Introduction

When configuring CAST dashboard / RestAPI connections to CAST Storage Service/PostgreSQL (i.e. Measurement or Dashboard Service schemas) or to an LDAP server for corporate login mode, logins and passwords are defined in the relevant configuration files in clear text. This therefore represents a potential security risk. If your organization requires these logins and passwords to be encrypted, you can use the following instructions to do so.

Encrypting access to CAST Storage Service/PostgreSQL

To encrypt the login and password that are defined when configuring access to the CAST Storage Service/PostgreSQL instance where your Measurement or Dashboard Service schemas are located, browse to the following URL to access the built in login/password key generation page:

http://<server>:[<port>]/<dashboard>/static/key.html

Login with a user (whether static list or Active Directory) that has the ADMIN role - by default no users have this role in either static list mode or in Active Directory mode - see User authentication for more information.

When successfully authenticated, you now need to enter the credentials (login and password) for your target  CAST Storage Service/PostgreSQL instance (that you would ordinarily enter into the context.xml file for configuring access to the Measurement or Dashboard Service) and that you wish to encrypt. In the example below, we have entered the default credentials for a  CAST Storage Service/PostgreSQL instance:

Now click the Encrypt button - CAST will then generate a key that relates to the credentials you entered:

You now need to copy this key to the clipboard or to a text file. To use the key in place of clear text database credentials, browse to the following file:

CATALINA_HOME\webapps\<dashboard>\META-INF\context.xml

Open this file with a text editor and scroll down to the location of a database access resource you have previously configured, for example:

<Resource name="jdbc/domains/AAD" url="jdbc:postgresql://localhost:2280/postgres"
    initConnectionSqls="SET search_path TO CAST_MEASURE;"
    username="operator" password="CastAIP"
                      
    auth="Container" type="javax.sql.DataSource" driverClassName="org.postgresql.Driver"
    validationQuery="select 1"
    initialSize="5" maxActive="20" maxIdle="10" maxWait="-1"/>

Replace the line containing "username" and "password" with your generated key using the following syntax:

key="D228ED8B5E5690B3A75"

Add a new line directly underneath the line containing the "key" as follows - take note of the line that is specific to your release of CAST AIP and Apache Tomcat:

WARs delivered in CAST AIP ≥ 8.3.4 and all standalone CAST Dashboard Packages:

Tomcat ≥ 8 only: factory="com.castsoftware.adg.webservice.security.BasicDataSourceFactory"

WARs delivered in CAST AIP 8.3.0 - 8.3.3:
 
Tomcat 7: factory="com.castsoftware.adg.webservice.security.BasicDataSourceFactory"
Tomcat 8/8.5/9: factory="com.castsoftware.adg.webservice.security.BasicDataSourceFactory2"

Your database access resource should now look like this (this is an example for Tomcat ≥ 8 in CAST AIP ≥ 8.3.4 and all standalone CAST Dashboard Packages):

<Resource name="jdbc/domains/AAD" url="jdbc:postgresql://localhost:2280/postgres"
    initConnectionSqls="SET search_path TO CAST_MEASURE;"
    key="D228ED8B5E5690B3A75"
    factory="com.castsoftware.adg.webservice.security.BasicDataSourceFactory"

	auth="Container" type="javax.sql.DataSource" driverClassName="org.postgresql.Driver"
    validationQuery="select 1"
    initialSize="5" maxActive="20" maxIdle="10" maxWait="-1"/>

Save the file, reload the cache (see Reload the cache) and then reload your CAST dashboard / RestAPI and ensure you can login and view the data you need to.

Encrypting access to an LDAP server

When configuring access to an LDAP server for authentication, an LDAP service account login and password must be specified in the security.properties file in clear text as described in User authentication:

security.ldap.account.dn=cn=serviceaccount,dc=example,dc=com
security.ldap.account.password=password

To avoid the need to do this, browse to the following URL to access the built in login/password key generation page:

http://<server>:[<port>]/<dashboard>/static/key.html

Login with a user (whether Default Authentication or LDAP) that has the ADMIN role - by default no users have this role in either mode - see User authentication for more information:

When successfully authenticated, you now need to enter the credentials (service account login and password) for your LDAP server that you would ordinarily enter into the security.properties file for configuring LDAP mode, and that you wish to encrypt. In the example below, we have entered the required LDAP credentials:

security.ldap.account.dn=cn=serviceaccount,dc=example,dc=com
security.ldap.account.password=password

security.ldap.account.dn=CN=myserviceaccount,DC=example,DC=com
security.ldap.account.password=mypassword

Now click the Encrypt button - CAST will then generate a key that relates to the credentials you entered:

You now need to copy this key to the clipboard or to a text file and then open the following file with a text editor:

CATALINA_HOME\webapps\<dashboard>\WEB-INF\security.properties

Locate the following configuration in the file:

# Parameters for ldap mode
# ------------------------
security.ldap.url=ldap://directory.example.com/
security.ldap.account.dn=cn=serviceaccount,dc=example,dc=com
security.ldap.account.password=password
security.ldap.account.key=
security.ldap.usersearch.base=dc=example,dc=com
security.ldap.usersearch.filter=(&(objectClass=user)(sAMAccountName={0}))
security.ldap.groupsearch.base=dc=example,dc=com
security.ldap.groupsearch.filter=(&(objectClass=group)(member={0}))

First remove the two lines with the security.ldap.account.dn and security.ldap.account.password parameters. Then enter the key generated previously into the line containing "key". This should give you the following:

# Parameters for ldap mode
# ------------------------
security.ldap.url=ldap://directory.example.com/
security.ldap.account.key=A9762B77F8A5B6C0A885BABD58DFA1438D77A51B94ECA09
security.ldap.usersearch.base=dc=example,dc=com
security.ldap.usersearch.filter=(&(objectClass=user)(sAMAccountName={0}))
security.ldap.groupsearch.base=dc=example,dc=com
security.ldap.groupsearch.filter=(&(objectClass=group)(member={0}))

Save the file, reload the cache (see Reload the cache) and then reload your CAST dashboard / RestAPI and ensure you can login and view the data you need to.

What happens if the LDAP credentials change (new password)?

If your LDAP credentials change, for example a new password is generated on the LDAP server, then access to the the CAST Dashboard for any LDAP user will fail. As such the encryption key for the new credentials will need to be regenerated in the key.html page, however, this page requires authentication therefore it will not be accessible in order to generate a new key. This can only be resolved by:

• temporarily restoring access using a login and password, i.e. removing the security.ldap.account.key line from security.properties and re-adding the security.ldap.account.dn and security.ldap.account.password lines.
• accessing key.html and encrypting the new login/password into a key.
• removing the security.ldap.account.dn and security.ldap.account.password lines from security.properties and re-adding the security.ldap.account.key line with the new key.