prohibit the call to System.exit

Question

I'm trying to prohibit the call to System.exit(int); in some jars.

These jars will be developed by external teams and loaded by our "container" application .

My first reflex is to use the java security manager:

-Djava.security.manager-Djava.security.debug=all

with the simplest ${user.home}/.java.policy file :

grant {};

Although I can no longer call such as System.getProperties () (since I do not have java.util.PropertyPermission), I can do a System.exit (0) !!

The option java.security.debug=all gives the following console:

scl: getPerms ProtectionDomain (file: my-bin-path <no sign certificates>)
sun.misc.Launcher $ AppClassLoader @ 10385c1
<no principals>
java.security.Permissions @ 15b7986 (
(java.lang.RuntimePermission exitVM)
(java.io.FilePermission \my-bin-path\- read)
)

Why do all classes in my-bin-path have java.lang.RuntimePermission exitVM granted ?????

thanks

Answer 1

According to the bug report, http://bugs.sun.com/bugdatabase/view_bug.do?bug_id=4286238, the policy file wasn't dis-allowing System.exit() calls. I'm running an application with Java 1.6 and am still seeing this bug despite it being "resolved." Similar to the OP, I have a system wide policy file which does not include a permission for exitVM. However, I am able to exit the application without any exception being thrown.

My understanding of including a custom policy file is that all permissions are blacklisted except those included in the policy file. Since exitVM is not included it should be disallowed (overriding the default permission mentioned by MicSim). But this is not the case.

Answer 2

From the Javadoc of RuntimePermission:

Note: The "exitVM.*" permission is automatically granted to all code loaded from the application class path, thus enabling applications to terminate themselves.

Reading this, it seems you have to explicitly deny this permission by writing your own SecurityManager. (For an example, see this answer: Prevent System.exit to actually exit the JVM)

Answer 3

Alternatively you could do AOP and intercept System.exit. Doing that yourself would be: create your own class loader and use BPEL to trace System.exit, and patch those calls. Really not a large effort.