# Spring Security 6 > Migrate Spring Security 5 to Spring Security 6 configuration. Use when removing WebSecurityConfigurerAdapter, replacing @EnableGlobalMethodSecurity with @EnableMethodSecurity, converting antMatchers to requestMatchers, or updating to lambda DSL configuration style. Covers SecurityFilterChain beans and authentication manager changes. Use when this capability is needed. - Skill: `tomevault-io/spring-security-6` (Agent Skill, multi-file: 2 files) - Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add tomevault-io/spring-security-6` - Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/tomevault-io/spring-security-6/raw - Safety review: pending (external: skill-scanner PASS, skillspector PASS) - Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex - Category: Security - Author: tomevault-io (https://skillmd.com/u/tomevault-io) - Updated: 2026-09-17 - Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/tomevault-io/spring-security-6 --- # Spring Security 6 Migration Skill ## Overview Spring Security 6 (included in Spring Boot 3) removes the deprecated `WebSecurityConfigurerAdapter` and introduces a component-based configuration approach using `SecurityFilterChain` beans. ## Key Changes ### 1. Remove WebSecurityConfigurerAdapter The biggest change is moving from class extension to bean configuration. #### Before (Spring Security 5 / Spring Boot 2) ```java @Configuration @EnableWebSecurity @EnableGlobalMethodSecurity(prePostEnabled = true) public class SecurityConfig extends WebSecurityConfigurerAdapter { @Autowired private UserDetailsService userDetailsService; @Override protected void configure(AuthenticationManagerBuilder auth) throws Exception { auth.userDetailsService(userDetailsService) .passwordEncoder(passwordEncoder()); } @Override protected void configure(HttpSecurity http) throws Exception { http .csrf().disable() .sessionManagement() .sessionCreationPolicy(SessionCreationPolicy.STATELESS) .and() .authorizeRequests() .antMatchers("/api/public/**").permitAll() .anyRequest().authenticated(); } @Bean @Override public AuthenticationManager authenticationManagerBean() throws Exception { return super.authenticationManagerBean(); } } ``` #### After (Spring Security 6 / Spring Boot 3) ```java @Configuration @EnableWebSecurity @EnableMethodSecurity(prePostEnabled = true) public class SecurityConfig { @Bean public SecurityFilterChain securityFilterChain(HttpSecurity http) throws Exception { http .csrf(csrf -> csrf.disable()) .sessionManagement(session -> session.sessionCreationPolicy(SessionCreationPolicy.STATELESS)) .authorizeHttpRequests(auth -> auth .requestMatchers("/api/public/**").permitAll() .anyRequest().authenticated() ); return http.build(); } @Bean public AuthenticationManager authenticationManager( AuthenticationConfiguration authConfig) throws Exception { return authConfig.getAuthenticationManager(); } @Bean public PasswordEncoder passwordEncoder() { return new BCryptPasswordEncoder(); } } ``` ### 2. Method Security Annotation Change (CRITICAL) **This is a required change.** The `@EnableGlobalMethodSecurity` annotation is **removed** in Spring Security 6 and must be replaced with `@EnableMethodSecurity`. ```java // BEFORE (Spring Security 5 / Spring Boot 2) - WILL NOT COMPILE in Spring Boot 3 @EnableGlobalMethodSecurity(prePostEnabled = true) // AFTER (Spring Security 6 / Spring Boot 3) - REQUIRED @EnableMethodSecurity(prePostEnabled = true) ``` #### Import Change ```java // BEFORE import org.springframework.security.config.annotation.method.configuration.EnableGlobalMethodSecurity; // AFTER import org.springframework.security.config.annotation.method.configuration.EnableMethodSecurity; ``` #### Quick Migration Command ```bash # Replace the annotation in all Java files find . -name "*.java" -type f -exec sed -i 's/@EnableGlobalMethodSecurity/@EnableMethodSecurity/g' {} + # Also update the import statement find . -name "*.java" -type f -exec sed -i 's/EnableGlobalMethodSecurity/EnableMethodSecurity/g' {} + ``` #### Verify @EnableMethodSecurity Is Present After migration, confirm the new annotation exists: ```bash # This should return results showing your security config class grep -r "@EnableMethodSecurity" --include="*.java" . ``` If this returns no results but you're using method-level security (`@PreAuthorize`, `@PostAuthorize`, etc.), the migration is incomplete. ### 3. Lambda DSL Configuration Spring Security 6 uses lambda-based configuration: ```java // Before (chained methods) http .csrf().disable() .cors().and() .sessionManagement().sessionCreationPolicy(SessionCreationPolicy.STATELESS) .and() .authorizeRequests() .antMatchers("/public/**").permitAll() .anyRequest().authenticated(); // After (lambda DSL) http .csrf(csrf -> csrf.disable()) .cors(cors -> cors.configurationSource(corsConfigurationSource())) .sessionManagement(session -> session.sessionCreationPolicy(SessionCreationPolicy.STATELESS)) .authorizeHttpRequests(auth -> auth .requestMatchers("/public/**").permitAll() .anyRequest().authenticated() ); ``` ### 4. URL Matching Changes `antMatchers()` is replaced with `requestMatchers()`: ```java // Before .antMatchers("/api/**").authenticated() .antMatchers(HttpMethod.POST, "/api/users").permitAll() // After .requestMatchers("/api/**").authenticated() .requestMatchers(HttpMethod.POST, "/api/users").permitAll() ``` ### 5. Exception Handling ```java // Before .exceptionHandling() .authenticationEntryPoint((request, response, ex) -> { response.sendError(HttpServletResponse.SC_UNAUTHORIZED); }) .and() // After .exceptionHandling(ex -> ex .authenticationEntryPoint((request, response, authException) -> { response.sendError(HttpServletResponse.SC_UNAUTHORIZED, authException.getMessage()); }) ) ``` ### 6. Headers Configuration ```java // Before .headers().frameOptions().disable() // After .headers(headers -> headers .frameOptions(frame -> frame.disable()) ) ``` ### 7. UserDetailsService Configuration ```java // The UserDetailsService bean is auto-detected // No need to explicitly configure in AuthenticationManagerBuilder @Service public class CustomUserDetailsService implements UserDetailsService { @Override public UserDetails loadUserByUsername(String username) { // Implementation } } ``` ## Complete Migration Example ### Before (Spring Boot 2.x) ```java @Configuration @EnableWebSecurity @EnableGlobalMethodSecurity(prePostEnabled = true) public class SecurityConfig extends WebSecurityConfigurerAdapter { @Autowired private UserDetailsService userDetailsService; @Bean public PasswordEncoder passwordEncoder() { return new BCryptPasswordEncoder(); } @Override protected void configure(AuthenticationManagerBuilder auth) throws Exception { auth.userDetailsService(userDetailsService) .passwordEncoder(passwordEncoder()); } @Override @Bean public AuthenticationManager authenticationManagerBean() throws Exception { return super.authenticationManagerBean(); } @Override protected void configure(HttpSecurity http) throws Exception { http .csrf().disable() .sessionManagement() .sessionCreationPolicy(SessionCreationPolicy.STATELESS) .and() .exceptionHandling() .authenticationEntryPoint((request, response, ex) -> { response.sendError(HttpServletResponse.SC_UNAUTHORIZED, ex.getMessage()); }) .and() .authorizeRequests() .antMatchers(HttpMethod.POST, "/api/users").permitAll() .antMatchers("/api/auth/**").permitAll() .antMatchers("/h2-console/**").permitAll() .antMatchers("/actuator/health").permitAll() .anyRequest().authenticated() .and() .headers().frameOptions().disable(); } } ``` ### After (Spring Boot 3.x) ```java @Configuration @EnableWebSecurity @EnableMethodSecurity(prePostEnabled = true) public class SecurityConfig { @Bean public PasswordEncoder passwordEncoder() { return new BCryptPasswordEncoder(); } @Bean public AuthenticationManager authenticationManager( AuthenticationConfiguration authConfig) throws Exception { return authConfig.getAuthenticationManager(); } @Bean public SecurityFilterChain securityFilterChain(HttpSecurity http) throws Exception { http .csrf(csrf -> csrf.disable()) .sessionManagement(session -> session.sessionCreationPolicy(SessionCreationPolicy.STATELESS)) .exceptionHandling(ex -> ex .authenticationEntryPoint((request, response, authException) -> { response.sendError(HttpServletResponse.SC_UNAUTHORIZED, authException.getMessage()); }) ) .authorizeHttpRequests(auth -> auth .requestMatchers(HttpMethod.POST, "/api/users").permitAll() .requestMatchers("/api/auth/**").permitAll() .requestMatchers("/h2-console/**").permitAll() .requestMatchers("/actuator/health").permitAll() .anyRequest().authenticated() ) .headers(headers -> headers .frameOptions(frame -> frame.disable()) ); return http.build(); } } ``` ## Servlet Namespace Change Don't forget the servlet import change: ```java // Before import javax.servlet.http.HttpServletResponse; // After import jakarta.servlet.http.HttpServletResponse; ``` ## Testing Security Update security test annotations if needed: ```java @SpringBootTest @AutoConfigureMockMvc class SecurityTests { @Test @WithMockUser(roles = "ADMIN") void adminEndpoint_withAdminUser_shouldSucceed() { // Test implementation } } ``` ## Migration Commands Summary ### Step 1: Remove WebSecurityConfigurerAdapter ```bash # Find classes extending WebSecurityConfigurerAdapter grep -r "extends WebSecurityConfigurerAdapter" --include="*.java" . # The class must be refactored - cannot be automated with sed ``` ### Step 2: Replace Method Security Annotation ```bash # Replace @EnableGlobalMethodSecurity with @EnableMethodSecurity find . -name "*.java" -type f -exec sed -i 's/@EnableGlobalMethodSecurity/@EnableMethodSecurity/g' {} + # Update import find . -name "*.java" -type f -exec sed -i 's/import org.springframework.security.config.annotation.method.configuration.EnableGlobalMethodSecurity/import org.springframework.security.config.annotation.method.configuration.EnableMethodSecurity/g' {} + ``` ### Step 3: Replace antMatchers with requestMatchers ```bash # Replace antMatchers find . -name "*.java" -type f -exec sed -i 's/\.antMatchers(/.requestMatchers(/g' {} + # Replace mvcMatchers find . -name "*.java" -type f -exec sed -i 's/\.mvcMatchers(/.requestMatchers(/g' {} + # Replace regexMatchers find . -name "*.java" -type f -exec sed -i 's/\.regexMatchers(/.requestMatchers(/g' {} + ``` ### Step 4: Replace authorizeRequests with authorizeHttpRequests ```bash find . -name "*.java" -type f -exec sed -i 's/\.authorizeRequests(/.authorizeHttpRequests(/g' {} + ``` ## Verification Commands ### Verify No Deprecated Patterns Remain ```bash # Should return NO results grep -r "WebSecurityConfigurerAdapter" --include="*.java" . grep -r "@EnableGlobalMethodSecurity" --include="*.java" . grep -r "\.antMatchers(" --include="*.java" . grep -r "\.authorizeRequests(" --include="*.java" . ``` ### Verify New Patterns Are Present ```bash # Should return results grep -r "@EnableMethodSecurity" --include="*.java" . grep -r "SecurityFilterChain" --include="*.java" . grep -r "\.requestMatchers(" --include="*.java" . grep -r "\.authorizeHttpRequests(" --include="*.java" . ``` ## Common Migration Pitfalls 1. **@Configuration is now required separately** - Before Spring Security 6, `@Configuration` was part of `@EnableWebSecurity`. Now you must add it explicitly. 2. **Lambda DSL is mandatory** - The old chained method style (`http.csrf().disable().and()...`) is deprecated and must be converted to lambda style. 3. **AuthenticationManager injection changed** - Use `AuthenticationConfiguration.getAuthenticationManager()` instead of overriding `authenticationManagerBean()`. 4. **UserDetailsService auto-detection** - Spring Security 6 automatically detects `UserDetailsService` beans; no need for explicit configuration. 5. **Method security default changes** - `@EnableMethodSecurity` enables `@PreAuthorize` and `@PostAuthorize` by default (unlike the old annotation). ## Sources - [Baeldung - Migrate from Spring Security 5 to 6](https://www.baeldung.com/spring-security-migrate-5-to-6) - [Baeldung - Upgrading Deprecated WebSecurityConfigurerAdapter](https://www.baeldung.com/spring-deprecated-websecurityconfigureradapter) - [Spring Security 6 Reference](https://docs.spring.io/spring-security/reference/) --- > Converted and distributed by [TomeVault](https://tomevault.io/claim/benchflow-ai) — claim your Tome and manage your conversions.