README.md

April 7, 2026 · View on GitHub

The jee-pac4j project is an easy and powerful security library for JEE web applications and web services which supports authentication and authorization, but also logout and advanced features like session fixation and CSRF protection. It's based on the pac4j security engine. It's available under the Apache 2 license.

jee-pac4jModule for JavaEE webappModule for Jakarta EE webappJDKpac4jUsage of LombokStatus
version >= 8javaee-pac4jjakartaee-pac4j17v6YesProduction ready
version >= 7javaee-pac4jjakartaee-pac4j11v5NoProduction ready
version >= 6jee-pac4j11v5NoProduction ready
version >= 5jee-pac4j8v4NoProduction ready

Main concepts and components:

  1. A client represents an authentication mechanism. It performs the login process and returns a user profile. An indirect client is for web applications authentication while a direct client is for web services authentication:

▸ OpenID Connect - SAML - CAS - OAuth - HTTP - Kerberos - LDAP - SQL - JWT - MongoDB - IP address - REST API

  1. An authorizer is meant to check authorizations on the authenticated user profile(s) or on the current web context:

▸ Roles - Anonymous / remember-me / (fully) authenticated - Profile type, attribute - CORS - CSRF - Security headers - IP address, HTTP method

  1. A matcher defines whether the SecurityFilter must be applied and can be used for additional web processing

  2. The SecurityFilter protects an url by checking that the user is authenticated and that the authorizations are valid, according to the clients and authorizers configuration. If the user is not authenticated, it performs authentication for direct clients or starts the login process for indirect clients

  3. The CallbackFilter finishes the login process for an indirect client

  4. The LogoutFilter logs out the user from the application and triggers the logout at the identity provider level

  5. The JEEContext and the ProfileManager components can be injected

  6. The FilterHelper handles the filters and their related mappings.

Usage

1) Add the required dependencies

2) Define:

- the security configuration

- the callback configuration, only for web applications

- the logout configuration

3) Apply security

4) Get the authenticated user profiles

Demos

Two demo webapps: jee-pac4j-demo (a simple JSP/servlets demo) and jee-pac4j-cdi-demo (a more advanced demo using JSF and CDI) are available for tests and implements many authentication mechanisms: Facebook, Twitter, form, basic auth, CAS, SAML, OpenID Connect, JWT...

Versions

The latest released version is the Maven Central. The next version is under development.

See the release notes.

See the migration guide as well.

Need help?

You can use the mailing lists or the commercial support.