+1
But I think any example functions in the documentation should return
apache.AUTH_DENIED by default, with the conditionals checking for
success, not failure:
def authbasicprovider(req, user, password):
if user in users:
if users[user] == password:
return apache.AUTH_GRANTED
else:
return apache.AUTH_USER_NOT_FOUND
return apache.AUTH_DENIED
Graham Dumpleton (JIRA) wrote:
Add feature to allow mod_python to be an auth provider.
-------------------------------------------------------
Key: MODPYTHON-169
URL: http://issues.apache.org/jira/browse/MODPYTHON-169
Project: mod_python
Type: New Feature
Components: core
Reporter: Graham Dumpleton
Assigned to: Graham Dumpleton
In Apache 2.2, the implementation of authentication has been split into two
parts. The first is that which handles the specifics of negotiating with a
client for a specific authentication mechanism type, for example, Basic or
Digest authentication. The second part is that which handles the specifics of
verifying the actual users credentials, for example, by looking the user up in
a dbm database, ldap or some other type of user database.
The second part of this is referred to as the auth provider and in Apache 2.2
it is possible to hook in additional providers. This means that the any builtin
support in Apache for Basic and Digest authentication mechanism can be used,
but the verification could be done by some arbitrary user code. Such
verification could be done in Python, if mod_python allowed one to define the
necessary auth provider hooks.
To this end, proposed that mod_python be extended such that when using Apache
2.2, that it is possible to say:
AuthType Basic
AuthName "Restricted Files"
AuthBasicProvider mod_python
PythonAuthBasicProvider somemodule
or:
AuthType Digest
AuthName "Restricted Files"
AuthDigestProvider mod_python
PythonAuthDigestProvider somemodule
That is, by specifying mod_python in conjunction with AuthBasicProvider or
AuthDigestProvider directives, it triggers mod_python to be given option of
satisfying need to perform verification of user credentials. The function to be
called for each being given by the PythonAuthBasicProvider and
PythonAuthDigestProvider respectively.
The argument to these directives would be a module name, in which case a function of the name
"authbasicprovider" or "authdigestprovider" will be expected to exist. If
wanting to specify a particular module, like in handler directives, would also be possible to say:
PythonAuthBasicProvider somemodule::check_password
PythonAuthDigestProvider somemodule::get_realm_hash
Note that the prototype of the function for each would not be like existing
handlers and is different in each case. For the Basic auth mechanism, an
example function would be:
users = { ... }
def authbasicprovider(req, user, password):
# could consult req.auth_name() to get realm
if user not in users:
return apache.AUTH_USER_NOT_FOUND
# assuming passwords are stored in clear text
if users[user] != password:
return apache.AUTH_DENIED
return apache.AUTH_GRANTED
Exceptions would be translated into apache.AUTH_GENERAL_ERROR, or function
could explicitly return it. Could also allow explicit exception of type
apache.SERVER_RETURN like in handlers but where argument is auth values.
For Digest authentication, function would be:
def authdigestprovider(req, user, realm):
# could select database based on 'realm'
if user not in users:
return None
# assuming passwords are stored in clear text
return md5.new("%s:%s:%s" % (user, realm, users[user])).hexdigest()
In this later function, return None indicates apache.AUTH_USER_NOT_FOUND. An
apache.SERVER_RETURN exception could also be used with that value as argument.
Returning of an actual string would imply apache.AUTH_USER_FOUND. Unexpected
exceptions taken as apache.AUTH_GENERAL_ERROR, or could be raised explicitly
using apache.SERVER_RETURN exception.
What all this would mean is that you would never need to write an authenhandler
again using mod_python, as you could rely on any type of authenhandler builtin
to Apache or as as supported by some third party Apache module. All you would
need to do is supply the auth provider or Basic or Digest authentication as
necessary to support verification of the user.
