java.lang.ClassNotFoundException when handling SOAP request with CXF on JBOSS

Question

We have a web service implemented with CXF and runs on JBoss 5.1. Recently we've upgraded the CXF from 2.3.1 to 2.5.9. We have also added WS-Policy to our service so the soap request that comes from the client includes a x509 certificate token. However while handling a request the framework throws ClassNotFoundException while trying to load org.apache.ws.security.components.crypto.Merlin, which is located in wss4j-1.6.9.jar. Here is the complete call stack of the exception:

java.lang.ClassNotFoundException: org.apache.ws.security.components.crypto.Merlin 
at java.net.URLClassLoader$1.run(URLClassLoader.java:200)
at java.security.AccessController.doPrivileged(Native Method)
at java.net.URLClassLoader.findClass(URLClassLoader.java:188)
at java.lang.ClassLoader.loadClass(ClassLoader.java:303)
at java.lang.ClassLoader.loadClass(ClassLoader.java:248)
at org.apache.ws.security.util.Loader.loadClass(Loader.java:252)
at org.apache.ws.security.util.Loader.loadClass(Loader.java:245)
at org.apache.ws.security.util.Loader.loadClass(Loader.java:239)
at org.apache.ws.security.components.crypto.CryptoFactory.getInstance(CryptoFactory.java:109)
at org.apache.ws.security.components.crypto.CryptoFactory.getInstance(CryptoFactory.java:78)
at org.apache.cxf.ws.security.wss4j.PolicyBasedWSS4JInInterceptor.getSignatureCrypto(PolicyBasedWSS4JInInterceptor.java:383)
at org.apache.cxf.ws.security.wss4j.PolicyBasedWSS4JInInterceptor.checkAsymmetricBinding(PolicyBasedWSS4JInInterceptor.java:221)
at org.apache.cxf.ws.security.wss4j.PolicyBasedWSS4JInInterceptor.computeAction(PolicyBasedWSS4JInInterceptor.java:585)
at org.apache.cxf.ws.security.wss4j.WSS4JInInterceptor.handleMessage(WSS4JInInterceptor.java:238)
at org.apache.cxf.ws.security.wss4j.WSS4JInInterceptor.handleMessage(WSS4JInInterceptor.java:100)
at org.apache.cxf.phase.PhaseInterceptorChain.doIntercept(PhaseInterceptorChain.java:263)
at org.apache.cxf.transport.ChainInitiationObserver.onMessage(ChainInitiationObserver.java:122)
at org.apache.cxf.transport.http.AbstractHTTPDestination.invoke(AbstractHTTPDestination.java:233)
at org.apache.cxf.transport.servlet.ServletController.invokeDestination(ServletController.java:209)
at org.apache.cxf.transport.servlet.ServletController.invoke(ServletController.java:189)
at org.apache.cxf.transport.servlet.CXFNonSpringServlet.invoke(CXFNonSpringServlet.java:129)
at org.apache.cxf.transport.servlet.AbstractHTTPServlet.handleRequest(AbstractHTTPServlet.java:223)
at org.apache.cxf.transport.servlet.AbstractHTTPServlet.doPost(AbstractHTTPServlet.java:143)
at javax.servlet.http.HttpServlet.service(HttpServlet.java:637)
at org.apache.cxf.transport.servlet.AbstractHTTPServlet.service(AbstractHTTPServlet.java:199)
at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:290)
at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:206)
at org.jboss.web.tomcat.filters.ReplyHeaderFilter.doFilter(ReplyHeaderFilter.java:96)
at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:235)
at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:206)
at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardWrapperValve.invoke(StandardWrapperValve.java:235)
at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardContextValve.invoke(StandardContextValve.java:191)
at org.jboss.web.tomcat.security.SecurityAssociationValve.invoke(SecurityAssociationValve.java:190)
at org.jboss.web.tomcat.security.JaccContextValve.invoke(JaccContextValve.java:92)
at org.jboss.web.tomcat.security.SecurityContextEstablishmentValve.process(SecurityContextEstablishmentValve.java:126)
at org.jboss.web.tomcat.security.SecurityContextEstablishmentValve.invoke(SecurityContextEstablishmentValve.java:70)
at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardHostValve.invoke(StandardHostValve.java:127)
at org.apache.catalina.valves.ErrorReportValve.invoke(ErrorReportValve.java:102)
at org.jboss.web.tomcat.service.jca.CachedConnectionValve.invoke(CachedConnectionValve.java:158)
at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardEngineValve.invoke(StandardEngineValve.java:109)
at org.apache.catalina.connector.CoyoteAdapter.service(CoyoteAdapter.java:330)
at org.apache.coyote.http11.Http11Processor.process(Http11Processor.java:829)
at org.apache.coyote.http11.Http11Protocol$Http11ConnectionHandler.process(Http11Protocol.java:598)
at org.apache.tomcat.util.net.JIoEndpoint$Worker.run(JIoEndpoint.java:447)
at java.lang.Thread.run(Thread.java:619)

The interesting thing is that other classes from the same JAR have been loaded successfully. For example org.apache.ws.security.util.Loader, which can be seen in the call stack. I have tried to put the JAR both in my WAR and in the JBoss lib folder but it didn't solve anything.

Any ideas?

Answer 1

Found the solution: The class name that is taken from the properties file had a trailing whitespace. Once removed the whitespace, the class loaded without a problem.