Deploying the AcuSensor agent for JAVA - Ubuntu Linux

Acunetix JAVA Acusensor requires Tomcat (7+) and Java (1.7+). Current testing is with Tomcat 9 and Java 1.8.

The AcuSensor agent will need to be deployed to your web application. This section describes how to deploy AcuSensor to a JAVA web application.

The Java AcuSensor requires:

• Deploying aspectjweaver.jar into your web server - provides the integration required for AcuSensor to work with your application
• Deploying the Acunetix Java AcuSensor into your web server - this is unique for each Target, and can be downloaded by using the Download JAVA AcuSensor button
• Configuring your web server to use Load Time Weaving (AspectJWeaver)

Assumptions for this document

Note: This document assumes that you will be using regular repositories for Ubuntu Linux.

Deploying AspectJWeaver into your web application

• Run the following command:

Deploying AcuSensor into your web application

• Download the Acunetix JAVA AcuSensor from the Acunetix UI

AcuSensor for a specific web application on the web server (Recommended)

• Copy the Acunetix JAVA AcuSensor (AcuSensor.jar) to /var/lib/tomcat9/webapps/<your_app_folder>/WEB-INF/lib

AcuSensor for all web applications on the web server

• Copy the Acunetix JAVA AcuSensor (AcuSensor.jar) to /usr/share/tomcat9/lib
• You will need to adjust your AcuSensor password to use a single AcuSensor for the entire web server - more information here.
• Note that deploying AcuSensor for all web applications on the web server can have a performance hit

Configure Tomcat to use AspectJWeaver and AcuSensor

• Launch Tomcat with Load Time Weaving enabled. This can be done by adding a -javaagent parameter with the path to aspectjweaver.jar when launching Tomcat, and optionally a parameter to enable AcuSensor debug logging

1. For Ubuntu 20.04.1 where Tomcat 9 was installed using the regular Ubuntu repositories to install tomcat and needed components (sudo apt install tomcat9 libaspectj-java), you will need to add 2 parameters into the Tomcat setenv.sh script (normally you will be creating a new file):

1. run the command: sudo nano /usr/share/tomcat9/bin/setenv.sh
2. at the end of the file, add the line: JAVA_OPTS="$JAVA_OPTS -javaagent:/usr/share/java/aspectjweaver.jar -Dacusensor.debug.log=ON"
3. save the file
4. run the command: sudo systemctl restart tomcat9

Note: The parameter "-Dacusensor.debug.log=ON" is optional, and can be omitted. If this parameter is retained, this will output AcuSensor logging as additional lines in the Tomcat logs starting with "[Acunetix-debug]".

Disabling and Removing AcuSensor for JAVA

To remove and disable the sensor from your website you need to revert the changes done during the deployment of the Agent.:

• Remove the Acunetix JAVA AcuSensor (AcuSensor.jar) from the folder where it was deployed. In the case of Ubuntu 20.04.1 where Tomcat 9 was installed using the regular Ubuntu repositories to install tomcat and needed components (sudo apt install tomcat9 libaspectj-java), remove the AcuSensor.jar file by running the command: rm /usr/share/tomcat9/lib/AcuSensor.jar
• Remove aspectjweaver.jar by running the command: sudo apt remove libaspectj-java
• Reconfigure Tomcat with Load Time Weaving disabled:

1. Under Ubuntu 20.04.1 this can be done as follows:

1. remove the "JAVA_OPTS" line added earlier in the setenv.sh file
2. run the command: sudo systemctl restart tomcat9

Note: Although the Acunetix AcuSensor agent is secured with a strong password, it is recommended that the AcuSensor client files are uninstalled and removed from the web application if they are no longer in use.