Solving the Mysterious “Spring Authorization Server – Failed making field ‘java.time.Instant#seconds’ accessible” Error

If you’re reading this, chances are you’ve stumbled upon the frustrating “Failed making field ‘java.time.Instant#seconds’ accessible” error while working with the Spring Authorization Server. Don’t worry, you’re not alone! In this article, we’ll dive into the root causes of this issue and provide you with a step-by-step guide to resolve it once and for all.

What’s behind the error?

The “Failed making field ‘java.time.Instant#seconds’ accessible” error typically occurs when the Spring Authorization Server is trying to serialize an instance of the `java.time.Instant` class, but it can’t access the `seconds` field. This field is part of the `Instant` class, which was introduced in Java 8.

The error often manifests itself when you’re trying to use the Spring Authorization Server with OAuth 2.0 or OpenID Connect. You might see something like this in your logs:

java.lang.SecurityException: Failed making field java.time.Instant#seconds accessible
at java.base/java.lang.reflect.AccessibleObject.setAccessible0(Native Method)
at java.base/java.lang.reflect.AccessibleObject.setAccessible(AccessibleObject.java:71)
at com.fasterxml.jackson.databind.util.BeanUtil.getters(BeanUtil.java:212)
at com.fasterxml.jackson.databind.deser.BeanDeserializerFactory.createBeanDeserializer(BeanDeserializerFactory.java:150)
at com.fasterxml.jackson.databind.deser.DeserializerCache._createDeserializer(DeserializerCache.java:192)
at com.fasterxml.jackson.databind.deser.DeserializerCache._createAndCache(DeserializerCache.java:171)
at com.fasterxml.jackson.databind.deser.DeserializerCache.findValueDeserializer(DeserializerCache.java:144)
at com.fasterxml.jackson.databind.DeserializationContext.findContextualValueDeserializer(DeserializationContext.java:174)
at com.fasterxml.jackson.databind.ObjectMapper._findAndCacheDeserializer(ObjectMapper.java:3440)
at com.fasterxml.jackson.databind.ObjectMapper._readValue(ObjectMapper.java:3363)
at com.fasterxml.jackson.databind.ObjectMapper.readValue(ObjectMapper.java:1988)
at org.springframework.security.oauth2.server.authorization.jackson2.JsonObjectMapperConfigurer$OAuth2Jackson2ObjectMapper.readValue(JsonObjectMapperConfigurer.java:134)
...

Causes of the error

There are two primary reasons why you might encounter this error:

• Java version mismatch: The `java.time.Instant` class was introduced in Java 8. If you’re running an earlier version of Java, you might see this error.
• Jackson serialization issue: The Spring Authorization Server uses Jackson for serialization. If Jackson is not properly configured or is missing the required dependencies, it can lead to this error.

Solution 1: Upgrade to Java 8 or later

If you’re running an earlier version of Java, upgrading to Java 8 or later should resolve the issue. You can check your Java version by running the following command in your terminal:

java -version

If you’re using an earlier version, you can download and install the latest version of Java from the official Oracle website.

Solution 2: Configure Jackson serialization

If you’re already running Java 8 or later, the issue might be related to Jackson serialization. Here are a few things you can try:

Step 1: Add the Jackson dependencies

Make sure you have the following dependencies in your `pom.xml` file (if you’re using Maven) or your `build.gradle` file (if you’re using Gradle):

<dependency>
  <groupId>com.fasterxml.jackson.core</groupId>
  <artifactId>jackson-databind</artifactId>
  <version>2.12.3</version>
</dependency>
<dependency>
  <groupId>com.fasterxml.jackson.datatype</groupId>
  <artifactId>jackson-datatype-jsr310</artifactId>
  <version>2.12.3</version>
</dependency>

dependencies {
  implementation 'com.fasterxml.jackson.core:jackson-databind:2.12.3'
  implementation 'com.fasterxml.jackson.datatype:jackson-datatype-jsr310:2.12.3'
}

Step 2: Configure Jackson’sSerializationFeature

In your Spring configuration file, add the following code to configure Jackson’s serialization feature:

@Bean
public ObjectMapper objectMapper() {
  ObjectMapper mapper = new ObjectMapper();
  mapper.enable(SerializationFeature.WRITE_DATES_AS_TIMESTAMPS);
  return mapper;
}

Step 3: Use the custom ObjectMapper

Finally, make sure you’re using the custom `ObjectMapper` instance in your Spring Authorization Server configuration:

@Bean
public AuthorizationServerConfigurer authorizationServerConfigurer() {
  return new CustomAuthorizationServerConfigurer(objectMapper());
}

class CustomAuthorizationServerConfigurer extends AuthorizationServerConfigurerAdapter {
  private final ObjectMapper objectMapper;
  
  public CustomAuthorizationServerConfigurer(ObjectMapper objectMapper) {
    this.objectMapper = objectMapper;
  }
  
  @Override
  public void configure(AuthorizationServerSettings settings) {
    settings.setJsonObjectMapperConfigurer(new JsonObjectMapperConfigurer(objectMapper));
  }
}

Additional tips and troubleshooting

If you’re still experiencing issues, here are a few additional tips to help you troubleshoot:

• Check your Java EE version: Make sure you’re running a compatible version of Java EE. If you’re using an older version, consider upgrading.
• Verify your dependencies: Double-check that you have the correct dependencies in your `pom.xml` or `build.gradle` file.
• Check for conflicting dependencies: If you’re using other serialization libraries, they might be conflicting with Jackson. Try excluding them or using a different version.
• Enable debug logging: Enable debug logging for the Spring Authorization Server and Jackson to get more detailed error messages.

Conclusion

The “Failed making field ‘java.time.Instant#seconds’ accessible” error can be frustrating, but it’s usually related to a simple configuration issue or a Java version mismatch. By following the steps outlined in this article, you should be able to resolve the issue and get your Spring Authorization Server up and running.

Remember to stay calm, take a deep breath, and methodically work through the solutions outlined above. If you’re still having trouble, feel free to ask for help in the comments or seek guidance from the Spring community.

Solution	Description
Upgrade to Java 8 or later	Resolve the issue by upgrading to a compatible version of Java.
Configure Jackson serialization	Configure Jackson serialization by adding the required dependencies and configuring the ObjectMapper.

Happy coding!

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