Have a look at:

https://github.com/bnoguchi/everyauth
or
https://github.com/ciaranj/node-oauth


On Wed, May 1, 2013 at 2:29 PM, Dick Hardt <[email protected]> wrote:

> Using OAuth 2.0 does not imply that you are using Google or other 3rd
> party provider.
>
> The flow you described is what OAuth 2.0 does. OAuth 2.0 is commonly used
> by a mobile app to obtain an access token that is then used for subsequent
> API calls by the mobile app. Sorry the RFC does not make that as clear as
> it should.
>
>
>
>
> On Wed, May 1, 2013 at 10:20 AM, Alan Fay <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>> Hello!
>>
>> I'm trying to develop a REST API using node.js, to support an Android
>> app.  I've been able to find several resources on the web, however, most of
>> the examples I come across fall into two camps:
>> 1) Basic authentication over HTTPS
>> 2) OAuth
>>
>> I don't want to do basic authentication over HTTPS with a username and
>> password, because in the Android app, I have it setup to store a username
>> and token via the AccountManager (they seem to have taken down reference to
>> the code on Android's site; my implementation is very similar the sample
>> code that ships with the SDK: *
>> android-sdk-linux/samples/android-17/SampleSyncAdapter* except I'm not
>> using any of the Sync features).
>>
>> I don't want to use OAuth because I am not sure we can count on users to
>> have accounts with Google or some other third-party OAuth provider.
>>
>> This is my first round at implementing web authentication; from what I'm
>> reading, the steps go something like this:
>> - [Service] Administrator creates an account with a username and a
>> generated strong code is stored temporarily in the user record; emailed to
>> user
>> - [App] User selects account and enters username and code, plus password
>> of their choice, into the form
>> - [App] Basic authentication over HTTPS sends over username, code, and
>> password (just this once)
>> - [Service] Stores random salt and password hash in the user record, and
>> the generated token (a)
>> - [Service] Replies back to App with the token
>> - [App] Username and token is stored via AccountManager
>>
>> Then,
>> - [App] User sends username and token to service (b)
>> - [Service] *authenticates* the user if the token matches and is not
>> expired (c)
>> - [App] User can access the various REST API calls (d)
>>
>> In this way, the password is never stored on the Android device or in the
>> database.  When the token expires, then User re-enters password.  The User
>> can request a password reset, which generates a strong code again and the
>> process starts from the top.
>>
>> My questions (referenced above) are:
>> (a) Should the generated token be stored on the user record, or in a
>> separate table?  My thinking for a separate table/collection would be to
>> have a background process that could remove expired tokens; keeping this
>> information separate from the user record; or perhaps a user could have a
>> valid reason to have multiple different tokens (one on the phone, another
>> on the tablet).
>> (b) Is this simply done through basic authentication over HTTPS, sending
>> the username and token (in place of password)?
>> (c) I've seen examples of node.js code setting values on request.session;
>> effectively, marking the session as authenticated.  Is this specific to
>> browsers/cookies and/or does it work when communicating to Android?
>> (d) Kind of an extension of (c), does the username/token have to be sent
>> every time, or can I reference something like the
>> request.session.authorized value?
>>
>> Also:
>> - Does anyone know of a good working example of a node.js REST API
>> implementation for an Android app?  Sometimes it's easier to just learn
>> from code.
>> - Is there working example code of the node dependencies I see referenced
>> everywhere (everyauth, connect-auth, passport) being used with an Android
>> app?  Most seem to implement OAuth solutions.
>> - Any security/implementation pitfalls with this approach?
>>
>> References:
>> * [The Definitive Guide to Forms-based Website Authentication](
>> http://stackoverflow.com/a/477578/172217)
>> * [Designing a Secure REST (Web) API without OAuth](
>> http://www.thebuzzmedia.com/designing-a-secure-rest-api-without-oauth-authentication/
>> )
>> * [How to Implement a Secure REST API with node.js](
>> http://stackoverflow.com/a/15500784/172217)
>> * [RESTful Authentication](http://stackoverflow.com/a/7158864/172217)
>> * [Securing my node.js App REST API](
>> http://stackoverflow.com/a/9126126/172217)
>> * [Connect Session Middleware](
>> http://www.senchalabs.org/connect/session.html)
>> * [Secure Salted Password Hashing](
>> http://crackstation.net/hashing-security.htm)
>>
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>
>
>
> --
> -- Dick
>
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