Disable CSRF protection for specific URL pattern in Spring Boot

Question

I use Spring Boot and Spring Security to create my web project. I want to disable CSRF protection for a specific URL pattern to provide API for Android devices.

Using

• How to disable CSRF in Spring Security 4 only for specific URL pattern through XML configuration and
• the first method of Spring Boot: enable the CSRF check selectively only for some requests,

I wrote the following config:

package com.hnu.tutorial.configs;

import org.springframework.boot.autoconfigure.security.SecurityProperties;
import org.springframework.context.annotation.Configuration;
import org.springframework.core.annotation.Order;
import org.springframework.security.config.annotation.method.configuration.EnableGlobalMethodSecurity;
import org.springframework.security.config.annotation.web.builders.HttpSecurity;
import org.springframework.security.config.annotation.web.configuration.WebSecurityConfigurerAdapter;
import org.springframework.security.web.util.matcher.RegexRequestMatcher;
import org.springframework.security.web.util.matcher.RequestMatcher;

import javax.servlet.http.HttpServletRequest;
import java.util.regex.Pattern;

@Configuration
@EnableGlobalMethodSecurity(prePostEnabled = true)
@Order(SecurityProperties.ACCESS_OVERRIDE_ORDER)
public class SecurityConfig extends WebSecurityConfigurerAdapter {

    @Override
    protected void configure(HttpSecurity http) throws Exception {
        CsrfSecurityRequestMatcher crm = new CsrfSecurityRequestMatcher();
        http.csrf().requireCsrfProtectionMatcher(crm).and()
                .authorizeRequests().antMatchers("/**").permitAll().anyRequest().fullyAuthenticated();
//        http.csrf().disable();
    }

    public class CsrfSecurityRequestMatcher implements RequestMatcher {
        private Pattern allowedMethods = Pattern.compile("^(GET|HEAD|TRACE|OPTIONS)$");
        private RegexRequestMatcher unprotectedMatcher = new RegexRequestMatcher("/api/**", null);

        @Override
        public boolean matches(HttpServletRequest request) {
            if(allowedMethods.matcher(request.getMethod()).matches()){
                return false;
            }
            return !unprotectedMatcher.matches(request);
        }
    }

}

When I run this project, I get the following errors:

2016-08-08 09:29:27.172 ERROR 6715 --- [ost-startStop-1] o.a.c.c.C.[Tomcat].[localhost].[/]       : Exception starting filter springSecurityFilterChain

org.springframework.beans.factory.BeanCreationException: Error creating bean with name 'springSecurityFilterChain' defined in class path resource [org/springframework/security/config/annotation/web/configuration/WebSecurityConfiguration.class]: Bean instantiation via factory method failed; nested exception is org.springframework.beans.BeanInstantiationException: Failed to instantiate [javax.servlet.Filter]: Factory method 'springSecurityFilterChain' threw exception; nested exception is java.util.regex.PatternSyntaxException: Dangling meta character '*' near index 6
/api/**
      ^
    at org.springframework.beans.factory.support.ConstructorResolver.instantiateUsingFactoryMethod(ConstructorResolver.java:599) ~[spring-beans-4.2.6.RELEASE.jar:4.2.6.RELEASE]
    at org.springframework.beans.factory.support.AbstractAutowireCapableBeanFactory.instantiateUsingFactoryMethod(AbstractAutowireCapableBeanFactory.java:1123) ~[spring-beans-4.2.6.RELEASE.jar:4.2.6.RELEASE]
    at org.springframework.beans.factory.support.AbstractAutowireCapableBeanFactory.createBeanInstance(AbstractAutowireCapableBeanFactory.java:1018) ~[spring-beans-4.2.6.RELEASE.jar:4.2.6.RELEASE]
    at org.springframework.beans.factory.support.AbstractAutowireCapableBeanFactory.doCreateBean(AbstractAutowireCapableBeanFactory.java:510) ~[spring-beans-4.2.6.RELEASE.jar:4.2.6.RELEASE]
    at org.springframework.beans.factory.support.AbstractAutowireCapableBeanFactory.createBean(AbstractAutowireCapableBeanFactory.java:482) ~[spring-beans-4.2.6.RELEASE.jar:4.2.6.RELEASE]
    at org.springframework.beans.factory.support.AbstractBeanFactory$1.getObject(AbstractBeanFactory.java:306) ~[spring-beans-4.2.6.RELEASE.jar:4.2.6.RELEASE]
    at org.springframework.beans.factory.support.DefaultSingletonBeanRegistry.getSingleton(DefaultSingletonBeanRegistry.java:230) ~[spring-beans-4.2.6.RELEASE.jar:4.2.6.RELEASE]
    at org.springframework.beans.factory.support.AbstractBeanFactory.doGetBean(AbstractBeanFactory.java:302) ~[spring-beans-4.2.6.RELEASE.jar:4.2.6.RELEASE]
    at org.springframework.beans.factory.support.AbstractBeanFactory.getBean(AbstractBeanFactory.java:202) ~[spring-beans-4.2.6.RELEASE.jar:4.2.6.RELEASE]
    at org.springframework.context.support.AbstractApplicationContext.getBean(AbstractApplicationContext.java:1060) ~[spring-context-4.2.6.RELEASE.jar:4.2.6.RELEASE]
    at org.springframework.web.filter.DelegatingFilterProxy.initDelegate(DelegatingFilterProxy.java:326) ~[spring-web-4.2.6.RELEASE.jar:4.2.6.RELEASE]
    at org.springframework.web.filter.DelegatingFilterProxy.initFilterBean(DelegatingFilterProxy.java:235) ~[spring-web-4.2.6.RELEASE.jar:4.2.6.RELEASE]
    at org.springframework.web.filter.GenericFilterBean.init(GenericFilterBean.java:199) ~[spring-web-4.2.6.RELEASE.jar:4.2.6.RELEASE]
    at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterConfig.initFilter(ApplicationFilterConfig.java:279) ~[tomcat-embed-core-8.0.33.jar:8.0.33]
    at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterConfig.<init>(ApplicationFilterConfig.java:109) ~[tomcat-embed-core-8.0.33.jar:8.0.33]
    at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardContext.filterStart(StandardContext.java:4658) [tomcat-embed-core-8.0.33.jar:8.0.33]
    at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardContext.startInternal(StandardContext.java:5277) [tomcat-embed-core-8.0.33.jar:8.0.33]
    at org.apache.catalina.util.LifecycleBase.start(LifecycleBase.java:147) [tomcat-embed-core-8.0.33.jar:8.0.33]
    at org.apache.catalina.core.ContainerBase$StartChild.call(ContainerBase.java:1408) [tomcat-embed-core-8.0.33.jar:8.0.33]
    at org.apache.catalina.core.ContainerBase$StartChild.call(ContainerBase.java:1398) [tomcat-embed-core-8.0.33.jar:8.0.33]
    at java.util.concurrent.FutureTask.run(FutureTask.java:266) [na:1.8.0_73]
    at java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor.runWorker(ThreadPoolExecutor.java:1142) [na:1.8.0_73]
    at java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor$Worker.run(ThreadPoolExecutor.java:617) [na:1.8.0_73]
    at java.lang.Thread.run(Thread.java:745) [na:1.8.0_73]
Caused by: org.springframework.beans.BeanInstantiationException: Failed to instantiate [javax.servlet.Filter]: Factory method 'springSecurityFilterChain' threw exception; nested exception is java.util.regex.PatternSyntaxException: Dangling meta character '*' near index 6
/api/**
      ^
    at org.springframework.beans.factory.support.SimpleInstantiationStrategy.instantiate(SimpleInstantiationStrategy.java:189) ~[spring-beans-4.2.6.RELEASE.jar:4.2.6.RELEASE]
    at org.springframework.beans.factory.support.ConstructorResolver.instantiateUsingFactoryMethod(ConstructorResolver.java:588) ~[spring-beans-4.2.6.RELEASE.jar:4.2.6.RELEASE]
    ... 23 common frames omitted
Caused by: java.util.regex.PatternSyntaxException: Dangling meta character '*' near index 6
/api/**
      ^
    at java.util.regex.Pattern.error(Pattern.java:1955) ~[na:1.8.0_73]
    at java.util.regex.Pattern.sequence(Pattern.java:2123) ~[na:1.8.0_73]
    at java.util.regex.Pattern.expr(Pattern.java:1996) ~[na:1.8.0_73]
    at java.util.regex.Pattern.compile(Pattern.java:1696) ~[na:1.8.0_73]
    at java.util.regex.Pattern.<init>(Pattern.java:1351) ~[na:1.8.0_73]
    at java.util.regex.Pattern.compile(Pattern.java:1028) ~[na:1.8.0_73]
    at org.springframework.security.web.util.matcher.RegexRequestMatcher.<init>(RegexRequestMatcher.java:68) ~[spring-security-web-4.0.4.RELEASE.jar:4.0.4.RELEASE]
    at org.springframework.security.web.util.matcher.RegexRequestMatcher.<init>(RegexRequestMatcher.java:52) ~[spring-security-web-4.0.4.RELEASE.jar:4.0.4.RELEASE]
    at com.hnu.tutorial.configs.SecurityConfig$CsrfSecurityRequestMatcher.<init>(SecurityConfig.java:35) ~[classes/:na]
    at com.hnu.tutorial.configs.SecurityConfig.configure(SecurityConfig.java:27) ~[classes/:na]
    at org.springframework.security.config.annotation.web.configuration.WebSecurityConfigurerAdapter.getHttp(WebSecurityConfigurerAdapter.java:199) ~[spring-security-config-4.0.4.RELEASE.jar:4.0.4.RELEASE]
    at org.springframework.security.config.annotation.web.configuration.WebSecurityConfigurerAdapter.init(WebSecurityConfigurerAdapter.java:290) ~[spring-security-config-4.0.4.RELEASE.jar:4.0.4.RELEASE]
    at org.springframework.security.config.annotation.web.configuration.WebSecurityConfigurerAdapter.init(WebSecurityConfigurerAdapter.java:67) ~[spring-security-config-4.0.4.RELEASE.jar:4.0.4.RELEASE]
    at com.hnu.tutorial.configs.SecurityConfig$$EnhancerBySpringCGLIB$$db9c0de0.init(<generated>) ~[classes/:na]
    at org.springframework.security.config.annotation.AbstractConfiguredSecurityBuilder.init(AbstractConfiguredSecurityBuilder.java:370) ~[spring-security-config-4.0.4.RELEASE.jar:4.0.4.RELEASE]
    at org.springframework.security.config.annotation.AbstractConfiguredSecurityBuilder.doBuild(AbstractConfiguredSecurityBuilder.java:324) ~[spring-security-config-4.0.4.RELEASE.jar:4.0.4.RELEASE]
    at org.springframework.security.config.annotation.AbstractSecurityBuilder.build(AbstractSecurityBuilder.java:41) ~[spring-security-config-4.0.4.RELEASE.jar:4.0.4.RELEASE]
    at org.springframework.security.config.annotation.web.configuration.WebSecurityConfiguration.springSecurityFilterChain(WebSecurityConfiguration.java:105) ~[spring-security-config-4.0.4.RELEASE.jar:4.0.4.RELEASE]
    at org.springframework.security.config.annotation.web.configuration.WebSecurityConfiguration$$EnhancerBySpringCGLIB$$5dd0484b.CGLIB$springSecurityFilterChain$4(<generated>) ~[spring-security-config-4.0.4.RELEASE.jar:4.0.4.RELEASE]
    at org.springframework.security.config.annotation.web.configuration.WebSecurityConfiguration$$EnhancerBySpringCGLIB$$5dd0484b$$FastClassBySpringCGLIB$$a796ba38.invoke(<generated>) ~[spring-security-config-4.0.4.RELEASE.jar:4.0.4.RELEASE]
    at org.springframework.cglib.proxy.MethodProxy.invokeSuper(MethodProxy.java:228) ~[spring-core-4.2.6.RELEASE.jar:4.2.6.RELEASE]
    at org.springframework.context.annotation.ConfigurationClassEnhancer$BeanMethodInterceptor.intercept(ConfigurationClassEnhancer.java:356) ~[spring-context-4.2.6.RELEASE.jar:4.2.6.RELEASE]
    at org.springframework.security.config.annotation.web.configuration.WebSecurityConfiguration$$EnhancerBySpringCGLIB$$5dd0484b.springSecurityFilterChain(<generated>) ~[spring-security-config-4.0.4.RELEASE.jar:4.0.4.RELEASE]
    at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke0(Native Method) ~[na:1.8.0_73]
    at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(NativeMethodAccessorImpl.java:62) ~[na:1.8.0_73]
    at sun.reflect.DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.java:43) ~[na:1.8.0_73]
    at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:497) ~[na:1.8.0_73]
    at org.springframework.beans.factory.support.SimpleInstantiationStrategy.instantiate(SimpleInstantiationStrategy.java:162) ~[spring-beans-4.2.6.RELEASE.jar:4.2.6.RELEASE]
    ... 24 common frames omitted

The log above shows that regular expression /api/** in

private RegexRequestMatcher unprotectedMatcher = new RegexRequestMatcher("/api/**", null);

has Dangling meta character '*' near index 6 /api/**. But I don't know what this error means.

Answer 1

For those who have this question of how to disable the CSRF verification for specific paths, I find that the easiest way is to create an array of String with patterns, like this:

String [] publicUrls = new String [] {
            "/public/**",
            "/login",
            "/logout"
    };

Here is the code I use in CSRF. And the code for ignore urls is this .ignoringAntMatchers(publicUrls):

.csrf()
        .csrfTokenRepository(csrfTokenRepository())
        .ignoringAntMatchers(publicUrls)

I find this here.