Using encoded password for the datasource used in spring applicationContext.xml

Question

I want to keep encoded password in my below mentioned springApplicationContext.xml

Is there any way to achieve this?

presently I have configured all properties using property-placeholder as shown below but the raw password is still open in my database.properties

springApplicationContext.xml

<beans:bean id="dataSource" class="org.apache.commons.dbcp.BasicDataSource" destroy-method="close">
        <beans:property name="driverClassName"><beans:value>${db.driverClassName}</beans:value></beans:property>
        <beans:property name="url"><beans:value>${db.url}</beans:value></beans:property>
        <beans:property name="username"><beans:value>${db.username}</beans:value></beans:property>
        <beans:property name="password"><beans:value>${db.password}</beans:value></beans:property>
</beans:bean>

but actual values are present in my database.properties

db.driverClassName=com.mysql.jdbc.Driver
db.url=jdbc:mysql://localhost/myDB
db.username=root
db.password=root

I want something like below:

springApplicationContext.xml (same as above)

<beans:bean id="dataSource" class="org.apache.commons.dbcp.BasicDataSource" destroy-method="close">
        <beans:property name="driverClassName"><beans:value>${db.driverClassName}</beans:value></beans:property>
        <beans:property name="url"><beans:value>${db.url}</beans:value></beans:property>
        <beans:property name="username"><beans:value>${db.username}</beans:value></beans:property>
        <beans:property name="password"><beans:value>${db.password}</beans:value></beans:property>
</beans:bean>

But password property value should be in encripted format in my database.properties

db.driverClassName=com.mysql.jdbc.Driver
db.url=jdbc:mysql://localhost/myDB
db.username=root
db.password=3g6n72ef8x (using any encription method).

and my dataSource internally decrypt the password before making new DB connection.

Highly appreciate for any help/suggestion in this.

Answer 1

Its might be funny that I am answering to my own question. but still I just wanted to tell my solution, others who might have faced same kind of issue..

for simplicity I have used BASE64Encoder & BASE64Decoder. later I will modify my code to use a secure/better encryption/decryption algorithm.

I have encoded my database password(ex: root for my case) by using the below code:

private String encode(String str) {
        BASE64Encoder encoder = new BASE64Encoder();
        str = new String(encoder.encodeBuffer(str.getBytes()));
        return str;
    }

and placed the encoded password in my database.properties file like below:

before

db.driverClassName=com.mysql.jdbc.Driver
db.url=jdbc:mysql://localhost/myDB
db.username=root
db.password=root

after

db.driverClassName=com.mysql.jdbc.Driver
db.url=jdbc:mysql://localhost/myDB
db.username=root
db.password=cm9vdA==  (Note: encoded 'root' by using BASE64Encoder)

Now I have written a wrapper class for org.apache.commons.dbcp.BasicDataSource and overridden setPassword() method:

import java.io.IOException;
import org.apache.commons.dbcp.BasicDataSource;
import sun.misc.BASE64Decoder;

public class MyCustomBasicDataSource extends BasicDataSource{

    public CustomBasicDataSource() {
        super();
    }

    public synchronized void setPassword(String encodedPassword){
        this.password = decode(encodedPassword);
    }

    private String decode(String password) {
        BASE64Decoder decoder = new BASE64Decoder();
        String decodedPassword = null;
        try {
            decodedPassword = new String(decoder.decodeBuffer(password));
        } catch (IOException e) {
            e.printStackTrace();
        }       
        return decodedPassword;
    }
}

This way I am decoding(BASE64Decoder) the encoded password provided in database.properties

and also modified the class attribute of my dataSource bean mentioned in springApplicationContext.xml file.

<beans:bean id="dataSource" class="edu.config.db.datasource.custom.MyCustomBasicDataSource" destroy-method="close">
    <beans:property name="driverClassName"><beans:value>${db.driverClassName}</beans:value></beans:property>
    <beans:property name="url"><beans:value>${db.url}</beans:value></beans:property>
    <beans:property name="username"><beans:value>${db.username}</beans:value></beans:property>
    <beans:property name="password"><beans:value>${db.password}</beans:value></beans:property>

Thanks.