One of the most impactful (and often underestimated) differences between JBoss EAP 7.4 and JBoss EAP 8 is how credentials are handled.

This is not just a documentation tweak or a recommendation shift. It is a hard security enforcement change driven by modern platform standards and compliance expectations from Red Hat.

If you remember only one thing from this article, remember this:

  • JBoss EAP 7.4 allows credentials to be defined in multiple ways, including clear text.
  • JBoss EAP 8 forces the use of Credential Stores for sensitive resources such as datasources.

JBoss EAP 7.4: Credential Stores were OPTIONAL

In EAP 7.4, Elytron credential stores were already available and recommended, but not enforced.

All of the following were valid and supported:

  • Clear-text passwords in standalone.xml
  • Encrypted expressions
  • Elytron credential-store
  • Legacy vault-based approaches (deprecated, but still functional)

A datasource like this was perfectly valid in 7.4:

<datasource jndi-name="java:/jdbc/MyDS" pool-name="MyDS">
    <connection-url>jdbc:postgresql://db:5432/app</connection-url>
    <user-name>app</user-name>
    <password>secret123</password>
</datasource>

JBoss EAP 8: Credential Stores are EFFECTIVELY MANDATORY

With JBoss EAP 8, Red Hat made a clear and intentional decision, sensitive credentials must no longer be stored directly in configuration files.

What changed in practice:

  • The element for datasources is no longer the supported approach
  • Datasources are expected to use credential-reference
  • Elytron is no longer just the default security framework, it is the only one

A valid datasource configuration in EAP 8 looks like this:

<datasource jndi-name="java:/jdbc/MyDS" pool-name="MyDS">
    <connection-url>jdbc:postgresql://db:5432/app</connection-url>
    <user-name>app</user-name>
    <credential-reference store="cs-db" alias="db-password"/>
</datasource>

Why this enforcement exists in EAP 8

This change is not accidental or cosmetic. It aligns EAP with:

  • OpenShift and container-native security expectations
  • Compliance-driven environments (CIS, ISO, regulated industries)
  • Modern “secrets management” practices

“Forced” does not mean “hard”

A common fear when moving to EAP 8 is: “Now everything is complicated” because of security!

In reality, the operational model becomes cleaner and more consistent.

Typical pattern:

  1. Create one credential store
  2. Add secrets once
  3. Reference them everywhere

CLI example:

/subsystem=elytron/credential-store=cs-db:add(
  path=cs-db.jceks,
  relative-to=jboss.server.config.dir,
  credential-reference={clear-text=changeit}
)

/subsystem=elytron/credential-store=cs-db:add-alias(
  alias=db-password,
  secret-value=secret123
)

From that point on:

  • No passwords in XML
  • No passwords in Git
  • No accidental leaks

Migration impact: where most upgrades fail

When upgrading from EAP 7.4 to EAP 8, you must:

  • Identify all clear-text credentials
  • Move them into credential stores
  • Replace <password> with <credential-reference>

This step is mandatory in EAP 8.

Good news:

  • If you already used credential stores in 7.4: migration is straightforward
  • If you didn’t: EAP 8 forces a long-overdue cleanup 😉

If you’re planning a move to JBoss EAP 8, I can help you get there safely.
From credential-store migration to full security hardening, I support organizations in turning a mandatory change into a controlled, successful upgrade.

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David Diab