APACHE 2.4 PORTING NOTES

VERY IMPORTANT!!!

Apache 2.4 has a VERY different authentication API from previous versions. You will not be able to simply ugrade apache and upgrade AuthCookie in order to migrate to Apache 2.4. You will also need to port your AuthCookie subclass over to the Apache 2.4 API, and update your Apache configuration for Apache 2.4.

This document attempts to help you understand the changes required and how to port your module over to Apache 2.4. If your subclass stopped working when you migrated to Apache 2.4, please make sure you have read and understand everything in this document before filing a bug report.

Changes Required to Run Under Apache 2.4

Mod Perl

You need at least mod_perl version 2.0.9, which is the first official release to support Apache 2.4.

Apache::Test

You need Apache::Test version 1.39 or later. Previous versions do not define the constant APACHE2_4 which is needed for the test suite.

Your AuthCookie Subclass

• Your module must inherit from Apache2_4::AuthCookie instead of Apache2::AuthCookie

• You must change every method that was called as a PerlAuthzHandler under previous versions to return one of the following values:

  Apache2::Const::AUTHZ_DENIED_NO_USER

  return this constant if $r->user is empty/undefined.

  Apache2::Const::AUTHZ_DENIED

  return this constant if $r->user is not authorized for the current request.

  Apache2::Const::AUTHZ_GRANTED

  return this constant if $r->user is authorized for the current request

httpd.conf

• Replace all PerlAuthzHandler entries with top level PerlAddAuthzProvider entries.

  PerlAuthzHandler is gone in Apache 2.4. It has been replaced with PerlAddAuthzProvider. PerlAddAUthzProvider methods are expected to return one of AUTHZ_DENIED_NO_USER, AUTHZ_GRANTED, or AUTHZ_DENIED. Other return values are not valid. Be sure you have ported your authz methods to return the appropriate constant!

• Add a PerlAddAuthzProvider directive that calls authz_handler()

  E.g.:

      PerlAddAuthzProvider user Sample::Apache2::AuthCookieHandler->authz_handler

  Note that you can use something other than user. e.g.: my-user if you have other authentication modules in use that are responsible for Requires user ... directives.

• Remove All Instances of PerlAuthzHandler that call authorize()

  E.g.: remove all all instances of:

      PerlAuthzHandler Your::AuthCookie::Handler->authorize

Important Internal API Changes for Apache 2.4

authorize() has been removed

In Apache2_4::AuthCookie, authorize() is replaced by authz_handler. authz_handler has a different return type from authorize. Apache expects a return value of one of AUTHZ_GRANTED, AUTHZ_DENIED, or AUTHZ_DENIED_NO_USER.

${auth_name}Satisfy

Satisfy support is removed as it is no longer needed with Apache 2.4.

You can handle other non-user requirements with RequireAll, and additional AuthzProvider handlers:

e.g.:

    PerlAddAuthzProvider user    Your::AuthCookieHandler->authz_handler
    PerlAddAuthzProvider species Your::AuthCookieHandler->authz_species_handler

    <RequireAll>
      Require valid-user
      Require species gerbil
    </RequireAll>

see: https://httpd.apache.org/docs/2.4/howto/auth.html#reqaccessctrl

Unauthorized User HTTP Response Code

In Apache 2.4, in mod_authz_core, if no authz_handlers return AUTHZ_GRANTED, then HTTP_UNAUTHORIZED is returned. In previous versions, HTTP_FORBIDDEN was returned. You can get the old behaviour if you want it with:

    AuthzSendForbiddenOnFailure On

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

• Why is my authz method called twice per request?

  This is normal behaviour under Apache 2.4. You are expected to return Apache2::Const::AUTHZ_DENIED_NO_USER IF $r->user has not yet been set. Your authz handler will be called a second time after the user has been authenticated.

TODO

• add support for mod_auth_socache if possible