PrivateCredentialPermission (Java Platform SE 8 )
Keywords: javax.security.auth.PrivateCredentialPermission class
Date: 2026-08-19

compact1, compact2, compact3
javax.security.auth

## Class PrivateCredentialPermission

- java.lang.Object
- - java.security.Permission
  - - javax.security.auth.PrivateCredentialPermission

- All Implemented Interfaces:
    Serializable, Guard

      public final class PrivateCredentialPermission
      extends Permission

  This class is used to protect access to private Credentials belonging to a particular `Subject`. The `Subject` is represented by a Set of Principals.

  The target name of this `Permission` specifies a Credential class name, and a Set of Principals. The only valid value for this Permission's actions is, "read". The target name must abide by the following syntax:

            CredentialClass {PrincipalClass "PrincipalName"}*

  For example, the following permission grants access to the com.sun.PrivateCredential owned by Subjects which have a com.sun.Principal with the name, "duke". Note that although this example, as well as all the examples below, do not contain Codebase, SignedBy, or Principal information in the grant statement (for simplicity reasons), actual policy configurations should specify that information when appropriate.

          grant {
            permission javax.security.auth.PrivateCredentialPermission
                    "com.sun.PrivateCredential com.sun.Principal \"duke\"",
                    "read";
          };

  If CredentialClass is "*", then access is granted to all private Credentials belonging to the specified `Subject`. If "PrincipalName" is "*", then access is granted to the specified Credential owned by any `Subject` that has the specified `Principal` (the actual PrincipalName doesn't matter). For example, the following grants access to the a.b.Credential owned by any `Subject` that has an a.b.Principal.

          grant {
            permission javax.security.auth.PrivateCredentialPermission
                    "a.b.Credential a.b.Principal "*"",
                    "read";
          };

  If both the PrincipalClass and "PrincipalName" are "*", then access is granted to the specified Credential owned by any `Subject`.

  In addition, the PrincipalClass/PrincipalName pairing may be repeated:

          grant {
            permission javax.security.auth.PrivateCredentialPermission
                    "a.b.Credential a.b.Principal "duke" c.d.Principal "dukette"",
                    "read";
          };

  The above grants access to the private Credential, "a.b.Credential", belonging to a `Subject` with at least two associated Principals: "a.b.Principal" with the name, "duke", and "c.d.Principal", with the name, "dukette".
  See Also:
    Serialized Form

- - ### Constructor Summary

    Constructors
    Constructor and Description
    `PrivateCredentialPermission(String name, String actions)` Creates a new `PrivateCredentialPermission` with the specified `name`.

  - ### Method Summary

    All Methods Instance Methods Concrete Methods
    Modifier and Type | Method and Description
    --- | ---
    `boolean` | `equals(Object obj)` Checks two `PrivateCredentialPermission` objects for equality.
    `String` | `getActions()` Returns the "canonical string representation" of the actions.
    `String` | `getCredentialClass()` Returns the Class name of the Credential associated with this `PrivateCredentialPermission`.
    `String[][]` | `getPrincipals()` Returns the `Principal` classes and names associated with this `PrivateCredentialPermission`.
    `int` | `hashCode()` Returns the hash code value for this object.
    `boolean` | `implies(Permission p)` Checks if this `PrivateCredentialPermission` implies the specified `Permission`.
    `PermissionCollection` | `newPermissionCollection()` Return a homogeneous collection of PrivateCredentialPermissions in a `PermissionCollection`.

    - ### Methods inherited from class java.security.Permission

      `checkGuard, getName, toString`

    - ### Methods inherited from class java.lang.Object

      `clone, finalize, getClass, notify, notifyAll, wait, wait, wait`

- - ### Constructor Detail

    - #### PrivateCredentialPermission

          public PrivateCredentialPermission(String name,
                                             String actions)

      Creates a new `PrivateCredentialPermission` with the specified `name`. The `name` specifies both a Credential class and a `Principal` Set.

      Parameters:
        `name` - the name specifying the Credential class and `Principal` Set.

        `actions` - the actions specifying that the Credential can be read.
      Throws:
        `IllegalArgumentException` - if `name` does not conform to the correct syntax or if `actions` is not "read".

  - ### Method Detail

    - #### getCredentialClass

          public String getCredentialClass()

      Returns the Class name of the Credential associated with this `PrivateCredentialPermission`.

      Returns:
        the Class name of the Credential associated with this `PrivateCredentialPermission`.

    - #### getPrincipals

          public String[][] getPrincipals()

      Returns the `Principal` classes and names associated with this `PrivateCredentialPermission`. The information is returned as a two-dimensional array (array[x][y]). The 'x' value corresponds to the number of `Principal` class and name pairs. When (y==0), it corresponds to the `Principal` class value, and when (y==1), it corresponds to the `Principal` name value. For example, array[0][0] corresponds to the class name of the first `Principal` in the array. array[0][1] corresponds to the `Principal` name of the first `Principal` in the array.

      Returns:
        the `Principal` class and names associated with this `PrivateCredentialPermission`.

    - #### implies

          public boolean implies(Permission p)

      Checks if this `PrivateCredentialPermission` implies the specified `Permission`.

      This method returns true if:

      - p is an instanceof PrivateCredentialPermission and
      - the target name for p is implied by this object's target name. For example:

              [* P1 "duke"] implies [a.b.Credential P1 "duke"].
              [C1 P1 "duke"] implies [C1 P1 "duke" P2 "dukette"].
              [C1 P2 "dukette"] implies [C1 P1 "duke" P2 "dukette"].

      Specified by:
        `implies` in class `Permission`
      Parameters:
        `p` - the `Permission` to check against.
      Returns:
        true if this `PrivateCredentialPermission` implies the specified `Permission`, false if not.

    - #### equals

          public boolean equals(Object obj)

      Checks two `PrivateCredentialPermission` objects for equality. Checks that obj is a `PrivateCredentialPermission`, and has the same credential class as this object, as well as the same Principals as this object. The order of the Principals in the respective Permission's target names is not relevant.

      Specified by:
        `equals` in class `Permission`
      Parameters:
        `obj` - the object we are testing for equality with this object.
      Returns:
        true if obj is a `PrivateCredentialPermission`, has the same credential class as this object, and has the same Principals as this object.
      See Also:
        `Object.hashCode()`, `HashMap`

    - #### hashCode

          public int hashCode()

      Returns the hash code value for this object.
      Specified by:
        `hashCode` in class `Permission`
      Returns:
        a hash code value for this object.
      See Also:
        `Object.equals(java.lang.Object)`, `System.identityHashCode(java.lang.Object)`

    - #### getActions

          public String getActions()

      Returns the "canonical string representation" of the actions. This method always returns the String, "read".

      Specified by:
        `getActions` in class `Permission`
      Returns:
        the actions (always returns "read").

    - #### newPermissionCollection

          public PermissionCollection newPermissionCollection()

      Return a homogeneous collection of PrivateCredentialPermissions in a `PermissionCollection`. No such `PermissionCollection` is defined, so this method always returns `null`.

      Overrides:
        `newPermissionCollection` in class `Permission`
      Returns:
        null in all cases.

Submit a bug or feature
For further API reference and developer documentation, see Java SE Documentation. That documentation contains more detailed, developer-targeted descriptions, with conceptual overviews, definitions of terms, workarounds, and working code examples.
Copyright © 1993, 2026, Oracle and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved. Use is subject to license terms. Also see the documentation redistribution policy.