Deploying AcuSensor for JAVA - Linux (WebSphere 18.0.0.3 + WAR file)

The following article shows you how you can run a Java application in WebSphere and then use AcuSensor to run an interactive application security testing (IAST) scan for that application.

🔍 Environment Notes

  • This document was tested running WebSphere on Ubuntu 18.04.1 with Java version 1.8.0_181
  • This document assumes WebSphere is installed in /opt/wlp

Step 1: Prepare an Example Application Using Eclipse IDE

PreRequisites

  • Install JAVA
  • Install Eclipse IDE for Enterprise JAVA and Web Developers
  • Install Eclipse Extensions from "Web, XML, Java EE and OSGI Enterprise Development":
  • Eclipse Java EE Developer Tools
  • Eclipse Java Web Developer Tools
  • Eclipse Web Developer Tools
  • JST Server Adapters Extensions (Apache Tomcat)

Create your Application

  • Go to the menu item File → New → Project

  • In the New Project wizard, search for and select the Dynamic Web Project option and click on the Next button

  • Set the Project name field to axexample-java
  • Set the Target runtime field to Apache Tomcat v8.5
  • Set the Dynamic web module version field to 3.1
  • Set the Configuration field to Default Configuration for Apache Tomcat v8.5
  • Click on the Next button

  • In the Java window, leave default settings and click on the Next button

  • In the Web Module window, enable the Generate web.xml option and click the Finish button

  • In the Open Associated Perspective? dialog, click on the No button
  • Expand the axexample-java project
  • Right-click on the src folder
  • Select the New → Other option

  • Highlight the Servlet option
  • Click on the Next > button

  • Set the Java package field to com.mytest.axexample
  • Set the Class name field to axExampleJavaServlet
  • Click on the Finish button
  • Edit the contents of the axExampleJavaServlet.java file to read as follows:

package com.mytest.axexample;

import java.io.IOException;

import java.io.PrintWriter;

import javax.servlet.ServletException;

import javax.servlet.annotation.WebServlet;

import javax.servlet.http.HttpServlet;

import javax.servlet.http.HttpServletRequest;

import javax.servlet.http.HttpServletResponse;

/**

 * Servlet implementation class HelloWorldServlet

 */

@WebServlet("/axExampleJavaServlet")

public class axExampleJavaServlet extends HttpServlet {

        private static final long serialVersionUID = 1L;

       

    /**

     * @see HttpServlet#HttpServlet()

     */

    public axExampleJavaServlet() {

        super();

        // TODO Auto-generated constructor stub

    }

        /**

         * @see HttpServlet#doGet(HttpServletRequest request, HttpServletResponse response)

         */

        protected void doGet(HttpServletRequest request, HttpServletResponse response) throws ServletException, IOException {

                PrintWriter out = response.getWriter();

                out.print("<html><body><h1>Test JAVA Site Example for WebSphere</h1><br>Welcome to the main page.<br></body></html>");

        }

        /**

         * @see HttpServlet#doPost(HttpServletRequest request, HttpServletResponse response)

         */

        protected void doPost(HttpServletRequest request, HttpServletResponse response) throws ServletException, IOException {

                // TODO Auto-generated method stub

                doGet(request, response);

        }

}

  • Expand the axexample-java project, right click on the axexample-java/src/main/webapp folder, and select the New → File option

  • Set the filename to index.html and click on the Finish button
  • Edit the contents of the index.html file to read as follows:

<html>

  <head>

    <title>Test JAVA Site Example for WebSphere</title>

  </head>

  <body>

    <h1>Test JAVA Site Example for WebSphere</h1><br/><br/>

    <a href="axExampleJavaServlet">Click here to invoke servlet</a>

  </body>

</html>

  • Make sure that the changes to both new files are saved
  • Right-click on the axexample-java project, click on the Export… option, search for the WAR file option, and select it

  • Click on the Next > button and select a Destination for your exported WAR file

  • Ensure that the filename for your export file is axexample-java.war
  • Click on the Finish button

Step 2: Prepare AcuSensor for Java

We will deploy the test application to the following URL: http://websphere-backend-proto.invicti.site:9080/axexample-java/ (in a production environment, you will need to change this to the hostname you will use for your deployment)

  • Create a new target for your URL
  • Download AcuSensor for Java from the Acunetix UI and retain the AcuSensor.jar file for the next step
  • On the WebSphere machine:
  • Create a root folder /acusensor
  • Copy the AcuSensor.jar file to /acusensor/AcuSensor.jar

Step 3: Prepare a folder for the AspectJWeaver component

On the WebSphere machine:

Step 4: Deploy AcuSensor and required components

On the WebSphere machine:

  • Create a file /opt/wlp/usr/servers/defaultServer/jvm.options, and set the contents as follows:

-javaagent:/aspectjweaver/aspectjweaver-1.9.7.jar

-Dacusensor.debug.log=ON

  • Edit the file /opt/wlp/usr/servers/defaultServer/server.xml, and just before the closing </server> tag, add the following:

  <library id="global">

    <fileset dir="/acusensor/" includes="AcuSensor.jar" />

  </library>

Step 5: Deploy your application

  • Copy your axexample-java.war file into the /opt/wlp/usr/servers/defaultServer/dropins folder

Step 6: Start your WebSphere server

  • From the terminal, restart WebSphere with:

/opt/wlp/bin/server stop

/opt/wlp/bin/server start

Test and scan your web application

Point your browser to your web application to confirm it is running as intended; you will get the following:

Finally, run a scan on your target; the Activity panel will confirm that AcuSensor was detected and used for the scan.

 

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