Published Release Notes

New JWT access token format: Authorized Access Token

Pega Platform™ is changing from using opaque tokens to using JSON Web (JWT) tokens and the JWT access token format: Authorized Access Token (AAT). An AAT enables a client application to validate the server for user permissions and authorizes a specific application to access specific parts of a user’s data.

The major benefits to using the JWT format are:

• The JWT is a self-contained token that has authentication information, expire time information, and other user-defined claims digitally signed.
• A single token can be used with multiple applications.
• The tokens are short-lived and can minimize damage if transport security is compromised, as the token signature is verified.
• As the token is verified with the signature, there is no need to verify against a database, thus reducing latency (usually important for Web APIs).

For more information, see Understanding authorized access tokens.

Improvements to OAuth 2.0 Services with Token Introspection Service and Token Denylist Service

Increase the security of user sessions by using the newly supported Token Introspection and Denylist services for OAuth 2.0.

Token Introspection service

Use the Token Introspection service to validate JSON Web Tokens (JWT). The Token Introspection service requires authentication. 

Pega now uses OAuth 2.0 access tokens called Authorized Access Tokens (AAT). 

Token Introspection service endpoint

The Token Introspection service endpoint provides the information about the status of access token and refresh token. Token introspection can be used to validate if a given token is still active or inactive. The token introspection endpoint determines whether the token is valid. The status indicates whether an access token or refresh token is valid or invalid: 

• Valid tokens have the “active”:true status
• Invalid tokens have the “active” :false status.

The inactive status can also be due to revocation. 

Token Denylist service

You can add tokens to the deny list in cases where suspicious activity might have occurred. The Token Denylist service provides a method for denying user access to the application by revoking the user's access token. This service can prevent a token from being used more than the specified number of times, which can be helpful in preventing replay attacks. Stolen tokens should be revoked using this service. A GET API is also available to get the list of denied tokens.

Keys endpoint

Pega Platform™ is changing from using opaque tokens to JSON Web (JWT) tokens. If this JWT is used by any other system, the public key is needed for signature verification. A new endpoint is exposed to provide these public keys in JWK format: https://host:port/prweb/api/oauth2/v1/token/keys.

For more information, see OAuth 2.0 Management Services.

Enhanced refresh token strategy

You now have more precise control over your refresh token expiration strategy. When a refresh token is enabled, you can choose to set its initial expiration based on the value provided by the IDP. The refresh token expiry can be derived from IDP’s session timeout when SSO is used with external IDP for user authentication in the authorization code grant flow. You can also specify a separate refresh token expiration strategy based on your use-case. 

These can be configured in the OAuth2 Client registration rule form.

For more information, see Enhanced refresh token strategy.

Enhancements to token lifetime limits

Pega Platform™ uses OAuth 2.0 authorization codes, access tokens, and refresh tokens to provide flexible token-based security for applications. Expiration settings for these codes and tokens now adhere to certain strict value range based on industry leading practices. For example, the lifetime specified for the authorization code must be in the range 1-600 seconds.

These can be configured in the OAuth2 Client registration rule form.

For more information, see OAuth 2.0 Management Services.

Improving basic access control

Pega Platform™ has implemented a new basic access control (BAC) to protect your application from unauthorized server calls from otherwise authenticated users.

For more information, see Access Control Checks.

Upgrade impact

After you upgrade to Pega 8.5, all the functionality in the model configurations that use auto-generated controls and actions continues to work as before. However, you must secure any customized JavaScript in your application layer that makes AJAX (server) calls  by using registration or encryption mechanisms.

What steps are required to update the application to be compatible with this change?

After upgrade, to migrate custom JavaScript functionality, see Access Control Checks.

Support for encrypted traffic in a cluster

The Pega 7 Platform includes the Ignite platform, which supports encryption for intra-cluster communications. You can now configure encryption for intra-cluster traffic for compliance with regulatory or organizational security requirements.

For more information, see Enabling encrypted traffic between nodes.

Monitor standard and custom security events

From the new Security Event Configuration landing page, you can select the standard and custom security events that you want the Pega 7 Platform to log automatically for every user session. The security events are grouped into the following types:

• Authentication
• Data access
• Security administration
• Custom

The API logCustomEvent() is provided so that you can create custom security events that are specific to your applications and that can be monitored by the Pega 7 Platform. For more information, see Security Event Configuration.

SAML configuration supports global resource settings

In the SAML Authentication Service form, you can now use global resource settings, which allow greater flexibility for values that change compared to using fixed text values. Apply global resource settings, which are dynamic values, in the Identity Provider (IdP) information section and the Service Provider (SP) settings section of the form.

For more information, see Authentication Service form - Completing the SAML 2.0 tab.

Restrict visibility of scalar property values for certain users

You can use the Access Control Policy rule to mask individual scalar property values from specified users. You can restrict visibility for the following property types:

• DateTime
• Integer
• Text

For more information, see Masking property visibility for users.

Disable inactive operators

As a system administrator, you can control access to an application by disabling Operator IDs. To disable an Operator ID, you can use one of the following options in Designer Studio:

• Call the Service REST: user.
• Change settings on the Operator Access tab on the System Settings landing page or on the Security tab on the Operator ID form.
• Define the number of inactive days in the security policies before an Operator ID is automatically disabled.

For more information, see System Settings - Operator Access tab, Enabling Security Policies, Security tab on the Operator ID form.