0Pricing
Spring Boot 4 Complete Guide · Lección

Seguridad de métodos con SpEL y voters personalizados

Aplique un control de acceso detallado mediante @PreAuthorize, expresiones SpEL y lógica de autorización personalizada.

Seguridad de métodos con SpEL y voters personalizados es una lección gratuita de Spring Boot 4 Complete Guide en CoddyKit. Esta es la lección 3 de 4. Puedes leer la lección completa abajo gratuitamente — luego la practicas en el navegador con un editor de código integrado y un tutor de IA 24/7. Forma parte de la ruta de aprendizaje de Spring Boot 4 Complete Guide, y tu progreso se sincroniza en la web y la app de CoddyKit. El curso de Spring Boot 4 Complete Guide incluye 4 lecciones en total.

Partes de esta lección aún no han sido traducidas y se muestran en inglés.

Why Method Security?

URL-based security (HttpSecurity matchers) guards entry points, but it cannot see the arguments a method receives or the object it returns. Method security closes that gap by enforcing rules right at the service layer.

  • Defense in depth — protection survives even if a controller forgets a check.
  • Fine-grained — decide based on parameters, return values, and the authenticated principal.
  • Reusable — the same secured service can be called from REST, GraphQL, or a message listener and stays protected.

In this lesson we enforce access with @PreAuthorize, SpEL expressions, and a custom authorization manager.

Enabling Method Security

In Spring Boot 4 / Spring Security 6, method security is opt-in. Add @EnableMethodSecurity to a configuration class. It activates the annotations through an AOP proxy.

  • prePostEnabled defaults to true — @PreAuthorize and @PostAuthorize work out of the box.
  • Set securedEnabled = true for the legacy @Secured, or jsr250Enabled = true for @RolesAllowed.

Note: the old @EnableGlobalMethodSecurity is removed — always use @EnableMethodSecurity.

import org.springframework.context.annotation.Configuration;
import org.springframework.security.config.annotation.method.configuration.EnableMethodSecurity;

@Configuration
@EnableMethodSecurity
public class MethodSecurityConfig {
    // prePostEnabled = true by default
    // @PreAuthorize / @PostAuthorize now active
}

@PreAuthorize with Roles and Authorities

@PreAuthorize evaluates a SpEL expression before the method runs. If it returns false, Spring throws AccessDeniedException and the body never executes.

  • hasRole('ADMIN') — checks the ROLE_ADMIN authority (the prefix is added for you).
  • hasAuthority('SCOPE_orders:write') — exact authority match, no prefix added.
  • hasAnyRole('ADMIN','MANAGER') and the boolean operators and / or / !.
import org.springframework.security.access.prepost.PreAuthorize;
import org.springframework.stereotype.Service;

@Service
public class AccountService {

    @PreAuthorize("hasRole('ADMIN')")
    public void closeAccount(Long accountId) {
        // only ROLE_ADMIN reaches here
    }

    @PreAuthorize("hasAnyRole('ADMIN','SUPPORT') or hasAuthority('SCOPE_accounts:write')")
    public void freezeAccount(Long accountId) {
        // ...
    }
}

Referencing Method Arguments with #

The real power of SpEL is reading method arguments. Prefix a parameter name with # to use it inside the expression. This lets you compare the principal's identity to the data being acted on.

  • authentication — the current Authentication object.
  • principal — the principal (often a UserDetails or JWT).
  • #username, #order.ownerId — method arguments and their properties.

Argument names require parameters compiled with -parameters (Spring Boot enables this by default).

import org.springframework.security.access.prepost.PreAuthorize;
import org.springframework.stereotype.Service;

@Service
public class ProfileService {

    // A user may edit only their own profile, unless they are an admin
    @PreAuthorize("#username == authentication.name or hasRole('ADMIN')")
    public void updateProfile(String username, ProfileDto dto) {
        // ...
    }
}

@PostAuthorize and returnObject

@PostAuthorize runs after the method returns and can inspect the result via returnObject. Use it when you must load the entity first to know who owns it.

  • Good for “you can read this record only if it belongs to you.”
  • The method body does execute, so avoid it for operations with side effects you must prevent.
  • On denial, the return value is discarded and AccessDeniedException is thrown.
import org.springframework.security.access.prepost.PostAuthorize;
import org.springframework.stereotype.Service;

@Service
public class DocumentService {

    @PostAuthorize("returnObject.ownerUsername == authentication.name or hasRole('ADMIN')")
    public Document findById(Long id) {
        return repository.findById(id).orElseThrow();
    }
}

@PreFilter and @PostFilter on Collections

Filtering annotations prune collections element by element instead of throwing. They use a special variable filterObject bound to each element.

  • @PreFilter — strips disallowed elements from a collection argument before the method runs.
  • @PostFilter — strips disallowed elements from the returned collection.
  • Use filterTarget when a method has more than one collection parameter.

Caution: post-filtering large result sets in memory can be costly — prefer filtering in the query when possible.

import org.springframework.security.access.prepost.PostFilter;
import org.springframework.stereotype.Service;
import java.util.List;

@Service
public class OrderService {

    // Caller sees only the orders they own (admins see all)
    @PostFilter("filterObject.ownerUsername == authentication.name or hasRole('ADMIN')")
    public List<Order> findRecentOrders() {
        return repository.findRecent();
    }
}

Calling a Bean from SpEL with @

When logic gets complex, push it into a Spring bean and call it from the expression using @beanName.method(...). This keeps annotations readable and the rule unit-testable.

  • The @ resolves a bean from the application context.
  • Pass authentication and method arguments straight into the bean method.
  • The method must return a boolean.
import org.springframework.security.core.Authentication;
import org.springframework.stereotype.Component;

@Component("projectAccess")
public class ProjectAccessEvaluator {

    public boolean canEdit(Authentication auth, Long projectId) {
        String user = auth.getName();
        return membershipRepository.isEditor(user, projectId);
    }
}

// Usage on a service method:
// @PreAuthorize("@projectAccess.canEdit(authentication, #projectId)")
// public void rename(Long projectId, String name) { ... }

PermissionEvaluator and hasPermission

SpEL exposes hasPermission(target, permission), which delegates to a PermissionEvaluator bean. It is the canonical hook for domain-object (ACL-style) authorization without inlining logic in every annotation.

  • hasPermission(#doc, 'WRITE') — passes the object and a permission key.
  • hasPermission(#id, 'com.app.Document', 'READ') — passes an id plus the type.
  • You register exactly one PermissionEvaluator via a MethodSecurityExpressionHandler.
import org.springframework.security.access.PermissionEvaluator;
import org.springframework.security.core.Authentication;
import java.io.Serializable;

public class DocumentPermissionEvaluator implements PermissionEvaluator {

    @Override
    public boolean hasPermission(Authentication auth, Object target, Object permission) {
        if (target instanceof Document doc) {
            return "WRITE".equals(permission)
                ? doc.getOwnerUsername().equals(auth.getName())
                : true; // READ allowed for all in this example
        }
        return false;
    }

    @Override
    public boolean hasPermission(Authentication auth, Serializable id,
                                 String type, Object permission) {
        return false; // resolve by id+type if needed
    }
}

Registering a Custom Expression Handler

To wire your PermissionEvaluator into SpEL, expose a DefaultMethodSecurityExpressionHandler bean and set the evaluator on it. Spring Security picks it up for all method annotations.

  • The bean name is not important; the type is.
  • You can also attach a custom RoleHierarchy here so hasRole respects inheritance.
import org.springframework.context.annotation.Bean;
import org.springframework.context.annotation.Configuration;
import org.springframework.security.access.expression.method.DefaultMethodSecurityExpressionHandler;
import org.springframework.security.config.annotation.method.configuration.EnableMethodSecurity;

@Configuration
@EnableMethodSecurity
public class ExpressionHandlerConfig {

    @Bean
    static DefaultMethodSecurityExpressionHandler expressionHandler() {
        var handler = new DefaultMethodSecurityExpressionHandler();
        handler.setPermissionEvaluator(new DocumentPermissionEvaluator());
        return handler;
    }
}

Custom AuthorizationManager (the New Voter)

Spring Security 6 replaced the legacy AccessDecisionVoter with the simpler AuthorizationManager<T>. For method security the type parameter is MethodInvocation. Implement check to return an AuthorizationDecision.

  • Return new AuthorizationDecision(true|false) — or null to abstain and let other managers decide.
  • Register it with @EnableMethodSecurity(prePostEnabled = false) plus an advisor, or combine managers with AuthorizationManagers.allOf(...).
import org.aopalliance.intercept.MethodInvocation;
import org.springframework.security.authorization.AuthorizationDecision;
import org.springframework.security.authorization.AuthorizationManager;
import org.springframework.security.core.Authentication;
import java.util.function.Supplier;

public class BusinessHoursAuthorizationManager
        implements AuthorizationManager<MethodInvocation> {

    @Override
    public AuthorizationDecision check(Supplier<Authentication> auth,
                                       MethodInvocation invocation) {
        int hour = java.time.LocalTime.now().getHour();
        boolean withinHours = hour >= 9 && hour < 18;
        return new AuthorizationDecision(withinHours);
    }
}

Pre vs Post: Choosing Correctly

Picking the wrong annotation either leaks data or blocks valid calls. A quick decision guide:

  • Rule depends only on arguments + principal → @PreAuthorize (fast, no side effects).
  • Rule depends on the loaded entity's ownership → @PostAuthorize.
  • Trimming a collection per-element → @PostFilter (or filter in the query).
  • Reusable domain-object rule → hasPermission + PermissionEvaluator.

Remember: @PostAuthorize and @PostFilter run the method body, so never rely on them to stop a mutating operation.

Quick Check

You have a method Document findById(Long id) that loads a document, and access should be granted only if the returned document's ownerUsername equals the caller, or the caller is an admin. Which annotation expresses this correctly?

Recap

You now enforce fine-grained access at the method layer:

  • @EnableMethodSecurity turns on annotation-driven checks (no more @EnableGlobalMethodSecurity).
  • @PreAuthorize guards before execution using SpEL: hasRole, hasAuthority, #args, and authentication.
  • @PostAuthorize inspects returnObject; @PreFilter/@PostFilter prune collections via filterObject.
  • Push complex rules into a bean (@beanName.method(...)) or a PermissionEvaluator behind hasPermission.
  • For cross-cutting policy, implement AuthorizationManager<MethodInvocation> — the modern replacement for voters.

Rule of thumb: prefer pre-checks for speed and safety; reach for post-checks only when the decision needs the loaded data.

Preguntas frecuentes

¿La lección «Seguridad de métodos con SpEL y voters personalizados» es gratis?

Sí — el texto completo de «Seguridad de métodos con SpEL y voters personalizados» es gratis para leer aquí en la web. Para practicarla de forma interactiva (editor de código integrado y tutor de IA 24/7) y desbloquear el resto del curso de Spring Boot 4 Complete Guide, actualiza a CoddyKit PRO. El curso de Spring Boot 4 Complete Guide incluye 4 lecciones en total.

¿Qué aprenderé en «Seguridad de métodos con SpEL y voters personalizados»?

Aplique un control de acceso detallado mediante @PreAuthorize, expresiones SpEL y lógica de autorización personalizada. Practicas Spring Boot 4 Complete Guide con código real que ejecutas directamente en el navegador, y un tutor de IA 24/7 responde tus preguntas mientras trabajas en la lección.

¿Necesito experiencia previa para empezar Spring Boot 4 Complete Guide?

No se requiere experiencia previa. Spring Boot 4 Complete Guide en CoddyKit está estructurado para principiantes hasta estudiantes avanzados, así que puedes empezar aquí o desde el inicio y avanzar a tu ritmo. Esta es la lección 3 de 4.

¿Cuánto tiempo toma la lección «Seguridad de métodos con SpEL y voters personalizados»?

La mayoría de las lecciones de CoddyKit toman alrededor de 5–10 minutos. Cada una es compacta e interactiva, así que avanzas constantemente y retomas exactamente por donde dejaste en la web y la app.

¿Puedo escribir y ejecutar código en esta lección de Spring Boot 4 Complete Guide?

Sí. Cada lección de Spring Boot 4 Complete Guide incluye un editor de código integrado, así que escribes y ejecutas código real directamente en tu navegador y obtienes retroalimentación instantánea de IA — sin configuración local necesaria.

Todas las lecciones de este curso

  1. Validación de JWT y claims en un resource server
  2. Cliente OAuth2 y flujo de código de autorización
  3. Seguridad de métodos con SpEL y voters personalizados
  4. Introspección de tokens opacos e intercambio de tokens
← Volver a Spring Boot 4 Complete Guide