Unit Testing Security and Authorization

Test Spring Security authorization logic using @PreAuthorize, @Secured, and custom permission evaluators. Verify access control decisions without full security infrastructure.

When to Use This Skill

Use this skill when:

• Testing @PreAuthorize and @Secured method-level security
• Testing role-based access control (RBAC)
• Testing custom permission evaluators
• Verifying access denied scenarios
• Testing authorization with authenticated principals
• Want fast authorization tests without full Spring Security context

Setup: Security Testing

Maven

<dependency>
  <groupId>org.springframework.boot</groupId>
  <artifactId>spring-boot-starter-security</artifactId>
</dependency>
<dependency>
  <groupId>org.springframework.boot</groupId>
  <artifactId>spring-boot-starter-test</artifactId>
  <scope>test</scope>
</dependency>
<dependency>
  <groupId>org.springframework.security</groupId>
  <artifactId>spring-security-test</artifactId>
  <scope>test</scope>
</dependency>

Gradle

dependencies {
  implementation("org.springframework.boot:spring-boot-starter-security")
  testImplementation("org.springframework.boot:spring-boot-starter-test")
  testImplementation("org.springframework.security:spring-security-test")
}

Basic Pattern: Testing @PreAuthorize

Simple Role-Based Access Control

// Service with security annotations
@Service
public class UserService {

  @PreAuthorize("hasRole('ADMIN')")
  public void deleteUser(Long userId) {
    // delete logic
  }

  @PreAuthorize("hasRole('USER')")
  public User getCurrentUser() {
    // get user logic
  }

  @PreAuthorize("hasAnyRole('ADMIN', 'MANAGER')")
  public List<User> listAllUsers() {
    // list logic
  }
}

// Unit test
import org.junit.jupiter.api.Test;
import org.springframework.security.test.context.support.WithMockUser;
import static org.assertj.core.api.Assertions.*;

class UserServiceSecurityTest {

  @Test
  @WithMockUser(roles = "ADMIN")
  void shouldAllowAdminToDeleteUser() {
    UserService service = new UserService();
    
    assertThatCode(() -> service.deleteUser(1L))
      .doesNotThrowAnyException();
  }

  @Test
  @WithMockUser(roles = "USER")
  void shouldDenyUserFromDeletingUser() {
    UserService service = new UserService();
    
    assertThatThrownBy(() -> service.deleteUser(1L))
      .isInstanceOf(AccessDeniedException.class);
  }

  @Test
  @WithMockUser(roles = "ADMIN")
  void shouldAllowAdminAndManagerToListUsers() {
    UserService service = new UserService();
    
    assertThatCode(() -> service.listAllUsers())
      .doesNotThrowAnyException();
  }

  @Test
  void shouldDenyAnonymousUserAccess() {
    UserService service = new UserService();
    
    assertThatThrownBy(() -> service.deleteUser(1L))
      .isInstanceOf(AccessDeniedException.class);
  }
}

Testing @Secured Annotation

Legacy Security Configuration

@Service
public class OrderService {

  @Secured("ROLE_ADMIN")
  public Order approveOrder(Long orderId) {
    // approval logic
  }

  @Secured({"ROLE_ADMIN", "ROLE_MANAGER"})
  public List<Order> getOrders() {
    // get orders
  }
}

class OrderSecurityTest {

  @Test
  @WithMockUser(roles = "ADMIN")
  void shouldAllowAdminToApproveOrder() {
    OrderService service = new OrderService();
    
    assertThatCode(() -> service.approveOrder(1L))
      .doesNotThrowAnyException();
  }

  @Test
  @WithMockUser(roles = "USER")
  void shouldDenyUserFromApprovingOrder() {
    OrderService service = new OrderService();
    
    assertThatThrownBy(() -> service.approveOrder(1L))
      .isInstanceOf(AccessDeniedException.class);
  }
}

Testing Controller Security with MockMvc

Secure REST Endpoints

@RestController
@RequestMapping("/api/admin")
public class AdminController {

  @GetMapping("/users")
  @PreAuthorize("hasRole('ADMIN')")
  public List<UserDto> listAllUsers() {
    // logic
  }

  @DeleteMapping("/users/{id}")
  @PreAuthorize("hasRole('ADMIN')")
  public void deleteUser(@PathVariable Long id) {
    // delete logic
  }
}

// Testing with MockMvc
import org.springframework.security.test.context.support.WithMockUser;
import static org.springframework.security.test.web.servlet.request.SecurityMockMvcRequestPostProcessors.*;
import static org.springframework.test.web.servlet.request.MockMvcRequestBuilders.*;
import static org.springframework.test.web.servlet.result.MockMvcResultMatchers.*;

class AdminControllerSecurityTest {

  private MockMvc mockMvc;

  @BeforeEach
  void setUp() {
    mockMvc = MockMvcBuilders
      .standaloneSetup(new AdminController())
      .apply(springSecurity())
      .build();
  }

  @Test
  @WithMockUser(roles = "ADMIN")
  void shouldAllowAdminToListUsers() throws Exception {
    mockMvc.perform(get("/api/admin/users"))
      .andExpect(status().isOk());
  }

  @Test
  @WithMockUser(roles = "USER")
  void shouldDenyUserFromListingUsers() throws Exception {
    mockMvc.perform(get("/api/admin/users"))
      .andExpect(status().isForbidden());
  }

  @Test
  void shouldDenyAnonymousAccessToAdminEndpoint() throws Exception {
    mockMvc.perform(get("/api/admin/users"))
      .andExpect(status().isUnauthorized());
  }

  @Test
  @WithMockUser(roles = "ADMIN")
  void shouldAllowAdminToDeleteUser() throws Exception {
    mockMvc.perform(delete("/api/admin/users/1"))
      .andExpect(status().isOk());
  }
}

Testing Expression-Based Authorization

Complex Permission Expressions

@Service
public class DocumentService {

  @PreAuthorize("hasRole('ADMIN') or authentication.principal.username == #owner")
  public Document getDocument(String owner, Long docId) {
    // get document
  }

  @PreAuthorize("hasPermission(#docId, 'Document', 'WRITE')")
  public void updateDocument(Long docId, String content) {
    // update logic
  }

  @PreAuthorize("#userId == authentication.principal.id")
  public UserProfile getUserProfile(Long userId) {
    // get profile
  }
}

class ExpressionBasedSecurityTest {

  @Test
  @WithMockUser(username = "alice", roles = "ADMIN")
  void shouldAllowAdminToAccessAnyDocument() {
    DocumentService service = new DocumentService();
    
    assertThatCode(() -> service.getDocument("bob", 1L))
      .doesNotThrowAnyException();
  }

  @Test
  @WithMockUser(username = "alice")
  void shouldAllowOwnerToAccessOwnDocument() {
    DocumentService service = new DocumentService();
    
    assertThatCode(() -> service.getDocument("alice", 1L))
      .doesNotThrowAnyException();
  }

  @Test
  @WithMockUser(username = "alice")
  void shouldDenyUserAccessToOtherUserDocument() {
    DocumentService service = new DocumentService();
    
    assertThatThrownBy(() -> service.getDocument("bob", 1L))
      .isInstanceOf(AccessDeniedException.class);
  }

  @Test
  @WithMockUser(username = "alice", id = "1")
  void shouldAllowUserToAccessOwnProfile() {
    DocumentService service = new DocumentService();
    
    assertThatCode(() -> service.getUserProfile(1L))
      .doesNotThrowAnyException();
  }

  @Test
  @WithMockUser(username = "alice", id = "1")
  void shouldDenyUserAccessToOtherProfile() {
    DocumentService service = new DocumentService();
    
    assertThatThrownBy(() -> service.getUserProfile(999L))
      .isInstanceOf(AccessDeniedException.class);
  }
}

Testing Custom Permission Evaluator

Create and Test Custom Permission Logic

// Custom permission evaluator
@Component
public class DocumentPermissionEvaluator implements PermissionEvaluator {

  private final DocumentRepository documentRepository;

  public DocumentPermissionEvaluator(DocumentRepository documentRepository) {
    this.documentRepository = documentRepository;
  }

  @Override
  public boolean hasPermission(Authentication authentication, Object targetDomainObject, Object permission) {
    if (authentication == null) return false;
    
    Document document = (Document) targetDomainObject;
    String userUsername = authentication.getName();
    
    return document.getOwner().getUsername().equals(userUsername) ||
           userHasRole(authentication, "ADMIN");
  }

  @Override
  public boolean hasPermission(Authentication authentication, Serializable targetId, String targetType, Object permission) {
    if (authentication == null) return false;
    if (!"Document".equals(targetType)) return false;

    Document document = documentRepository.findById((Long) targetId).orElse(null);
    if (document == null) return false;

    return hasPermission(authentication, document, permission);
  }

  private boolean userHasRole(Authentication authentication, String role) {
    return authentication.getAuthorities().stream()
      .anyMatch(auth -> auth.getAuthority().equals("ROLE_" + role));
  }
}

// Unit test for custom evaluator
class DocumentPermissionEvaluatorTest {

  private DocumentPermissionEvaluator evaluator;
  private DocumentRepository documentRepository;
  private Authentication adminAuth;
  private Authentication userAuth;
  private Document document;

  @BeforeEach
  void setUp() {
    documentRepository = mock(DocumentRepository.class);
    evaluator = new DocumentPermissionEvaluator(documentRepository);

    document = new Document(1L, "Test Doc", new User("alice"));

    adminAuth = new UsernamePasswordAuthenticationToken(
      "admin",
      null,
      List.of(new SimpleGrantedAuthority("ROLE_ADMIN"))
    );

    userAuth = new UsernamePasswordAuthenticationToken(
      "alice",
      null,
      List.of(new SimpleGrantedAuthority("ROLE_USER"))
    );
  }

  @Test
  void shouldGrantPermissionToDocumentOwner() {
    boolean hasPermission = evaluator.hasPermission(userAuth, document, "WRITE");
    
    assertThat(hasPermission).isTrue();
  }

  @Test
  void shouldDenyPermissionToNonOwner() {
    Authentication otherUserAuth = new UsernamePasswordAuthenticationToken(
      "bob",
      null,
      List.of(new SimpleGrantedAuthority("ROLE_USER"))
    );

    boolean hasPermission = evaluator.hasPermission(otherUserAuth, document, "WRITE");
    
    assertThat(hasPermission).isFalse();
  }

  @Test
  void shouldGrantPermissionToAdmin() {
    boolean hasPermission = evaluator.hasPermission(adminAuth, document, "WRITE");
    
    assertThat(hasPermission).isTrue();
  }

  @Test
  void shouldDenyNullAuthentication() {
    boolean hasPermission = evaluator.hasPermission(null, document, "WRITE");
    
    assertThat(hasPermission).isFalse();
  }
}

Testing Multiple Roles

Parameterized Role Testing

import org.junit.jupiter.params.ParameterizedTest;
import org.junit.jupiter.params.provider.ValueSource;

class RoleBasedAccessTest {

  private AdminService service;

  @BeforeEach
  void setUp() {
    service = new AdminService();
  }

  @ParameterizedTest
  @ValueSource(strings = {"ADMIN", "SUPER_ADMIN", "SYSTEM"})
  @WithMockUser(roles = "ADMIN")
  void shouldAllowPrivilegedRolesToDeleteUser(String role) {
    assertThatCode(() -> service.deleteUser(1L))
      .doesNotThrowAnyException();
  }

  @ParameterizedTest
  @ValueSource(strings = {"USER", "GUEST", "READONLY"})
  void shouldDenyUnprivilegedRolesToDeleteUser(String role) {
    assertThatThrownBy(() -> service.deleteUser(1L))
      .isInstanceOf(AccessDeniedException.class);
  }
}

Best Practices

• Use @WithMockUser for setting authenticated user context
• Test both allow and deny cases for each security rule
• Test with different roles to verify role-based decisions
• Test expression-based security comprehensively
• Mock external dependencies (permission evaluators, etc.)
• Test anonymous access separately from authenticated access
• Use @EnableGlobalMethodSecurity in configuration for method-level security

Common Pitfalls

• Forgetting to enable method security in test configuration
• Not testing both allow and deny scenarios
• Testing framework code instead of authorization logic
• Not handling null authentication in tests
• Mixing authentication and authorization tests unnecessarily

Troubleshooting

AccessDeniedException not thrown: Ensure @EnableGlobalMethodSecurity(prePostEnabled = true) is configured.

@WithMockUser not working: Verify Spring Security test dependencies are on classpath.

Custom PermissionEvaluator not invoked: Check @EnableGlobalMethodSecurity(securedEnabled = true, prePostEnabled = true).

References

• Spring Security Method Security
• Spring Security Testing
• @WithMockUser Documentation