What is causing 'HTTP Status 400 - Invalid direct reference to form login page'

When you get a message like this turn off friendly HTTP error messages in IE. To do this go to Tools -> Internet Options -> Advanced. Uncheck show friendly HTTP error messages. Once you have done this you should get a more detailed message which will point you to the real problem.

Thanks in advance, we're checking if we can find the real problem. I'll get back to you.

It could be you are posting to a unknown page. Make sure the path is correct.

According to the MSDN pages, error 400 means:

The request could not be processed by the server due to invalid syntax.

When you request a protected resource and you're not authenticated (either first time visit or previous session expired), a new session is created and the request (URL and query string if any) is saved in the session (in the part that internal to tomcat and not visible to webapp I believe). Then you're forwarded to the login page. After you put in your login credentials and the authentication is successful, the saved request is pulled out and you're redirected to the original requested resource.

If that session expired and thus the server couldn't find the saved request, you'll get that "Invalid direct reference to form login page" error.

Regards,
Max.

The session hardly started, could it be that there was no session at all (or not identifiable)?

That could be when there was none set...however it is almost impossible to say what caused this problem when not seeing what causes it...could be bad coding, could be something else...there's no telling this way...

Regards,
Max.

OK, I'll try and ask for the code or at least some more specific info.

Thanks, Dreammaster, I believe you're on the right track. We are indeed working with Tomcat and the programmer just copied the authentication tables from an older version, so that'll be the problem, but I do not know the specifics until he gives me the right info.

That does sound like the problem indeed...

Regards,
Max.

Any progress tromm?

Regards,
Max.

Please be patient with me, the programmer who is working for us lives in another part of the country and doesn't respond to e-mail very quickly. But I haven't forgot about this question, it will only take a while before I have all the info.

Just informing. :)

Regards,
Max.

That's OK.

I just got some new info from my programmer, apparently he has made some adjustments, because he is now getting the following error:

"HTTP Status 408 - The time allowed for the login process has been exceeded. If you wish to continue you must either click back twice and re-click the link you requested or close and re-open your browser

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type Status report

message The time allowed for the login process has been exceeded. If you wish to continue you must either click back twice and re-click the link you requested or close and re-open your browser

description The client did not produce a request within the time that the server was prepared to wait (The time allowed for the login process has been exceeded. If you wish to continue you must either click back twice and re-click the link you requested or close and re-open your browser).


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Apache Tomcat/5.0.28"

The problem really is that he hasn't a clue where to begin to look, because all these errors seem like beginner stuff.

So if you have some more helpfull info I will accept one or more answers and then wait until I can formulate a more specific question.

Thanks for all efforts.


 

Glad to have helped...if even just a little...