinuxLoginModule2000. This new login module parallels LinuxLoginModule in functionality, but references the new set of principals. Additional principal classes have been included to facilitate the writing of new login modules.

You are encouraged to use the new set of principals when developing applications that use JAAS. Previously developed applications will be compatible with this version and future versions of JAAS released for the Developer Kit version 1.4.0.

If you migrate applications to the new set of principals, most of the changes you will encounter will be in JAAS policy and configuration files rather than in the applications. Refer to the following table for more information.

Table 2. New Principal class names
Original Class Replaced by
LinuxPrincipal UsernamePrincipal
LinuxNumericGroupPrincipal GroupIDPrincipal 
PrimaryGroupIDPrincipal
LinuxNumericUserPrincipal UserIDPrincipal
n/a DomainPrincipal
n/a DomainIDPrincipal
n/a ServerPrincipal
n/a WkstationPrincipal
LinuxLoginModule LinuxLoginModule2000

Principal classes are found in the com.ibm.security.auth package. The login module is found in the com.ibm.security.auth.module package. Check the JAAS API documentation (javadocs) for more information on the new principal classes.

For example, this JAAS policy grant block:

grant Principal com.ibm.security.auth.LinuxPrincipal "bob",
      Principal com.ibm.security.auth.LinuxNumericUserPrincipal 
            "727",
      Principal com.ibm.security.auth.LinuxNumericGroupPrincipal
            "12" {
   permission java.util.PropertyPermission "java.home", "read";
};

would be replaced by:

grant Principal com.ibm.security.auth.UsernamePrincipal "bob",
      Principal com.ibm.security.auth.UserIDPrincipal "727",
      Principal com.ibm.security.auth.GroupIDPrincipal "12" {
   permission java.util.PropertyPermission "java.home", "read";
};

Documentation

To use the JAAS APIs, download the JaasDocs.jar file from the developerWorks Web site, at http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/java/jdk/security/index.html, and expand the file. The files that are extracted contain the following information:

Table 3. Information in the compressed files
File Contains
api.html JAAS API reference guide
login.html Authentication module reference guide
HelloWorld.tar Sample Code
apidocs/index.html JAAS API information generated by javadoc

Java Certification Path (CertPath)

The Java Certification Path API provides interfaces and abstract classes for creating, building, and validating certification paths (also known as "certificate chains").

Differences between IBM and Sun versions of CertPath

The IBM CertPath classes differ from the Sun version in the following ways:

What's new?

There is nothing new in 1.4.1 over 1.4.0. However, the following changes were added in 1.4.0:

Documentation

For detailed information, including API documentation and samples, see the developerWorks Web site, at http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/java/jdk/security/index.html. Download and expand the file certpathDocs.zip.

Table 4. Contents of certpathDocs.zip
File Contains
samples/ Sample source code
API_users_guide.html API user guide

Java Cryptography Extension (JCE)

The Java Cryptography Extension (JCE) provides a framework and implementations for encryption, key generation and key agreement, and Message Authentication Code (MAC) algorithms. Support for encryption includes symmetric, asymmetric, block, and stream ciphers. The software also supports secure streams and sealed objects. JCE supplements the Java 2 platform, which already includes interfaces and implementations of message digests and digital signatures.

You can obtain unrestricted jurisdiction policy files from http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/java/jdk/security/index.html

Differences between IBM and Sun versions of JCE

The com.sun.* packages are reimplemented by IBM and renamed com.ibm.* packages.

The IBM version of JCE differs from the Sun version in the following ways:

What's new?

There are no changes in v1.4.1 from v1.4.0.

The following items were new in v1.4.0:

Documentation

For detailed information, including API documentation and samples, see the developerWorks Web site at http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/java/jdk/security/index.html. Download and expand the file jceDocs.zip.

Table 5. Contents of jceDocs.zip
File Contains
api/ JCE API reference guide
samples/ JCE sample source code
api_users_guide.html JCE reference guide
CryptoSpec.html JCA reference guide
HowToImplAProvider.html Guide to implementing a JCE provider
JCEAlgorithms.java Utility program to list all supported JCE algorithms and aliases
MyProvider.java Example provider source file

Java Generic Security Service (JGSS)

The Java Generic Security Service (JGSS) API provides secure exchange of messages between communicating applications.

The JGSS is an API framework that has Kerberos V5 as the underlying default security mechanism. The API is a standardized abstract interface under which you can plug different security mechanisms that are based on private-key, public-key, and other security technologies. JGSS shields secure applications from the complexities and peculiarities of the different underlying security mechanisms. JGSS provides identity and message origin authentication, message integrity, and message confidentiality. JGSS also features an optional Java Authentication and Authorization Service (JAAS) Kerberos login interface, and authorization checks. JAAS augments the access control features of Java 2, which is based on CodeSource with access controls based on authenticated principal identities.

Differences between IBM and Sun versions of JGSS

The IBM version of JGSS differs from the Sun version in the following ways:

What's new?

Wrappers have been added for the klist, kinit, and ktab Java tools. These wrappers invoke the relevant tool classes so that you do not have to remember the full package name.

Documentation

For detailed information about JGSS, including API documentation and samples, see the developerWorks Web site, at http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/java/jdk/security/index.html. Download and expand the file jgssDocs.zip.

Table 6. Contents of jgssDocs.zip
File Contains
api/ JGSS API reference guide
samples/ JGSS Sample source code
developers_guide.jgss.ibm.html JGSS Developers reference guide
users_guide.jgss.ibm.html JGSS User guide

Java Secure Socket Extension (JSSE)

The Java Secure Socket Extension (JSSE) is a Java package that enables secure Internet communications. It implements a Java version of SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) and TLS (Transport Layer Security) protocols and includes functions for data encryption, server authentication, message integrity, and optional client authentication.

By abstracting the complex underlying security algorithms and "handshaking" mechanisms, JSSE minimizes the risk of creating subtle but dangerous security vulnerabilities. Also, it simplifies application development by serving as a building block that you can integrate directly into your applications. Using JSSE, you can provide for the secure passage of data between a client and a server running any application protocol (such as HTTP, Telnet, NNTP, and FTP) over TCP/IP.

Differences between IBM and Sun versions of JSSE

The IBM version of JSSE differs from the Sun version in the following ways:

What's new?

There are no changes in v1.4.1 from v1.4.0.

The following changes were added in v1.4.0:

Documentation

For detailed information, including API documentation and samples, see the developerWorks Web site, at http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/java/jdk/security/index.html. Download and expand the file JSSEDocs.jar.

Table 7. Contents of the JSSEDocs.jar.
File Contains
api/ JSSE API reference guide
samples/ JSSE Sample source code
JSSERefGuide.html JSSE Reference guide

Anonymous ciphers

The IBM JSSE Provider default implementation does not allow anonymous ciphers. However, someone can override the default implementation, by writing a special TrustManager that allows anonymous ciphers.

Using hardware cryptographic adapters with JSSE (zSeries only)

In a user application you can use a hardware token (that is, hardware cryptographic adapter), for Trusted Certs or Private Certs, in a user application by specifying the token type "PKCS#11" and token library name in a call to the com.ibm.jsse.SSLContext class init method:

public final void init(java.lang.String tokenType,
                       java.lang.String token,
                       java.lang.String password)
                throws java.security.KeyManagementException

For example:

SSLContext context = ...;
context.init("PKCS#11", "/usr/lib/pkcs11/PKCS_11.so ", "password");

To specify a specific slot, the slot number should be specified at the end of the token. For example, using slot # 2:

SSLContext context = ...;
context.init("PKCS#11", "/usr/lib/pkcs11/PKCS_11.so:2", "password");

Notices

This information was developed for products and services offered in the U.S.A. IBM may not offer the products, services, or features discussed in this document in other countries. Consult your local IBM representative for information on the products and services currently available in your area. Any reference to an IBM product, program, or service is not intended to state or imply that only that IBM product, program, or service may be used. Any functionally equivalent product, program, or service that does not infringe any IBM intellectual property right may be used instead. However, it is the user's responsibility to evaluate and verify the operation of any non-IBM product, program, or service.

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This information could include technical inaccuracies or typographical errors. Changes are periodically made to the information herein; these changes will be incorporated in new editions of the information. IBM may make improvements and/or changes in the product(s) and/or the program(s) described in this information at any time without notice.

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Trademarks

IBM is a trademark of International Business Machines Corporation in the United States, or other countries, or both.

Java and all Java-based trademarks and logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of Sun Microsystems, Inc. in the United States, other countries, or both.

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