[WW-4918] buttons with name="method:METHODNAME" sometimes ignore global-allowed-methods defined in struts.xml

• Type: Bug
• Status: Closed
• Priority: Major
• Resolution: Not A Bug
• Affects Version/s: 2.5.14.1
• Fix Version/s: 2.5.16
• Component/s: Core Actions
• Assignee: Unassigned
• Reporter: Nate
• Created: 13/Feb/18 09:20
• Updated: 13/Feb/18 22:03
• Resolved: 13/Feb/18 22:03

Description

I have the following action (slightly edited to remove identifying info):

<action name="userEdit" class="struts2package.actions.user.UserEditAction">
 <interceptor-ref name="defaultStack">
 <!-- Exclude the dojo parameters, the displaytag sorting/paging parameters and the resetSelectedVersion parameter-->
 <param name="params.excludeParams">dojo\..*,struts\..*,d-\d+?-[sop],..*multiselect..*</param>
 <param name="authorizationInterceptor.authorizationRole">globalAdmin</param>
 </interceptor-ref>
 <interceptor-ref name="token">
 <param name="excludeMethods">input,back,refresh,cancel,browse</param>
 </interceptor-ref>
 <interceptor-ref name="struts2ActionErrorInterceptor"/>
 <interceptor-ref name="struts1ErrorMessageInterceptor"/>
 <result name="input">/jsp/user/userEdit.jsp</result>
 <result name="error" type="redirectAction">
 <param name="actionName">displayUserEdit.action</param>
 </result>
 <result name="redirectToUserOverview" type="redirectAction">
 <param name="actionName">userOverviewRetained.action</param>
 <param name="globalInfo">info.transaction_success</param>
 </result>
 <result name="success">/jsp/user/userEdit.jsp</result>
 <result name="back" type="redirect">${backUrl}</result>
 </action>

And the following global allowed methods:

<global-allowed-methods>update,execute</global-allowed-methods>

And these buttons:

 

<div class="buttonRow">
 <%-- The 'Save' button --%>
 <input value="Save"
 type="submit" class="button" name="method:update" />

<%-- The 'Refresh' button --%>
 <input value="Refresh"
 type="submit" class="button" name="method:refresh"
 id="refreshButton" />

<%-- The 'Back' button --%>
 <input value=Back"
 type="submit" class="button" name="method:back" />
 </div>

 

As you can see, the update method is defined in the global-allowed-actions list, but the refresh and back methods aren't. However, what happens is that the update button with the update method works and updates the user, the refresh action shows the "method is not allowed" error screen and doesn't update the user(both as expected since update is defined in the allowed methods and refresh isn't), but the back button DOES actually work even though it's not explicitly defined in the global-allowed-methods section.

 

I'm trying to understand why out of 2 methods both not defined as allowed-methods, one is correctly blocked  as "not allowed" while the other is still allowed through. If I add ",refresh" to the global-allowed-methods and restart tomcat, the refresh button ends up working afterwards as expected, and the back button stays functional. I don't use the plugin that adds the Allowed Methods annotation, and this same situation also happens when using s:submits with method="back" defined, even if there is already a method defined on the action entry in struts.xml.

Update: I have done some more testing, and it appears that another action with similar definition but a different method (method:delete on an AntDeleteAction) also works without having to explicitly define delete on the global allowed methods list.