Spring Security Fix: 401 vs 403 for JWT Authentication (May Be You're Doing It Wrong!)

Implementing precision authorization rules with authorizeHttpRequests in my Spring Boot application led to an unexpected behavior. While attempting to log in without a valid token, the REST API returned a 403 Forbidden status code instead of the anticipated 401 Unauthorized. This inconsistency can create confusion for users. Fortunately, I've resolved this issue in a video tutorial, where I demonstrate how to configure the application to correctly return a 401 status code in such scenarios. ✅ For branding and Business inquiries ► rnartuminol@gmail.com 📘 Resources Mentioned: 🧑‍💻 Source Code: https://github.com/hello-iftekhar/springJwt 🔐 *Secure 3 Spring Boot endpoints in 30 minutes (free guide):* https://learnwithiftekhar.kit.com/secure-your-api-in-30-minutes 👉 Master programming by recreating your favorite technologies: https://app.codecrafters.io/join?via=learnwithiftekhar 🎉 *Get IntelliJ Idea 100% for 3 Months:* https://www.jetbrains.com/store/redeem/ 👉 *Use Promo Code:* LearnWithIfte 🙊 Here are the tools and resources I use in my videos: 🌐 Secure your connection with NordVPN: https://nordvpn.sjv.io/o4zYan IDE I use for coding * IntelliJ Idea Ultimate * VsCode * Sublime 🤚 In case you want to contact me: ❌ My LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hossain-md-iftekhar/ ❌ Github: https://github.com/learnwithiftekhar *Note:* Some of the links in this description are affiliate links, and I may earn a small commission if you make a purchase through them. Thank you for your support. Chapters 00:00. Introduction: Understanding 401 Unauthorized vs. 403 Forbidden 01:49 Setting Up a Custom Access Denied Handler 02:35 Implementing the Custom Access Denied Handler Logic 04:05 Adding Authentication Entry Point for 401 and Initial Testing 04:37 Final Testing with Admin User and Conclusion