Enabling OCSP Validation using X.509 Authentication Scheme

Assumptions:

• You have already configured & tested the X.509 authentication use case. And now we are enabling certificate validation using OCSP Server.
• To setup OCSP we will be using 'openssl'. So before proceeding check if you installed openssl or not. If not go get it first.
• You have imported the user certificate in your browser as part of X.509 Authentication.

Brief about OCSP Server:

The Online Certificate Status Protocol (OCSP) is an Internet protocol used for obtaining the revocation status of an X.509 digital certificate. The "request/response" nature of these messages leads to OCSP servers being termed OCSP responders.
An OCSP responder (a server typically run by the certificate issuer) may return a signed response signifying that the certificate specified in the request is 'good', 'revoked', or 'unknown'. If it cannot process the request, it may return an error code.

Steps to perform:

1) To setup OCSP Server: Steps to setup OCSP
2) Once you have setup OCSP, you will be having the following items with you;

• CA Authority certificate (self signed) - ca.pem
• CA private key - ca-key.pem
• OCSP Server URL -> i.e. host and port details http://abc.us.oracle.com:6060
• index.txt -> basically this is the file having the user certificates details which will be checked by the OCSP server for the received cert request. Based on this OCSP will respond 'good', 'revoked' or 'unknown'. It returns 'unknown' in case the cert entry is missing from the file.
• This file name could be any name of your choice.

a) OCSP server files;

 b) Staring OCSP server

2) Goto Access Manager Configuration Settings: Select Certificate Validation

3) Select OCSP/CDP Settings:

•  Enter OCSP Url

•  Provide the OCSP CA Authority Certificate Subject
• Apply the changes

4)  Now goto Authentication Scheme

5) Select X509Scheme

 6) Provide the details as required for enabling OCSP Validation

7) Now goto Authn Module

8) Select X509 Module

9) Remember to enable Cert Validation & OCSP. Provide the required details.

10) Now we need to attach the X509Scheme in our webgate profile Protected  Resource Policy.

11) Now when you fire a request from your browser, you will be asked for the user cert to be used for authentication. And if this user is not present in OCSP database i.e. the index.txt file or it is been revoked than you should get 'Authentication Failed' message.

12) To implement a use case to check certificate revocation:
Execute this command:
./openssl ca -revoke <user certificate name>
Eg: 
bash-3.2$ ./openssl ca -revoke user1\@oracle.com.crt
Using configuration from /scratch/ckukreja/openssl/openssl.cnf
Enter pass phrase for ./demoCA/private/cakey.pem:
Revoking Certificate BE.
Data Base Updated

•  Here i have copied the cakey.pem, ca.pem & index.txt to 'demoCA' folder. Basically openssl refer to this folder as it is configured in my openssl.cnf file.
• After this your index.txt gets updated and you can actually see the difference as well. Now when you try to access the protected resource with the user cert who has been revoked in OCSP databse, so this time OCSP will say 'revoked' to OAM server. And hence you will get authentication failed message.

Note: Important points to help you debug;

a) Always check if the log.txt file provided with OCSP server startup is getting populated with request or not.
b) If request is landing on OCSP and its a good cert request but still it is failing to authenticate than check OAM server diagnostic logs. You must be getting an exception there.

Important Informative Links:

Managing Common Services and Certificate Validation
X.509 Certificate Revocation Checking Using OCSP protocol with Oracle WebLogic Server 12c
How to set up OCSP using OpenSSL - I-Space Research Labs



That's All Guys......
Enjoy :-)