java-spiffe/java-spiffe-provider

Java SPIFFE Provider

This module provides a Java Security Provider implementation supporting X509-SVIDs and methods for creating SSLContexts that are backed by the Workload API.

Create an SSL Context backed by the Workload API

To create an SSL Context that uses a X509Source backed by the WorkloadAPI, having the environment variable SPIFFE_ENDPOINT_SOCKET defined with the WorkloadAPI endpoint address, and the ssl.spiffe.accept Security property defined in the java.security containing the list of SPIFFE IDs that the current workload will trust for TLS connections.

    val sslContextOptions = SslContextOptions
            .builder()
            .x509Source(x509Source.newSource()())
            .build();
    SSLContext sslContext = SpiffeSslContextFactory.getSslContext(sslContextOptions);

See HttpsServer example.

Alternatively, a different Workload API address can be used by passing it to the X509Source creation method, and the Supplier of accepted SPIFFE IDs list can be provided as part of the SslContextOptions:

    val sourceOptions = X509SourceOptions
            .builder()
            .spiffeSocketPath(spiffeSocket)
            .build();
    val x509Source = X509Source.newSource(sourceOptions);

    SslContextOptions sslContextOptions = SslContextOptions
            .builder()
            .acceptedSpiffeIdsSupplier(acceptedSpiffeIdsListSupplier)
            .x509Source(x509Source())
            .build();
    SSLContext sslContext = SpiffeSslContextFactory.getSslContext(sslContextOptions);

See HttpsClient example that defines a Supplier for providing the list of SPIFFE IDs from a file.

Plug Java SPIFFE Provider into Java Security

Java Security Providers are configured in the master security properties file <java-home>/jre/lib/security/java.security.

The way to register a provider is to specify the Provider subclass name and priority in the format

security.provider.<n>=<className>

This declares a provider, and specifies its preference order n.

Copy the JAR to the JVM extensions

For installing the JAR file containing the provider classes as a bundled extension in the java platform, copy build/libs/spiffe-provider--all.jar to /jre/lib/ext

Register the SPIFFE Provider

You can extend and override the master security properties file.

Create a file java.security with the following content:

# Add the spiffe provider, change the <n> for the correct consecutive number
security.provider.<n>=spiffe.provider.SpiffeProvider

# Configure the default KeyManager and TrustManager factory algorithms 
ssl.KeyManagerFactory.algorithm=Spiffe
ssl.TrustManagerFactory.algorithm=Spiffe

# The list of spiffeIDs that will be authorized
ssl.spiffe.accept=spiffe://example.org/workload, spiffe://example.org/workload2, spiffe://example2.org/workload

In your java.security file:

• replace <n> following the order of the # List of Providers in the master file.

• replace the value of the custom property ssl.spiffe.accept with the Spiffe IDs of the workloads that are allowed to connect. If the property is not present or if it's empty, any spiffe id will be authorized.

To pass your custom security properties file through the command line via system property when starting the JVM:

-Djava.security.properties=<path to java.security>

The properties defined in your custom properties file will override the properties in the master file.

Configure Workload API Socket Endpoint

The socket endpoint can be configured defining an environment variable named SPIFFE_ENDPOINT_SOCKET:

export SPIFFE_ENDPOINT_SOCKET=/tmp/agent.sock

Use Cases

Configure a Tomcat connector

Prerequisite: Having the SPIFFE Provided configured through the java.security.

A Tomcat TLS connector that uses the Spiffe KeyStore can be configured as follows:

<Connector
            protocol="org.apache.coyote.http11.Http11NioProtocol"
            port="8443" maxThreads="200"
            scheme="https" secure="true" SSLEnabled="true"
            keystoreFile="" keystorePass=""
            keystoreType="Spiffe"
            clientAuth="true" sslProtocol="TLS"/>

Create mTLS GRPC server and client

Prerequisite: Having the SPIFFE Provided configured through the java.security.

A GRPC Server using a SSL context backed by the Workload API:

    KeyManagerFactory keyManagerFactory = KeyManagerFactory.getInstance(SpiffeProviderConstants.ALGORITHM, SpiffeProviderConstants.PROVIDER_NAME);
    TrustManagerFactory trustManagerFactory = TrustManagerFactory.getInstance(SpiffeProviderConstants.ALGORITHM, SpiffeProviderConstants.PROVIDER_NAME);

    SslContextBuilder sslContextBuilder =
            SslContextBuilder
                    .forServer(keyManagerFactory)
                    .trustManager(trustManagerFactory);

    Server server = NettyServerBuilder.forPort(9000)
            .sslContext(GrpcSslContexts.configure(sslContextBuilder)
                    .clientAuth(ClientAuth.REQUIRE)
                    .build())
            .build();

    server.start();

The following alternative does not need the configuration through the java.security.

The SpiffeKeyManager and SpiffeTrustManager can be created without resorting to factories, providing the constructors with a X509Source instance.

    // create a new X509 source using the default socket endpoint address
    X509Source x509Source = X509Source.newSource();
    KeyManager keyManager = new SpiffeKeyManager(x509Source);

    // TrustManager gets the X509Source and the supplier of the list of accepted SPIFFE IDs.
    TrustManager trustManager = new SpiffeTrustManager(x509Source, () -> SpiffeIdUtils.toListOfSpiffeIds("spiffe://example.org/workload-client", ','));

    SslContextBuilder sslContextBuilder =
            SslContextBuilder
            .forServer(keyManager)
            .trustManager(trustManager);

    Server server = NettyServerBuilder.forPort(9000)
            .addService(new GreetingServiceImpl())
            .sslContext(GrpcSslContexts.configure(sslContextBuilder)
                    .clientAuth(ClientAuth.REQUIRE)
                    .build())
            .build();

For the client, a ManagedChannel would be created using the SpiffeKeyManager and SpiffeTrustManager for configuring the GRPC SSL context, analogous to the config for the Server:

    X509Source x509Source = X509Source.newSource();
    KeyManager keyManager = new SpiffeKeyManager(x509Source);
    TrustManager trustManager = new SpiffeTrustManager(x509Source, () -> SpiffeIdUtils.toListOfSpiffeIds("spiffe://example.org/workload-server", ','));

    SslContextBuilder sslContextBuilder = SslContextBuilder
            .forClient()
            .trustManager(trustManager)
            .keyManager(keyManager)
            .clientAuth(ClientAuth.REQUIRE);
    
    ManagedChannel channel = NettyChannelBuilder.forAddress("localhost", 9000)
            .sslContext(GrpcSslContexts.configure(sslContextBuilder).build())
            .build();

References

How to Implement a Provider in the Java Cryptography Architecture

Java PKI Programmer's Guide