Fix (APAR):  PK35646

Status:  Fix

Release:  6.1.0.3

Operating System:  AIX,HP-UX,i5/OS,Linux,Linux pSeries,Linux Red Hat - pSeries,Linux zSeries,OS/390,OS/400,Solaris,Windows,z/OS

Supersedes Fixes:  

CMVC Defect:  xxxxxx

Byte size of APAR:  19733

Date: 2006-12-13

Abstract:  Even if a target URL isn't protected, Web clients receive a "WASPostParam" cookie, which is a temporally cookie for storing POST parameters.

Description/symptom of problem:  
PK35646 resolves the following problem:

ERROR DESCRIPTION:                                              
When using WebSphere 6.1.0.3 with security enabled to serve an  
application that does a JAAS login a browser will return code   
302 because the WASPostParam cookie is too large and exceedes   
the 4K cookie limit.                                            
Note: This only happens when "Use available authentication      
      data when an unprotected URI is accessed" is enabled.     

LOCAL FIX:                                                      
Don't set "Use available authentication data when an unprotected
URI is accessed" option.                                        

PROBLEM SUMMARY

USERS AFFECTED:
WebSphere Application Server (Version
6.1.0.3 or newer releases) users who enable
Administrative Security

PROBLEM DESCRIPTION:
Even if a target URL isn't protected,
Web clients receive a "WASPostParam"
cookie, which is a temporally cookie
for storing POST parameters.

RECOMMENDATION:
None

When "Use available authentication data when an unprotected
URI is accessed" is checked, and FORM login is set as the
authentication method, during the authentication procedure of
a POST request, a WASPostParam cookie is generated regardless
of whether the target URL is protected or not.
As a result, with an HTTP response, WebSphere Application
Server sends the Web client the cookie which isn't necessary.
This issue may be a cause of unexpected browser behavior when
the security code generates this cookie if the size is
larger than some browsers limitation.

Setting the security custom property
"com.ibm.websphere.security.util.postParamMaxCookieSize =
3000" is a workaround to prevent generating a large size
cookie.

PROBLEM CONCLUSION:                                             
With this fix, the security code stopped generating the         
cookie if a URL is unprotected.                                 
                                                                
The fix for this APAR is currently targeted for inclusion in    
fixpack 6.1.0.7. Please refer to the Recommended Updates page   
for delivery information:                                       
http://www-1.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=swg27004980        


Directions to apply fix:  
NOTE: Choose the:
1) Release the fix applies to
2) The Editions that apply
3) Delete the Editions & Methods that do not apply and this Note

Fix applies to Editions:
Release 6.1
_X_ Application Server (Express or BASE)
_X_ Network Deployment (ND)
__ WebSphere Business Integration Server Foundation (WBISF)
__ Edge Components
__ Developer
__ Extended Deployment (XD)

Install Fix to:
Method:
__ Application Server Nodes
__ Deployment Manager Nodes
_X_ Both

NOTE:
The user must:
* Have Administrative rights in Windows, or be the Actual Root User in a UNIX environments.
* Logged in with the same authority level when unpacking a fix, fix pack or refresh pack.
* Be at V6.0.2.2 or newer of the Update Installer. This can be checked by reviewing the level of the Update Installer in file <was_root>/updateinstaller/version.txt.

The Update Installer can be downloaded from the following link:
http://www.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?rs=180&uid=swg21205991

For detailed instructions to Extract the Update Installer see the following Technote:
http://www-1.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?rs=180&uid=swg21205400

1) Copy PKxxxxx.pak file directly to the maintenance directory

2) Shutdown WebSphere
Manually execute setupCmdLine.bat in Windows or . ./setupCmdLine.sh in Unix from the WebSphere instance that maintenance is being applied to.

3) Launch Update Installer

4) Enter the installation location of the WebSphere product you want to update.

5) Select the "Install maintenance package" operation.

6) Enter the file name of the maintenance package to install (PKxxxxx.pak file which was copied in the maintenance directory).

7) Install the maintenance package.

8) Restart WebSphere



Directions to remove fix:  
NOTE:
* The user must have Administrative rights in Windows, or be the Actual Root User in a UNIX environments.
* FIXES MUST BE REMOVED IN THE ORDER THEY WERE APPLIED
* DO NOT REMOVE A FIX UNLESS ALL FIXES APPLIED AFTER IT HAVE FIRST BEEN REMOVED
* YOU MAY REAPPLY ANY REMOVED FIX

Example: If your system has fix1, fix2, and fix3 applied in that order and fix2 is to be removed, fix3 must be removed first, fix2 removed, and fix3 re-applied.

1) Shutdown WebSphere
Manually execute setupCmdLine.bat in Windows or . ./setupCmdLine.sh in Unix from the WebSphere instance that uninstall is being run against.

2) Start Update Installer

3) Enter the installation location of the WebSphere product you want to remove the fix.

4) Select  "Uninstall maintenance package" operation.

5) Enter the file name of the maintenance package to uninstall (PKxxxxx.pak).

6) UnInstall maintenance package.

7) Restart WebSphere



Directions to re-apply fix:  
1) Shutdown WebSphere.

2) Follow the Fix instructions to apply the fix.

3) Restart WebSphere.





Additional Information: