Spring Boot 4 Microservices & REST APIs · Lesson

Securing Actuator Endpoints

Protect sensitive operational endpoints.

Securing Actuator Endpoints is a free Spring Boot 4 Microservices & REST APIs lesson on CoddyKit — lesson 4 of 4. You can read the complete lesson below for free — then practise it hands-on in the browser with a built-in code editor and a 24/7 AI tutor. It is part of the Spring Boot 4 Microservices & REST APIs learning path, one of 4 lessons in the course, and your progress syncs across the web and the CoddyKit app.

Why Actuator Needs Securing

Actuator endpoints can reveal environment variables, beans, mappings, and even heap dumps. Left open, they leak sensitive information and may allow dangerous operations like shutdown. They must be protected in production.

Minimize the Attack Surface First

Security starts with exposure. Expose only the endpoints operators truly need over HTTP, and exclude sensitive ones like env, beans, and heapdump.

management:
  endpoints:
    web:
      exposure:
        include: health,info,prometheus
        exclude: env,beans,heapdump,threaddump

Adding Spring Security

To authenticate access, add Spring Security. Once on the classpath, it secures the application — including Actuator endpoints — and you define the rules.

<!-- pom.xml -->
<dependency>
  <groupId>org.springframework.boot</groupId>
  <artifactId>spring-boot-starter-security</artifactId>
</dependency>

The EndpointRequest Matcher

Spring Boot provides EndpointRequest matchers so your security config can target Actuator endpoints precisely, without hardcoding the /actuator path.

import static org.springframework.boot.actuate.autoconfigure.security.servlet.EndpointRequest.*;
// EndpointRequest.toAnyEndpoint()
// EndpointRequest.to("health", "info")

Locking Down the Endpoints

A typical policy: allow health and info anonymously (for probes), but require an authenticated role for everything else.

@Bean
SecurityFilterChain actuatorSecurity(HttpSecurity http) throws Exception {
    http.securityMatcher(EndpointRequest.toAnyEndpoint())
        .authorizeHttpRequests(a -> a
            .requestMatchers(EndpointRequest.to("health", "info")).permitAll()
            .anyRequest().hasRole("ADMIN"))
        .httpBasic(Customizer.withDefaults());
    return http.build();
}

Role-Based Access

Restrict management endpoints to an operations role such as ADMIN. Combine with your existing user store — in-memory for demos, a real identity provider in production.

@Bean
UserDetailsService users(PasswordEncoder encoder) {
    UserDetails admin = User.withUsername("ops")
        .password(encoder.encode("change-me"))
        .roles("ADMIN").build();
    return new InMemoryUserDetailsManager(admin);
}

Isolating with a Management Port

Run Actuator on a separate port that is only reachable inside your network or cluster. Public traffic hits the app port; operators reach management through internal routing.

management:
  server:
    port: 8081
# expose 8081 only to the internal network / sidecar

Probes Without Credentials

Kubernetes probes call health/liveness and health/readiness without auth. Permit those specific paths while still protecting the rest of health details and other endpoints.

.requestMatchers(EndpointRequest.to("health")).permitAll()
// keep show-details restricted so anonymous probes see only status

Hiding Health Details

Even when health is public, do not leak component internals to anonymous callers. Set show-details to when-authorized so probes see only UP/DOWN.

management:
  endpoint:
    health:
      show-details: when-authorized

Disable Dangerous Endpoints

Some endpoints can change runtime state. Keep shutdown disabled, and avoid exposing heapdump or threaddump publicly, as they reveal memory contents and aid attackers.

management:
  endpoint:
    shutdown:
      enabled: false

Defense in Depth

No single control suffices. Combine measures:

Minimal exposure
Authentication and roles
Network isolation / separate port
Restricted health details

Quick Check

Test your understanding of securing Actuator.

Recap

Treat Actuator as a security perimeter.

Expose minimally; exclude env, beans, heapdump
Add Spring Security and use EndpointRequest matchers
Permit health/info for probes; require a role for the rest
Restrict show-details and disable shutdown
Isolate via a separate management port

Frequently asked questions

Is the “Securing Actuator Endpoints” lesson free?

Yes — the full text of “Securing Actuator Endpoints” is free to read here on the web, and the Spring Boot 4 Microservices & REST APIs course includes 4 lessons in total. To practise it interactively (a built-in code editor and a 24/7 AI tutor) and unlock the rest of the Spring Boot 4 Microservices & REST APIs course, upgrade to CoddyKit PRO.

What will I learn in “Securing Actuator Endpoints”?

Protect sensitive operational endpoints. You practise Spring Boot 4 Microservices & REST APIs with hands-on code you run directly in the browser, and a 24/7 AI tutor answers your questions as you work through the lesson.

Do I need any experience to start Spring Boot 4 Microservices & REST APIs?

No prior experience is required. Spring Boot 4 Microservices & REST APIs on CoddyKit is structured for beginners through advanced learners; this is — lesson 4 of 4, so you can start here or from the beginning and move at your own pace.

How long does the “Securing Actuator Endpoints” lesson take?

Most CoddyKit lessons take about 5–10 minutes. Each one is bite-sized and interactive, so you make steady progress and pick up exactly where you left off across the web and the app.

Can I write and run code in this Spring Boot 4 Microservices & REST APIs lesson?

Yes. Every Spring Boot 4 Microservices & REST APIs lesson includes a built-in code editor, so you write and run real code right in your browser and get instant AI feedback — no local setup required.

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