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Status Functionality already exists
Created by Guest
Created on Mar 8, 2019

VET Change Websphere security configuration to allow non-Security Admin managers to generate heapdump/javacore/core files

Websphere 8.0 introduced new functionality that allows administrators to generate heapdumps/system dump/java cores on demand.
This is very useful for administrators investigating particular problem types.

The default Websphere configuration means that these options are only available to administrators with the following role:
Admin Security Manager

This role gives a number of other security related abilities that our customers are unhappy to give to administrators.
This RFE is to request that these options are granted to the following roles:
- Operator
- Administrator

An alternative to this would be to create a new role and grant the access to that role:
- Troubleshooter

There is a risk that making it easier to generate these will make it easier to obtain contain confidential information e.g. by generating a system dump and analysing that.
This should not be a major concern for the following reasons:
1. The tools/knowledge to successfully analyse a heapdump are not wide spread – there are articles on how to do it but someone analysing a dump would need detailed knowledge of the structures in the heap to be able to find/extract the key information
2. In a default configuration any dumps would be generated onto the Websphere server so they would be protected by server level access restrictions

If this is implemented then please deploy it to version 8 and 9 because Maximo installations can use both versions.

Idea priority High
RFE ID 130755
RFE URL
RFE Product WebSphere Application Server
  • Admin
    Alasdair Nottingham
    Reply
    |
    Jul 25, 2022

    Hi Mark,

    Using WebSphere Application SErver 9.0.5.12j I performed the following steps with success, this was on a test system WebSphere base using file based user registry:

    1. Log in using Primary Admin User

    2. Navigate Users and Groups > Manage Users

    3. Click Create

    4. Enter user id, first name, last name of operator

    5. Provide password

    6. Click Create

    7. Navigate Users and Groups > Adminstrative user roles

    8. Click Add

    9. Select Operator

    10. Enter operator as Search string

    11. Click Search

    12. Select operator from Available list

    13. Click right arrow so it appears in Mapped to role list

    14. Click Ok

    15. Save configuration

    16. Logout

    17. Login as operator

    18. Navigate Troubleshooting > Java dumps and cores

    19. Select server

    20. Click Java Core

    After this the Java Core was created.

  • Guest
    Reply
    |
    Jul 21, 2022

    Hi Alasdair,

    I appreciate what the MBean documentation says but when I have tried to generate these dumps from the WAS console I could not do it unless I granted the Admin Security Manager role to the user that I was logged in as.


    I'm happy to have a webex to demonstrate this in theh WAS console.

    best regards,

    Mark

  • Admin
    Alasdair Nottingham
    Reply
    |
    Jul 21, 2022

    The ability to create a heapdump, systemdump or Java Core makes use of the JVM MBean. The documentation for the MBean documents the roles that enable it and AdminSecurityManager is not required, either Operator or Administrator is provided. Any user with Operator access or above can perform this function.

  • Guest
    Reply
    |
    Jul 21, 2022

    Hi. please provide some instructions about how to see/use this functionality for a user account that does NOT have the Admin Security Manager role.


    Thanks Mark