> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://www.pranaypourkar.co.in/the-programmers-guide/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://www.pranaypourkar.co.in/the-programmers-guide/spring/spring-features/spring-security/authentication/core-components.md). # Core Components ## About Spring Security authentication consists of several key components that work together to authenticate users and manage security contexts. Below are the core components -

Component	Description
Security Filter Chain	Handles security filters like authentication and authorization.
AuthenticationManager	Central component for handling authentication.
AuthenticationProvider	Validates authentication requests.
UserDetailsService	Loads user information from the database.
UserDetails	Represents authenticated user details.
PasswordEncoder	Hashes and validates passwords.
SecurityContextHolder	Stores authentication details of the current user.
GrantedAuthority	Represents roles and permissions.
Authentication Token	Stores authentication requests or responses.
Security Configuration	Defines security rules and authentication mechanisms.

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