---

labels:

- Stage-Alpha

rockspec:

  build:

    copy_directories:

    - html

summary: OAuth 2.0 Authorization Server API

---

## Introduction

This module implements an [OAuth2](https://oauth.net/2/)/[OpenID Connect

Prosody's usual internal authentication backend.

OAuth and OIDC are web standards that allow you to provide clients and

third-party applications limited access to your account, without sharing your

password with them.

With this module deployed, software that supports OAuth can obtain

"access tokens" from Prosody which can then be used to connect to XMPP

accounts using the [OAUTHBEARER SASL mechanism][rfc7628] or via non-XMPP

interfaces such as [mod_rest].

Although this module has been around for some time, it has recently been

significantly extended and largely rewritten to support OAuth/OIDC more fully.

As of April 2023, it should be considered **alpha** stage. It works, we have

tested it, but it has not yet seen wider review, testing and deployment. At

this stage we recommend it for experimental and test deployments only. For

specific information, see the [deployment notes section](#deployment-notes)

below.

Known client implementations:

-   [example shell script for mod_rest](https://hg.prosody.im/prosody-modules/file/tip/mod_rest/example/rest.sh)

-   *(we need you!)*

Support for [OAUTHBEARER][rfc7628] has been added to the Lua XMPP

library, [verse](https://code.matthewwild.co.uk/verse).  If you know of

additional implementations, or are motivated to work on one, please let

us know! We'd be happy to help (e.g. by providing a test server).

## Standards support

Notable supported standards:

- [RFC 6749: The OAuth 2.0 Authorization Framework](https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc6749)

- [RFC 7009: OAuth 2.0 Token Revocation](https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc7009)

- [RFC 7591: OAuth 2.0 Dynamic Client Registration](https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc7591.html)

- [RFC 7628: A Set of Simple Authentication and Security Layer (SASL) Mechanisms for OAuth](https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc7628)

- [RFC 7636: Proof Key for Code Exchange by OAuth Public Clients](https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc7636)

- [RFC 8628: OAuth 2.0 Device Authorization Grant](https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc8628)

- [RFC 9207: OAuth 2.0 Authorization Server Issuer Identification](https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc9207.html)

- [OpenID Connect Core 1.0](https://openid.net/specs/openid-connect-core-1_0.html)

- [OpenID Connect Discovery 1.0](https://openid.net/specs/openid-connect-discovery-1_0.html) (_partial, e.g. missing JWKS_)

- [OpenID Connect Dynamic Client Registration 1.0](https://openid.net/specs/openid-connect-registration-1_0.html)

## Configuration

### Interface

The module presents a web page to users to allow them to authenticate when

a client requests access. Built-in pages are provided, but you may also theme

or entirely override them.

This module honours the `site_name` configuration option that is also used by

a number of other modules:

```lua

site_name = "My XMPP Server"

```

To provide custom templates, specify the path to the template directory:

```lua

oauth2_template_path = "/etc/prosody/custom-oauth2-templates"

```

If you know what features your templates use use you can adjust the

`Content-Security-Policy` header to only allow what is needed:

```lua

oauth2_security_policy = "default-src 'self'" -- this is the default

```

### Token parameters

The following options configure the lifetime of tokens issued by the module.

The defaults are recommended.

```lua

oauth2_access_token_ttl = 3600 -- one hour

oauth2_refresh_token_ttl = 604800 -- one week

```

### Dynamic client registration

To allow users to connect any compatible software, you should enable dynamic

client registration.

Dynamic client registration can be enabled by configuring a JWT key. Algorithm

defaults to *HS256* lifetime defaults to forever.

```lua

oauth2_registration_key = "securely generated JWT key here"

oauth2_registration_algorithm = "HS256"

oauth2_registration_ttl = nil -- unlimited by default

```

Registering a client is described in

[RFC7591](https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc7591.html).

In addition to the requirements in the RFC, the following requirements

are enforced:

`client_name`

:   **MUST** be present, is shown to users in consent screen.

`client_uri`

:   **MUST** be present and **MUST** be a `https://` URL.

`redirect_uris`

:   **MUST** contain at least one valid URI. Different rules apply

    depending on the value of `application_type`, see below.

`application_type`

:   Optional, defaults to `web`. Determines further restrictions for

    `redirect_uris`. The following values are supported:

    `web` *(default)*

    :   For web clients. With this, `redirect_uris` **MUST** be

        `https://` URIs and **MUST** use the same hostname part as the

        `client_uri`.

    `native`

    :   For native e.g. desktop clients etc. `redirect_uris` **MUST**

        match one of:

        -   Loopback HTTP URI, e.g. `http://127.0.0.1/` or

            `http://[::1]`

        -   Application-specific scheme, e.g. `com.example.app:/`

        -   The special OOB URI `urn:ietf:wg:oauth:2.0:oob`

`tos_uri`, `policy_uri`

:   Informative URLs pointing to Terms of Service and Service Policy

    document **MUST** use the same scheme (i.e. `https://`) and hostname

    as the `client_uri`.

#### Registration Examples

In short registration works by POST-ing a JSON structure describing your

client to an endpoint:

``` bash

curl -sSf https://xmpp.example.net/oauth2/register \

    -H Content-Type:application/json \

    -H Accept:application/json \

    --data '

{

   "client_name" : "My Application",

   "client_uri" : "https://app.example.com/",

   "redirect_uris" : [

      "https://app.example.com/redirect"

   ]

}

'

```

Another example with more fields:

``` bash

curl -sSf https://xmpp.example.net/oauth2/register \

    -H Content-Type:application/json \

    -H Accept:application/json \

    --data '

{

   "application_type" : "native",

   "client_name" : "Desktop Chat App",

   "client_uri" : "https://app.example.org/",

   "contacts" : [

      "support@example.org"

   ],

   "policy_uri" : "https://app.example.org/about/privacy",

   "redirect_uris" : [

      "http://localhost:8080/redirect",

      "org.example.app:/redirect"

   ],

   "scope" : "xmpp",

   "software_id" : "32a0a8f3-4016-5478-905a-c373156eca73",

   "software_version" : "3.4.1",

   "tos_uri" : "https://app.example.org/about/terms"

}

'

```

### Supported flows

-   Authorization Code grant, optionally with Proof Key for Code Exchange

-   Device Authorization Grant

-   Resource owner password grant *(likely to be phased out in the future)*

-   Implicit flow *(disabled by default)*

-   Refresh Token grants

Various flows can be disabled and enabled with

`allowed_oauth2_grant_types` and `allowed_oauth2_response_types`:

```lua

-- These examples reflect the defaults

allowed_oauth2_grant_types = {

	"authorization_code"; -- authorization code grant

	"device_code";

	"password"; -- resource owner password grant

}

allowed_oauth2_response_types = {

	"code"; -- authorization code flow

    -- "token"; -- implicit flow disabled by default

}

```

The [Proof Key for Code Exchange][RFC 7636] mitigation method is

optional by default but can be made required:

```lua

oauth2_require_code_challenge = true -- default is false

```

Further, individual challenge methods can be enabled or disabled:

```lua

-- These reflects the default

allowed_oauth2_code_challenge_methods = {

    "plain"; -- the insecure one

    "S256";

}

```

### Policy documents

Links to Terms of Service and Service Policy documents can be advertised

for use by OAuth clients:

```lua

oauth2_terms_url = "https://example.com/terms-of-service.html"

oauth2_policy_url = "https://example.com/service-policy.pdf"

-- These are unset by default

```

## Deployment notes

### Access management

This module does not provide an interface for users to manage what they have

granted access to their account! (e.g. to view and revoke clients they have

previously authorized). It is recommended to join this module with

[mod_client_management] to provide such access. However, at the time of writing,

no XMPP clients currently support the protocol used by that module. We plan to

work on additional interfaces in the future.

### Scopes

OAuth supports "scopes" as a way to grant clients limited access.

There are currently no standard scopes defined for XMPP. This is

something that we intend to change, e.g. by definitions provided in a

future XEP. This means that clients you authorize currently have to

choose between unrestricted access to your account (including the

ability to change your password and lock you out!) and zero access. So,

for now, while using OAuth clients can prevent leaking your password to

them, it is not currently suitable for connecting untrusted clients to

your account.

As a first step, the `xmpp` scope is supported, and corresponds to

whatever permissions the user would have when logged in over XMPP.

Further, known Prosody roles can be used as scopes.

OpenID scopes such as `openid` and `profile` can be used for "Login

with XMPP" without granting access to more than limited profile details.

## Compatibility

Requires Prosody trunk (April 2023), **not** compatible with Prosody 0.12 or

earlier.