RFC 6749
The OAuth 2.0 Authorization Framework
Pages: 76
Proposed Standard
→ Errata
Obsoletes: 5849
Updated by: 8252 8996
Proposed Standard
→ Errata
Obsoletes: 5849
Updated by: 8252 8996
Part 2 of 4 – Pages 13 to 43
2. Client Registration
Before initiating the protocol, the client registers with the authorization server. The means through which the client registers with the authorization server are beyond the scope of this specification but typically involve end-user interaction with an HTML registration form. Client registration does not require a direct interaction between the client and the authorization server. When supported by the authorization server, registration can rely on other means for establishing trust and obtaining the required client properties (e.g., redirection URI, client type). For example, registration can be accomplished using a self-issued or third-party-issued assertion, or by the authorization server performing client discovery using a trusted channel.
When registering a client, the client developer SHALL: o specify the client type as described in Section 2.1, o provide its client redirection URIs as described in Section 3.1.2, and o include any other information required by the authorization server (e.g., application name, website, description, logo image, the acceptance of legal terms).2.1. Client Types
OAuth defines two client types, based on their ability to authenticate securely with the authorization server (i.e., ability to maintain the confidentiality of their client credentials): confidential Clients capable of maintaining the confidentiality of their credentials (e.g., client implemented on a secure server with restricted access to the client credentials), or capable of secure client authentication using other means. public Clients incapable of maintaining the confidentiality of their credentials (e.g., clients executing on the device used by the resource owner, such as an installed native application or a web browser-based application), and incapable of secure client authentication via any other means. The client type designation is based on the authorization server's definition of secure authentication and its acceptable exposure levels of client credentials. The authorization server SHOULD NOT make assumptions about the client type. A client may be implemented as a distributed set of components, each with a different client type and security context (e.g., a distributed client with both a confidential server-based component and a public browser-based component). If the authorization server does not provide support for such clients or does not provide guidance with regard to their registration, the client SHOULD register each component as a separate client.
This specification has been designed around the following client
profiles:
web application
A web application is a confidential client running on a web
server. Resource owners access the client via an HTML user
interface rendered in a user-agent on the device used by the
resource owner. The client credentials as well as any access
token issued to the client are stored on the web server and are
not exposed to or accessible by the resource owner.
user-agent-based application
A user-agent-based application is a public client in which the
client code is downloaded from a web server and executes within a
user-agent (e.g., web browser) on the device used by the resource
owner. Protocol data and credentials are easily accessible (and
often visible) to the resource owner. Since such applications
reside within the user-agent, they can make seamless use of the
user-agent capabilities when requesting authorization.
native application
A native application is a public client installed and executed on
the device used by the resource owner. Protocol data and
credentials are accessible to the resource owner. It is assumed
that any client authentication credentials included in the
application can be extracted. On the other hand, dynamically
issued credentials such as access tokens or refresh tokens can
receive an acceptable level of protection. At a minimum, these
credentials are protected from hostile servers with which the
application may interact. On some platforms, these credentials
might be protected from other applications residing on the same
device.
2.2. Client Identifier
The authorization server issues the registered client a client
identifier -- a unique string representing the registration
information provided by the client. The client identifier is not a
secret; it is exposed to the resource owner and MUST NOT be used
alone for client authentication. The client identifier is unique to
the authorization server.
The client identifier string size is left undefined by this
specification. The client should avoid making assumptions about the
identifier size. The authorization server SHOULD document the size
of any identifier it issues.
2.3. Client Authentication
If the client type is confidential, the client and authorization server establish a client authentication method suitable for the security requirements of the authorization server. The authorization server MAY accept any form of client authentication meeting its security requirements. Confidential clients are typically issued (or establish) a set of client credentials used for authenticating with the authorization server (e.g., password, public/private key pair). The authorization server MAY establish a client authentication method with public clients. However, the authorization server MUST NOT rely on public client authentication for the purpose of identifying the client. The client MUST NOT use more than one authentication method in each request.2.3.1. Client Password
Clients in possession of a client password MAY use the HTTP Basic authentication scheme as defined in [RFC2617] to authenticate with the authorization server. The client identifier is encoded using the "application/x-www-form-urlencoded" encoding algorithm per Appendix B, and the encoded value is used as the username; the client password is encoded using the same algorithm and used as the password. The authorization server MUST support the HTTP Basic authentication scheme for authenticating clients that were issued a client password. For example (with extra line breaks for display purposes only): Authorization: Basic czZCaGRSa3F0Mzo3RmpmcDBaQnIxS3REUmJuZlZkbUl3 Alternatively, the authorization server MAY support including the client credentials in the request-body using the following parameters: client_id REQUIRED. The client identifier issued to the client during the registration process described by Section 2.2. client_secret REQUIRED. The client secret. The client MAY omit the parameter if the client secret is an empty string.
Including the client credentials in the request-body using the two parameters is NOT RECOMMENDED and SHOULD be limited to clients unable to directly utilize the HTTP Basic authentication scheme (or other password-based HTTP authentication schemes). The parameters can only be transmitted in the request-body and MUST NOT be included in the request URI. For example, a request to refresh an access token (Section 6) using the body parameters (with extra line breaks for display purposes only): POST /token HTTP/1.1 Host: server.example.com Content-Type: application/x-www-form-urlencoded grant_type=refresh_token&refresh_token=tGzv3JOkF0XG5Qx2TlKWIA &client_id=s6BhdRkqt3&client_secret=7Fjfp0ZBr1KtDRbnfVdmIw The authorization server MUST require the use of TLS as described in Section 1.6 when sending requests using password authentication. Since this client authentication method involves a password, the authorization server MUST protect any endpoint utilizing it against brute force attacks.2.3.2. Other Authentication Methods
The authorization server MAY support any suitable HTTP authentication scheme matching its security requirements. When using other authentication methods, the authorization server MUST define a mapping between the client identifier (registration record) and authentication scheme.2.4. Unregistered Clients
This specification does not exclude the use of unregistered clients. However, the use of such clients is beyond the scope of this specification and requires additional security analysis and review of its interoperability impact.
3. Protocol Endpoints
The authorization process utilizes two authorization server endpoints (HTTP resources): o Authorization endpoint - used by the client to obtain authorization from the resource owner via user-agent redirection. o Token endpoint - used by the client to exchange an authorization grant for an access token, typically with client authentication. As well as one client endpoint: o Redirection endpoint - used by the authorization server to return responses containing authorization credentials to the client via the resource owner user-agent. Not every authorization grant type utilizes both endpoints. Extension grant types MAY define additional endpoints as needed.3.1. Authorization Endpoint
The authorization endpoint is used to interact with the resource owner and obtain an authorization grant. The authorization server MUST first verify the identity of the resource owner. The way in which the authorization server authenticates the resource owner (e.g., username and password login, session cookies) is beyond the scope of this specification. The means through which the client obtains the location of the authorization endpoint are beyond the scope of this specification, but the location is typically provided in the service documentation. The endpoint URI MAY include an "application/x-www-form-urlencoded" formatted (per Appendix B) query component ([RFC3986] Section 3.4), which MUST be retained when adding additional query parameters. The endpoint URI MUST NOT include a fragment component. Since requests to the authorization endpoint result in user authentication and the transmission of clear-text credentials (in the HTTP response), the authorization server MUST require the use of TLS as described in Section 1.6 when sending requests to the authorization endpoint. The authorization server MUST support the use of the HTTP "GET" method [RFC2616] for the authorization endpoint and MAY support the use of the "POST" method as well.
Parameters sent without a value MUST be treated as if they were omitted from the request. The authorization server MUST ignore unrecognized request parameters. Request and response parameters MUST NOT be included more than once.3.1.1. Response Type
The authorization endpoint is used by the authorization code grant type and implicit grant type flows. The client informs the authorization server of the desired grant type using the following parameter: response_type REQUIRED. The value MUST be one of "code" for requesting an authorization code as described by Section 4.1.1, "token" for requesting an access token (implicit grant) as described by Section 4.2.1, or a registered extension value as described by Section 8.4. Extension response types MAY contain a space-delimited (%x20) list of values, where the order of values does not matter (e.g., response type "a b" is the same as "b a"). The meaning of such composite response types is defined by their respective specifications. If an authorization request is missing the "response_type" parameter, or if the response type is not understood, the authorization server MUST return an error response as described in Section 4.1.2.1.3.1.2. Redirection Endpoint
After completing its interaction with the resource owner, the authorization server directs the resource owner's user-agent back to the client. The authorization server redirects the user-agent to the client's redirection endpoint previously established with the authorization server during the client registration process or when making the authorization request. The redirection endpoint URI MUST be an absolute URI as defined by [RFC3986] Section 4.3. The endpoint URI MAY include an "application/x-www-form-urlencoded" formatted (per Appendix B) query component ([RFC3986] Section 3.4), which MUST be retained when adding additional query parameters. The endpoint URI MUST NOT include a fragment component.
3.1.2.1. Endpoint Request Confidentiality
The redirection endpoint SHOULD require the use of TLS as described in Section 1.6 when the requested response type is "code" or "token", or when the redirection request will result in the transmission of sensitive credentials over an open network. This specification does not mandate the use of TLS because at the time of this writing, requiring clients to deploy TLS is a significant hurdle for many client developers. If TLS is not available, the authorization server SHOULD warn the resource owner about the insecure endpoint prior to redirection (e.g., display a message during the authorization request). Lack of transport-layer security can have a severe impact on the security of the client and the protected resources it is authorized to access. The use of transport-layer security is particularly critical when the authorization process is used as a form of delegated end-user authentication by the client (e.g., third-party sign-in service).3.1.2.2. Registration Requirements
The authorization server MUST require the following clients to register their redirection endpoint: o Public clients. o Confidential clients utilizing the implicit grant type. The authorization server SHOULD require all clients to register their redirection endpoint prior to utilizing the authorization endpoint. The authorization server SHOULD require the client to provide the complete redirection URI (the client MAY use the "state" request parameter to achieve per-request customization). If requiring the registration of the complete redirection URI is not possible, the authorization server SHOULD require the registration of the URI scheme, authority, and path (allowing the client to dynamically vary only the query component of the redirection URI when requesting authorization). The authorization server MAY allow the client to register multiple redirection endpoints. Lack of a redirection URI registration requirement can enable an attacker to use the authorization endpoint as an open redirector as described in Section 10.15.
3.1.2.3. Dynamic Configuration
If multiple redirection URIs have been registered, if only part of the redirection URI has been registered, or if no redirection URI has been registered, the client MUST include a redirection URI with the authorization request using the "redirect_uri" request parameter. When a redirection URI is included in an authorization request, the authorization server MUST compare and match the value received against at least one of the registered redirection URIs (or URI components) as defined in [RFC3986] Section 6, if any redirection URIs were registered. If the client registration included the full redirection URI, the authorization server MUST compare the two URIs using simple string comparison as defined in [RFC3986] Section 6.2.1.3.1.2.4. Invalid Endpoint
If an authorization request fails validation due to a missing, invalid, or mismatching redirection URI, the authorization server SHOULD inform the resource owner of the error and MUST NOT automatically redirect the user-agent to the invalid redirection URI.3.1.2.5. Endpoint Content
The redirection request to the client's endpoint typically results in an HTML document response, processed by the user-agent. If the HTML response is served directly as the result of the redirection request, any script included in the HTML document will execute with full access to the redirection URI and the credentials it contains. The client SHOULD NOT include any third-party scripts (e.g., third- party analytics, social plug-ins, ad networks) in the redirection endpoint response. Instead, it SHOULD extract the credentials from the URI and redirect the user-agent again to another endpoint without exposing the credentials (in the URI or elsewhere). If third-party scripts are included, the client MUST ensure that its own scripts (used to extract and remove the credentials from the URI) will execute first.3.2. Token Endpoint
The token endpoint is used by the client to obtain an access token by presenting its authorization grant or refresh token. The token endpoint is used with every authorization grant except for the implicit grant type (since an access token is issued directly).
The means through which the client obtains the location of the token endpoint are beyond the scope of this specification, but the location is typically provided in the service documentation. The endpoint URI MAY include an "application/x-www-form-urlencoded" formatted (per Appendix B) query component ([RFC3986] Section 3.4), which MUST be retained when adding additional query parameters. The endpoint URI MUST NOT include a fragment component. Since requests to the token endpoint result in the transmission of clear-text credentials (in the HTTP request and response), the authorization server MUST require the use of TLS as described in Section 1.6 when sending requests to the token endpoint. The client MUST use the HTTP "POST" method when making access token requests. Parameters sent without a value MUST be treated as if they were omitted from the request. The authorization server MUST ignore unrecognized request parameters. Request and response parameters MUST NOT be included more than once.3.2.1. Client Authentication
Confidential clients or other clients issued client credentials MUST authenticate with the authorization server as described in Section 2.3 when making requests to the token endpoint. Client authentication is used for: o Enforcing the binding of refresh tokens and authorization codes to the client they were issued to. Client authentication is critical when an authorization code is transmitted to the redirection endpoint over an insecure channel or when the redirection URI has not been registered in full. o Recovering from a compromised client by disabling the client or changing its credentials, thus preventing an attacker from abusing stolen refresh tokens. Changing a single set of client credentials is significantly faster than revoking an entire set of refresh tokens. o Implementing authentication management best practices, which require periodic credential rotation. Rotation of an entire set of refresh tokens can be challenging, while rotation of a single set of client credentials is significantly easier.
A client MAY use the "client_id" request parameter to identify itself when sending requests to the token endpoint. In the "authorization_code" "grant_type" request to the token endpoint, an unauthenticated client MUST send its "client_id" to prevent itself from inadvertently accepting a code intended for a client with a different "client_id". This protects the client from substitution of the authentication code. (It provides no additional security for the protected resource.)3.3. Access Token Scope
The authorization and token endpoints allow the client to specify the scope of the access request using the "scope" request parameter. In turn, the authorization server uses the "scope" response parameter to inform the client of the scope of the access token issued. The value of the scope parameter is expressed as a list of space- delimited, case-sensitive strings. The strings are defined by the authorization server. If the value contains multiple space-delimited strings, their order does not matter, and each string adds an additional access range to the requested scope. scope = scope-token *( SP scope-token ) scope-token = 1*( %x21 / %x23-5B / %x5D-7E ) The authorization server MAY fully or partially ignore the scope requested by the client, based on the authorization server policy or the resource owner's instructions. If the issued access token scope is different from the one requested by the client, the authorization server MUST include the "scope" response parameter to inform the client of the actual scope granted. If the client omits the scope parameter when requesting authorization, the authorization server MUST either process the request using a pre-defined default value or fail the request indicating an invalid scope. The authorization server SHOULD document its scope requirements and default value (if defined).4. Obtaining Authorization
To request an access token, the client obtains authorization from the resource owner. The authorization is expressed in the form of an authorization grant, which the client uses to request the access token. OAuth defines four grant types: authorization code, implicit, resource owner password credentials, and client credentials. It also provides an extension mechanism for defining additional grant types.
4.1. Authorization Code Grant
The authorization code grant type is used to obtain both access tokens and refresh tokens and is optimized for confidential clients. Since this is a redirection-based flow, the client must be capable of interacting with the resource owner's user-agent (typically a web browser) and capable of receiving incoming requests (via redirection) from the authorization server. +----------+ | Resource | | Owner | | | +----------+ ^ | (B) +----|-----+ Client Identifier +---------------+ | -+----(A)-- & Redirection URI ---->| | | User- | | Authorization | | Agent -+----(B)-- User authenticates --->| Server | | | | | | -+----(C)-- Authorization Code ---<| | +-|----|---+ +---------------+ | | ^ v (A) (C) | | | | | | ^ v | | +---------+ | | | |>---(D)-- Authorization Code ---------' | | Client | & Redirection URI | | | | | |<---(E)----- Access Token -------------------' +---------+ (w/ Optional Refresh Token) Note: The lines illustrating steps (A), (B), and (C) are broken into two parts as they pass through the user-agent. Figure 3: Authorization Code Flow
The flow illustrated in Figure 3 includes the following steps: (A) The client initiates the flow by directing the resource owner's user-agent to the authorization endpoint. The client includes its client identifier, requested scope, local state, and a redirection URI to which the authorization server will send the user-agent back once access is granted (or denied). (B) The authorization server authenticates the resource owner (via the user-agent) and establishes whether the resource owner grants or denies the client's access request. (C) Assuming the resource owner grants access, the authorization server redirects the user-agent back to the client using the redirection URI provided earlier (in the request or during client registration). The redirection URI includes an authorization code and any local state provided by the client earlier. (D) The client requests an access token from the authorization server's token endpoint by including the authorization code received in the previous step. When making the request, the client authenticates with the authorization server. The client includes the redirection URI used to obtain the authorization code for verification. (E) The authorization server authenticates the client, validates the authorization code, and ensures that the redirection URI received matches the URI used to redirect the client in step (C). If valid, the authorization server responds back with an access token and, optionally, a refresh token.4.1.1. Authorization Request
The client constructs the request URI by adding the following parameters to the query component of the authorization endpoint URI using the "application/x-www-form-urlencoded" format, per Appendix B: response_type REQUIRED. Value MUST be set to "code". client_id REQUIRED. The client identifier as described in Section 2.2. redirect_uri OPTIONAL. As described in Section 3.1.2.
scope
OPTIONAL. The scope of the access request as described by
Section 3.3.
state
RECOMMENDED. An opaque value used by the client to maintain
state between the request and callback. The authorization
server includes this value when redirecting the user-agent back
to the client. The parameter SHOULD be used for preventing
cross-site request forgery as described in Section 10.12.
The client directs the resource owner to the constructed URI using an
HTTP redirection response, or by other means available to it via the
user-agent.
For example, the client directs the user-agent to make the following
HTTP request using TLS (with extra line breaks for display purposes
only):
GET /authorize?response_type=code&client_id=s6BhdRkqt3&state=xyz
&redirect_uri=https%3A%2F%2Fclient%2Eexample%2Ecom%2Fcb HTTP/1.1
Host: server.example.com
The authorization server validates the request to ensure that all
required parameters are present and valid. If the request is valid,
the authorization server authenticates the resource owner and obtains
an authorization decision (by asking the resource owner or by
establishing approval via other means).
When a decision is established, the authorization server directs the
user-agent to the provided client redirection URI using an HTTP
redirection response, or by other means available to it via the
user-agent.
4.1.2. Authorization Response
If the resource owner grants the access request, the authorization
server issues an authorization code and delivers it to the client by
adding the following parameters to the query component of the
redirection URI using the "application/x-www-form-urlencoded" format,
per Appendix B:
code
REQUIRED. The authorization code generated by the
authorization server. The authorization code MUST expire
shortly after it is issued to mitigate the risk of leaks. A
maximum authorization code lifetime of 10 minutes is
RECOMMENDED. The client MUST NOT use the authorization code
more than once. If an authorization code is used more than
once, the authorization server MUST deny the request and SHOULD
revoke (when possible) all tokens previously issued based on
that authorization code. The authorization code is bound to
the client identifier and redirection URI.
state
REQUIRED if the "state" parameter was present in the client
authorization request. The exact value received from the
client.
For example, the authorization server redirects the user-agent by
sending the following HTTP response:
HTTP/1.1 302 Found
Location: https://client.example.com/cb?code=SplxlOBeZQQYbYS6WxSbIA
&state=xyz
The client MUST ignore unrecognized response parameters. The
authorization code string size is left undefined by this
specification. The client should avoid making assumptions about code
value sizes. The authorization server SHOULD document the size of
any value it issues.
4.1.2.1. Error Response
If the request fails due to a missing, invalid, or mismatching
redirection URI, or if the client identifier is missing or invalid,
the authorization server SHOULD inform the resource owner of the
error and MUST NOT automatically redirect the user-agent to the
invalid redirection URI.
If the resource owner denies the access request or if the request
fails for reasons other than a missing or invalid redirection URI,
the authorization server informs the client by adding the following
parameters to the query component of the redirection URI using the
"application/x-www-form-urlencoded" format, per Appendix B:
error
REQUIRED. A single ASCII [USASCII] error code from the
following:
invalid_request
The request is missing a required parameter, includes an
invalid parameter value, includes a parameter more than
once, or is otherwise malformed.
unauthorized_client
The client is not authorized to request an authorization
code using this method.
access_denied
The resource owner or authorization server denied the
request.
unsupported_response_type
The authorization server does not support obtaining an
authorization code using this method.
invalid_scope
The requested scope is invalid, unknown, or malformed.
server_error
The authorization server encountered an unexpected
condition that prevented it from fulfilling the request.
(This error code is needed because a 500 Internal Server
Error HTTP status code cannot be returned to the client
via an HTTP redirect.)
temporarily_unavailable
The authorization server is currently unable to handle
the request due to a temporary overloading or maintenance
of the server. (This error code is needed because a 503
Service Unavailable HTTP status code cannot be returned
to the client via an HTTP redirect.)
Values for the "error" parameter MUST NOT include characters
outside the set %x20-21 / %x23-5B / %x5D-7E.
error_description
OPTIONAL. Human-readable ASCII [USASCII] text providing
additional information, used to assist the client developer in
understanding the error that occurred.
Values for the "error_description" parameter MUST NOT include
characters outside the set %x20-21 / %x23-5B / %x5D-7E.
error_uri
OPTIONAL. A URI identifying a human-readable web page with
information about the error, used to provide the client
developer with additional information about the error.
Values for the "error_uri" parameter MUST conform to the
URI-reference syntax and thus MUST NOT include characters
outside the set %x21 / %x23-5B / %x5D-7E.
state
REQUIRED if a "state" parameter was present in the client
authorization request. The exact value received from the
client.
For example, the authorization server redirects the user-agent by
sending the following HTTP response:
HTTP/1.1 302 Found
Location: https://client.example.com/cb?error=access_denied&state=xyz
4.1.3. Access Token Request
The client makes a request to the token endpoint by sending the
following parameters using the "application/x-www-form-urlencoded"
format per Appendix B with a character encoding of UTF-8 in the HTTP
request entity-body:
grant_type
REQUIRED. Value MUST be set to "authorization_code".
code
REQUIRED. The authorization code received from the
authorization server.
redirect_uri
REQUIRED, if the "redirect_uri" parameter was included in the
authorization request as described in Section 4.1.1, and their
values MUST be identical.
client_id
REQUIRED, if the client is not authenticating with the
authorization server as described in Section 3.2.1.
If the client type is confidential or the client was issued client
credentials (or assigned other authentication requirements), the
client MUST authenticate with the authorization server as described
in Section 3.2.1.
For example, the client makes the following HTTP request using TLS
(with extra line breaks for display purposes only):
POST /token HTTP/1.1
Host: server.example.com
Authorization: Basic czZCaGRSa3F0MzpnWDFmQmF0M2JW
Content-Type: application/x-www-form-urlencoded
grant_type=authorization_code&code=SplxlOBeZQQYbYS6WxSbIA
&redirect_uri=https%3A%2F%2Fclient%2Eexample%2Ecom%2Fcb
The authorization server MUST:
o require client authentication for confidential clients or for any
client that was issued client credentials (or with other
authentication requirements),
o authenticate the client if client authentication is included,
o ensure that the authorization code was issued to the authenticated
confidential client, or if the client is public, ensure that the
code was issued to "client_id" in the request,
o verify that the authorization code is valid, and
o ensure that the "redirect_uri" parameter is present if the
"redirect_uri" parameter was included in the initial authorization
request as described in Section 4.1.1, and if included ensure that
their values are identical.
4.1.4. Access Token Response
If the access token request is valid and authorized, the
authorization server issues an access token and optional refresh
token as described in Section 5.1. If the request client
authentication failed or is invalid, the authorization server returns
an error response as described in Section 5.2.
An example successful response:
HTTP/1.1 200 OK
Content-Type: application/json;charset=UTF-8
Cache-Control: no-store
Pragma: no-cache
{
"access_token":"2YotnFZFEjr1zCsicMWpAA",
"token_type":"example",
"expires_in":3600,
"refresh_token":"tGzv3JOkF0XG5Qx2TlKWIA",
"example_parameter":"example_value"
}
4.2. Implicit Grant
The implicit grant type is used to obtain access tokens (it does not
support the issuance of refresh tokens) and is optimized for public
clients known to operate a particular redirection URI. These clients
are typically implemented in a browser using a scripting language
such as JavaScript.
Since this is a redirection-based flow, the client must be capable of
interacting with the resource owner's user-agent (typically a web
browser) and capable of receiving incoming requests (via redirection)
from the authorization server.
Unlike the authorization code grant type, in which the client makes
separate requests for authorization and for an access token, the
client receives the access token as the result of the authorization
request.
The implicit grant type does not include client authentication, and
relies on the presence of the resource owner and the registration of
the redirection URI. Because the access token is encoded into the
redirection URI, it may be exposed to the resource owner and other
applications residing on the same device.
+----------+ | Resource | | Owner | | | +----------+ ^ | (B) +----|-----+ Client Identifier +---------------+ | -+----(A)-- & Redirection URI --->| | | User- | | Authorization | | Agent -|----(B)-- User authenticates -->| Server | | | | | | |<---(C)--- Redirection URI ----<| | | | with Access Token +---------------+ | | in Fragment | | +---------------+ | |----(D)--- Redirection URI ---->| Web-Hosted | | | without Fragment | Client | | | | Resource | | (F) |<---(E)------- Script ---------<| | | | +---------------+ +-|--------+ | | (A) (G) Access Token | | ^ v +---------+ | | | Client | | | +---------+ Note: The lines illustrating steps (A) and (B) are broken into two parts as they pass through the user-agent. Figure 4: Implicit Grant Flow
The flow illustrated in Figure 4 includes the following steps: (A) The client initiates the flow by directing the resource owner's user-agent to the authorization endpoint. The client includes its client identifier, requested scope, local state, and a redirection URI to which the authorization server will send the user-agent back once access is granted (or denied). (B) The authorization server authenticates the resource owner (via the user-agent) and establishes whether the resource owner grants or denies the client's access request. (C) Assuming the resource owner grants access, the authorization server redirects the user-agent back to the client using the redirection URI provided earlier. The redirection URI includes the access token in the URI fragment. (D) The user-agent follows the redirection instructions by making a request to the web-hosted client resource (which does not include the fragment per [RFC2616]). The user-agent retains the fragment information locally. (E) The web-hosted client resource returns a web page (typically an HTML document with an embedded script) capable of accessing the full redirection URI including the fragment retained by the user-agent, and extracting the access token (and other parameters) contained in the fragment. (F) The user-agent executes the script provided by the web-hosted client resource locally, which extracts the access token. (G) The user-agent passes the access token to the client. See Sections 1.3.2 and 9 for background on using the implicit grant. See Sections 10.3 and 10.16 for important security considerations when using the implicit grant.4.2.1. Authorization Request
The client constructs the request URI by adding the following parameters to the query component of the authorization endpoint URI using the "application/x-www-form-urlencoded" format, per Appendix B: response_type REQUIRED. Value MUST be set to "token". client_id REQUIRED. The client identifier as described in Section 2.2.
redirect_uri
OPTIONAL. As described in Section 3.1.2.
scope
OPTIONAL. The scope of the access request as described by
Section 3.3.
state
RECOMMENDED. An opaque value used by the client to maintain
state between the request and callback. The authorization
server includes this value when redirecting the user-agent back
to the client. The parameter SHOULD be used for preventing
cross-site request forgery as described in Section 10.12.
The client directs the resource owner to the constructed URI using an
HTTP redirection response, or by other means available to it via the
user-agent.
For example, the client directs the user-agent to make the following
HTTP request using TLS (with extra line breaks for display purposes
only):
GET /authorize?response_type=token&client_id=s6BhdRkqt3&state=xyz
&redirect_uri=https%3A%2F%2Fclient%2Eexample%2Ecom%2Fcb HTTP/1.1
Host: server.example.com
The authorization server validates the request to ensure that all
required parameters are present and valid. The authorization server
MUST verify that the redirection URI to which it will redirect the
access token matches a redirection URI registered by the client as
described in Section 3.1.2.
If the request is valid, the authorization server authenticates the
resource owner and obtains an authorization decision (by asking the
resource owner or by establishing approval via other means).
When a decision is established, the authorization server directs the
user-agent to the provided client redirection URI using an HTTP
redirection response, or by other means available to it via the
user-agent.
4.2.2. Access Token Response
If the resource owner grants the access request, the authorization server issues an access token and delivers it to the client by adding the following parameters to the fragment component of the redirection URI using the "application/x-www-form-urlencoded" format, per Appendix B: access_token REQUIRED. The access token issued by the authorization server. token_type REQUIRED. The type of the token issued as described in Section 7.1. Value is case insensitive. expires_in RECOMMENDED. The lifetime in seconds of the access token. For example, the value "3600" denotes that the access token will expire in one hour from the time the response was generated. If omitted, the authorization server SHOULD provide the expiration time via other means or document the default value. scope OPTIONAL, if identical to the scope requested by the client; otherwise, REQUIRED. The scope of the access token as described by Section 3.3. state REQUIRED if the "state" parameter was present in the client authorization request. The exact value received from the client. The authorization server MUST NOT issue a refresh token. For example, the authorization server redirects the user-agent by sending the following HTTP response (with extra line breaks for display purposes only): HTTP/1.1 302 Found Location: http://example.com/cb#access_token=2YotnFZFEjr1zCsicMWpAA &state=xyz&token_type=example&expires_in=3600 Developers should note that some user-agents do not support the inclusion of a fragment component in the HTTP "Location" response header field. Such clients will require using other methods for redirecting the client than a 3xx redirection response -- for example, returning an HTML page that includes a 'continue' button with an action linked to the redirection URI.
The client MUST ignore unrecognized response parameters. The access token string size is left undefined by this specification. The client should avoid making assumptions about value sizes. The authorization server SHOULD document the size of any value it issues.4.2.2.1. Error Response
If the request fails due to a missing, invalid, or mismatching redirection URI, or if the client identifier is missing or invalid, the authorization server SHOULD inform the resource owner of the error and MUST NOT automatically redirect the user-agent to the invalid redirection URI. If the resource owner denies the access request or if the request fails for reasons other than a missing or invalid redirection URI, the authorization server informs the client by adding the following parameters to the fragment component of the redirection URI using the "application/x-www-form-urlencoded" format, per Appendix B: error REQUIRED. A single ASCII [USASCII] error code from the following: invalid_request The request is missing a required parameter, includes an invalid parameter value, includes a parameter more than once, or is otherwise malformed. unauthorized_client The client is not authorized to request an access token using this method. access_denied The resource owner or authorization server denied the request. unsupported_response_type The authorization server does not support obtaining an access token using this method. invalid_scope The requested scope is invalid, unknown, or malformed.
server_error
The authorization server encountered an unexpected
condition that prevented it from fulfilling the request.
(This error code is needed because a 500 Internal Server
Error HTTP status code cannot be returned to the client
via an HTTP redirect.)
temporarily_unavailable
The authorization server is currently unable to handle
the request due to a temporary overloading or maintenance
of the server. (This error code is needed because a 503
Service Unavailable HTTP status code cannot be returned
to the client via an HTTP redirect.)
Values for the "error" parameter MUST NOT include characters
outside the set %x20-21 / %x23-5B / %x5D-7E.
error_description
OPTIONAL. Human-readable ASCII [USASCII] text providing
additional information, used to assist the client developer in
understanding the error that occurred.
Values for the "error_description" parameter MUST NOT include
characters outside the set %x20-21 / %x23-5B / %x5D-7E.
error_uri
OPTIONAL. A URI identifying a human-readable web page with
information about the error, used to provide the client
developer with additional information about the error.
Values for the "error_uri" parameter MUST conform to the
URI-reference syntax and thus MUST NOT include characters
outside the set %x21 / %x23-5B / %x5D-7E.
state
REQUIRED if a "state" parameter was present in the client
authorization request. The exact value received from the
client.
For example, the authorization server redirects the user-agent by
sending the following HTTP response:
HTTP/1.1 302 Found
Location: https://client.example.com/cb#error=access_denied&state=xyz
4.3. Resource Owner Password Credentials Grant
The resource owner password credentials grant type is suitable in
cases where the resource owner has a trust relationship with the
client, such as the device operating system or a highly privileged
application. The authorization server should take special care when enabling this grant type and only allow it when other flows are not viable. This grant type is suitable for clients capable of obtaining the resource owner's credentials (username and password, typically using an interactive form). It is also used to migrate existing clients using direct authentication schemes such as HTTP Basic or Digest authentication to OAuth by converting the stored credentials to an access token. +----------+ | Resource | | Owner | | | +----------+ v | Resource Owner (A) Password Credentials | v +---------+ +---------------+ | |>--(B)---- Resource Owner ------->| | | | Password Credentials | Authorization | | Client | | Server | | |<--(C)---- Access Token ---------<| | | | (w/ Optional Refresh Token) | | +---------+ +---------------+ Figure 5: Resource Owner Password Credentials Flow The flow illustrated in Figure 5 includes the following steps: (A) The resource owner provides the client with its username and password. (B) The client requests an access token from the authorization server's token endpoint by including the credentials received from the resource owner. When making the request, the client authenticates with the authorization server. (C) The authorization server authenticates the client and validates the resource owner credentials, and if valid, issues an access token.
4.3.1. Authorization Request and Response
The method through which the client obtains the resource owner credentials is beyond the scope of this specification. The client MUST discard the credentials once an access token has been obtained.4.3.2. Access Token Request
The client makes a request to the token endpoint by adding the following parameters using the "application/x-www-form-urlencoded" format per Appendix B with a character encoding of UTF-8 in the HTTP request entity-body: grant_type REQUIRED. Value MUST be set to "password". username REQUIRED. The resource owner username. password REQUIRED. The resource owner password. scope OPTIONAL. The scope of the access request as described by Section 3.3. If the client type is confidential or the client was issued client credentials (or assigned other authentication requirements), the client MUST authenticate with the authorization server as described in Section 3.2.1. For example, the client makes the following HTTP request using transport-layer security (with extra line breaks for display purposes only): POST /token HTTP/1.1 Host: server.example.com Authorization: Basic czZCaGRSa3F0MzpnWDFmQmF0M2JW Content-Type: application/x-www-form-urlencoded grant_type=password&username=johndoe&password=A3ddj3w
The authorization server MUST:
o require client authentication for confidential clients or for any
client that was issued client credentials (or with other
authentication requirements),
o authenticate the client if client authentication is included, and
o validate the resource owner password credentials using its
existing password validation algorithm.
Since this access token request utilizes the resource owner's
password, the authorization server MUST protect the endpoint against
brute force attacks (e.g., using rate-limitation or generating
alerts).
4.3.3. Access Token Response
If the access token request is valid and authorized, the
authorization server issues an access token and optional refresh
token as described in Section 5.1. If the request failed client
authentication or is invalid, the authorization server returns an
error response as described in Section 5.2.
An example successful response:
HTTP/1.1 200 OK
Content-Type: application/json;charset=UTF-8
Cache-Control: no-store
Pragma: no-cache
{
"access_token":"2YotnFZFEjr1zCsicMWpAA",
"token_type":"example",
"expires_in":3600,
"refresh_token":"tGzv3JOkF0XG5Qx2TlKWIA",
"example_parameter":"example_value"
}
4.4. Client Credentials Grant
The client can request an access token using only its client
credentials (or other supported means of authentication) when the
client is requesting access to the protected resources under its
control, or those of another resource owner that have been previously
arranged with the authorization server (the method of which is beyond
the scope of this specification).
The client credentials grant type MUST only be used by confidential clients. +---------+ +---------------+ | | | | | |>--(A)- Client Authentication --->| Authorization | | Client | | Server | | |<--(B)---- Access Token ---------<| | | | | | +---------+ +---------------+ Figure 6: Client Credentials Flow The flow illustrated in Figure 6 includes the following steps: (A) The client authenticates with the authorization server and requests an access token from the token endpoint. (B) The authorization server authenticates the client, and if valid, issues an access token.4.4.1. Authorization Request and Response
Since the client authentication is used as the authorization grant, no additional authorization request is needed.4.4.2. Access Token Request
The client makes a request to the token endpoint by adding the following parameters using the "application/x-www-form-urlencoded" format per Appendix B with a character encoding of UTF-8 in the HTTP request entity-body: grant_type REQUIRED. Value MUST be set to "client_credentials". scope OPTIONAL. The scope of the access request as described by Section 3.3. The client MUST authenticate with the authorization server as described in Section 3.2.1.
For example, the client makes the following HTTP request using
transport-layer security (with extra line breaks for display purposes
only):
POST /token HTTP/1.1
Host: server.example.com
Authorization: Basic czZCaGRSa3F0MzpnWDFmQmF0M2JW
Content-Type: application/x-www-form-urlencoded
grant_type=client_credentials
The authorization server MUST authenticate the client.
4.4.3. Access Token Response
If the access token request is valid and authorized, the
authorization server issues an access token as described in
Section 5.1. A refresh token SHOULD NOT be included. If the request
failed client authentication or is invalid, the authorization server
returns an error response as described in Section 5.2.
An example successful response:
HTTP/1.1 200 OK
Content-Type: application/json;charset=UTF-8
Cache-Control: no-store
Pragma: no-cache
{
"access_token":"2YotnFZFEjr1zCsicMWpAA",
"token_type":"example",
"expires_in":3600,
"example_parameter":"example_value"
}
4.5. Extension Grants
The client uses an extension grant type by specifying the grant type
using an absolute URI (defined by the authorization server) as the
value of the "grant_type" parameter of the token endpoint, and by
adding any additional parameters necessary.
For example, to request an access token using a Security Assertion Markup Language (SAML) 2.0 assertion grant type as defined by [OAuth-SAML2], the client could make the following HTTP request using TLS (with extra line breaks for display purposes only): POST /token HTTP/1.1 Host: server.example.com Content-Type: application/x-www-form-urlencoded grant_type=urn%3Aietf%3Aparams%3Aoauth%3Agrant-type%3Asaml2- bearer&assertion=PEFzc2VydGlvbiBJc3N1ZUluc3RhbnQ9IjIwMTEtMDU [...omitted for brevity...]aG5TdGF0ZW1lbnQ-PC9Bc3NlcnRpb24- If the access token request is valid and authorized, the authorization server issues an access token and optional refresh token as described in Section 5.1. If the request failed client authentication or is invalid, the authorization server returns an error response as described in Section 5.2.
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