NullPointerException encountered when integrating Spring Security with Keycloak

Question

I am a beginner who has just started learning Keycloak and I want to integrate it with Spring Security for better flexibility. I created a brand new Spring Boot application and I added the following code, which I see in most starter tutorials, to try things out.

@Configuration
@EnableWebSecurity
@ComponentScan(basePackageClasses = KeycloakSecurityComponents.class)
class SecurityConfig extends KeycloakWebSecurityConfigurerAdapter
{
    @Autowired
    public void configureGlobal(AuthenticationManagerBuilder auth) throws Exception {
        KeycloakAuthenticationProvider keycloakAuthenticationProvider = keycloakAuthenticationProvider();
        keycloakAuthenticationProvider.setGrantedAuthoritiesMapper(new SimpleAuthorityMapper());
        auth.authenticationProvider(keycloakAuthenticationProvider);
    }

    @Bean
    public KeycloakConfigResolver KeycloakConfigResolver() {
        return new KeycloakSpringBootConfigResolver();
    }

    @Bean
    @Override
    protected SessionAuthenticationStrategy sessionAuthenticationStrategy() {
        return new RegisterSessionAuthenticationStrategy(new SessionRegistryImpl());
    }

    @Override
    protected void configure(HttpSecurity http) throws Exception
    {
        super.configure(http);
        http
                .authorizeRequests()
                .antMatchers("/products*").hasRole("user")
                .anyRequest().permitAll();
    }

    @Bean
    @Override
    @ConditionalOnMissingBean(HttpSessionManager.class)
    protected HttpSessionManager httpSessionManager() {
        return new HttpSessionManager();
    }
}

However, I encounter a NullPointerException when I run the app. Here is the error stack trace:

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.lang.NullPointerException
    at org.springframework.beans.factory.support.ConstructorResolver.instantiate(ConstructorResolver.java:658) ~[spring-beans-5.3.7.jar:5.3.7]
    at org.springframework.beans.factory.support.ConstructorResolver.instantiateUsingFactoryMethod(ConstructorResolver.java:486) ~[spring-beans-5.3.7.jar:5.3.7]
    at org.springframework.beans.factory.support.AbstractAutowireCapableBeanFactory.instantiateUsingFactoryMethod(AbstractAutowireCapableBeanFactory.java:1334) ~[spring-beans-5.3.7.jar:5.3.7]
    at org.springframework.beans.factory.support.AbstractAutowireCapableBeanFactory.createBeanInstance(AbstractAutowireCapableBeanFactory.java:1177) ~[spring-beans-5.3.7.jar:5.3.7]
    at org.springframework.beans.factory.support.AbstractAutowireCapableBeanFactory.doCreateBean(AbstractAutowireCapableBeanFactory.java:564) ~[spring-beans-5.3.7.jar:5.3.7]
    at org.springframework.beans.factory.support.AbstractAutowireCapableBeanFactory.createBean(AbstractAutowireCapableBeanFactory.java:524) ~[spring-beans-5.3.7.jar:5.3.7]
    at org.springframework.beans.factory.support.AbstractBeanFactory.lambda$doGetBean$0(AbstractBeanFactory.java:335) ~[spring-beans-5.3.7.jar:5.3.7]
    at org.springframework.beans.factory.support.DefaultSingletonBeanRegistry.getSingleton(DefaultSingletonBeanRegistry.java:234) ~[spring-beans-5.3.7.jar:5.3.7]
    at org.springframework.beans.factory.support.AbstractBeanFactory.doGetBean(AbstractBeanFactory.java:333) ~[spring-beans-5.3.7.jar:5.3.7]
    at org.springframework.beans.factory.support.AbstractBeanFactory.getBean(AbstractBeanFactory.java:208) ~[spring-beans-5.3.7.jar:5.3.7]
    at org.springframework.beans.factory.support.AbstractBeanFactory.doGetBean(AbstractBeanFactory.java:322) ~[spring-beans-5.3.7.jar:5.3.7]
    at org.springframework.beans.factory.support.AbstractBeanFactory.getBean(AbstractBeanFactory.java:208) ~[spring-beans-5.3.7.jar:5.3.7]
    at org.springframework.beans.factory.support.DefaultListableBeanFactory.preInstantiateSingletons(DefaultListableBeanFactory.java:944) ~[spring-beans-5.3.7.jar:5.3.7]
    at org.springframework.context.support.AbstractApplicationContext.finishBeanFactoryInitialization(AbstractApplicationContext.java:918) ~[spring-context-5.3.7.jar:5.3.7]
    at org.springframework.context.support.AbstractApplicationContext.refresh(AbstractApplicationContext.java:583) ~[spring-context-5.3.7.jar:5.3.7]
    at org.springframework.boot.web.servlet.context.ServletWebServerApplicationContext.refresh(ServletWebServerApplicationContext.java:145) ~[spring-boot-2.5.0.jar:2.5.0]
    at org.springframework.boot.SpringApplication.refresh(SpringApplication.java:758) ~[spring-boot-2.5.0.jar:2.5.0]
    at org.springframework.boot.SpringApplication.refreshContext(SpringApplication.java:438) ~[spring-boot-2.5.0.jar:2.5.0]
    at org.springframework.boot.SpringApplication.run(SpringApplication.java:337) ~[spring-boot-2.5.0.jar:2.5.0]
    at org.springframework.boot.SpringApplication.run(SpringApplication.java:1336) ~[spring-boot-2.5.0.jar:2.5.0]
    at org.springframework.boot.SpringApplication.run(SpringApplication.java:1325) ~[spring-boot-2.5.0.jar:2.5.0]
    at com.example.keycloakspring.keycloakspring.KeycloakSpringApplication.main(KeycloakSpringApplication.java:10) ~[classes/:na]
Caused by: org.springframework.beans.BeanInstantiationException: Failed to instantiate [javax.servlet.Filter]: Factory method 'springSecurityFilterChain' threw exception; nested exception is java.lang.NullPointerException
    at org.springframework.beans.factory.support.SimpleInstantiationStrategy.instantiate(SimpleInstantiationStrategy.java:185) ~[spring-beans-5.3.7.jar:5.3.7]
    at org.springframework.beans.factory.support.ConstructorResolver.instantiate(ConstructorResolver.java:653) ~[spring-beans-5.3.7.jar:5.3.7]
    ... 21 common frames omitted
Caused by: java.lang.NullPointerException: null
    at org.springframework.security.config.annotation.web.builders.HttpSecurity.addFilterAtOffsetOf(HttpSecurity.java:2654) ~[spring-security-config-5.5.0.jar:5.5.0]
    at org.springframework.security.config.annotation.web.builders.HttpSecurity.addFilterAfter(HttpSecurity.java:2645) ~[spring-security-config-5.5.0.jar:5.5.0]
    at org.keycloak.adapters.springsecurity.config.KeycloakWebSecurityConfigurerAdapter.configure(KeycloakWebSecurityConfigurerAdapter.java:123) ~[keycloak-spring-security-adapter-13.0.1.jar:13.0.1]
    at com.example.keycloakspring.keycloakspring.SecurityConfig.configure(SecurityConfig.java:48) ~[classes/:na]
    at org.springframework.security.config.annotation.web.configuration.WebSecurityConfigurerAdapter.getHttp(WebSecurityConfigurerAdapter.java:217) ~[spring-security-config-5.5.0.jar:5.5.0]
    at org.springframework.security.config.annotation.web.configuration.WebSecurityConfigurerAdapter.init(WebSecurityConfigurerAdapter.java:315) ~[spring-security-config-5.5.0.jar:5.5.0]
    at org.springframework.security.config.annotation.web.configuration.WebSecurityConfigurerAdapter.init(WebSecurityConfigurerAdapter.java:93) ~[spring-security-config-5.5.0.jar:5.5.0]
    at com.example.keycloakspring.keycloakspring.SecurityConfig$$EnhancerBySpringCGLIB$$698b42cf.init() ~[classes/:na]
    at org.springframework.security.config.annotation.AbstractConfiguredSecurityBuilder.init(AbstractConfiguredSecurityBuilder.java:338) ~[spring-security-config-5.5.0.jar:5.5.0]
    at org.springframework.security.config.annotation.AbstractConfiguredSecurityBuilder.doBuild(AbstractConfiguredSecurityBuilder.java:300) ~[spring-security-config-5.5.0.jar:5.5.0]
    at org.springframework.security.config.annotation.AbstractSecurityBuilder.build(AbstractSecurityBuilder.java:38) ~[spring-security-config-5.5.0.jar:5.5.0]
    at org.springframework.security.config.annotation.web.configuration.WebSecurityConfiguration.springSecurityFilterChain(WebSecurityConfiguration.java:127) ~[spring-security-config-5.5.0.jar:5.5.0]
    at java.base/jdk.internal.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke0(Native Method) ~[na:na]
    at java.base/jdk.internal.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(NativeMethodAccessorImpl.java:62) ~[na:na]
    at java.base/jdk.internal.reflect.DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.java:43) ~[na:na]
    at java.base/java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:566) ~[na:na]
    at org.springframework.beans.factory.support.SimpleInstantiationStrategy.instantiate(SimpleInstantiationStrategy.java:154) ~[spring-beans-5.3.7.jar:5.3.7]
    ... 22 common frames omitted

I am at a loss because I didn't do anything to the code I saw at https://developers.redhat.com/blog/2017/05/25/easily-secure-your-spring-boot-applications-with-keycloak#screencast, and I am wondering if I am required to provide some additional configurations to make the app work. Would appreciate help.

user_16050116 · Answer

I have the same problem when i have upgraded Spring Boot in my application from 2.2.2.RELEASE to 2.5.0

It's an issue of Spring Security

My first solution for the moment it's to use a supplied filter to declare KeycloakAuthenticatedActionsFilter :

    @Override
    protected void configure(HttpSecurity http) throws Exception
    {
        // don't call this
        // super.configure(http);

        http
            .csrf()
                .requireCsrfProtectionMatcher(keycloakCsrfRequestMatcher())
                .and()
            .sessionManagement()
                .sessionAuthenticationStrategy(sessionAuthenticationStrategy())
                .and()
            .addFilterBefore(keycloakPreAuthActionsFilter(), LogoutFilter.class)
            .addFilterBefore(keycloakAuthenticationProcessingFilter(), LogoutFilter.class)
            .addFilterAfter(keycloakSecurityContextRequestFilter(), SecurityContextHolderAwareRequestFilter.class)
            // replace this
            //.addFilterAfter(keycloakAuthenticatedActionsRequestFilter(), KeycloakSecurityContextRequestFilter.class)
            // by
            .addFilterAfter(keycloakAuthenticatedActionsRequestFilter(), SecurityContextHolderAwareRequestFilter.class)
            .exceptionHandling()
                .authenticationEntryPoint(authenticationEntryPoint())
                .and()
            .logout()
                .addLogoutHandler(keycloakLogoutHandler())
                .logoutUrl("/sso/logout").permitAll()
                .logoutSuccessUrl("/");

        http
                .authorizeRequests()
                .antMatchers("/products*").hasRole("user")
                .anyRequest().permitAll();
    }

I don't know if use SecurityContextHolderAwareRequestFilter is a good idea, i'am testing with this for starting...

NullPointerException encountered when integrating Spring Security with Keycloak

1 Answers