Is Windows (process) Authentication possible using Spring LDAP?

Question

I have an application which uses LDAP authentication against AD, which works fine. However the UserDN and password for accessing LDAP are in clear text in the config files, and I would like to avoid clear text passwords.

In Softerra LDAP browser you have the option to authenticate with "Currently logged in user", does anyone know if this type of Windows Authentication is possible with Spring LDAP? Or is there perhaps another way to avoid credentials in config files (like using the credentials of the user trying to authenticate)?

With Microsoft SQL server, it is possible to do Windows Authentication via JDBC, since Microsoft provides some native code, has anyone heard about a similar functionality when using LDAP against AD?

Answer 1

"Currently logged in user"

this may mean that Kerberos based SASL authentication is used

You may check

https://docs.spring.io/spring-security-kerberos/docs/current/reference/htmlsingle/#ssk-kerberosldap

and

https://docs.spring.io/autorepo/docs/spring-security-kerberos/1.0.1.RELEASE/api/org/springframework/security/kerberos/client/ldap/KerberosLdapContextSource.html

The latter shows how the Kerberos ticket cache can be used.