Exploring the secure synergy between Laravel 5.5 Passport client_secret and Vue JS authentication

Question

Exploring the secure synergy between Laravel 5.5 Passport client_secret and Vue JS authentication

Greetings to all,

Currently, I am delving into the world of Laravel Passport and Vue.JS (standalone) simultaneously. In my authentication process, I am utilizing the Password Grant Token.

An issue that has come up is the necessity for keeping the secret_key hidden at all times.

Within my VueJS application, there is a Login Component where I need to include the client_secret as a parameter in order to obtain an access token. However, given that VUEJS operates as a JavaScript framework, there is a likelihood that the client_secret could be visible in the minified build file.

Hence, my query is whether this situation is deemed normal? Is there a method to shield the client_secret from prying eyes?

Initially, I did not perceive this as a serious concern since I had implemented CORS on Laravel, enabling me to specify only the allowedOrigins. My assumption was that if I could control the allowedOrigins, then it wouldn't matter if the secret key became known.

Below is a snippet of my code in VueJS:

login(){
        this.$validator.validateAll().then((result) => {
          if (result) {
              var data = {
                client_id: 3,
                client_secret: 'client-secret key',
                grant_type: 'password',
                username: this.inputs.email,
                password: this.inputs.password
            }
            this.$http.post("oauth/token", data).then(response => {
                this.$auth.setToken(response.body.access_token, response.body.expires_in + Date.now());
                bus.$emit('reload');
                this.$router.push('/');
            })
          }
        });
      }

Any insights or guidance on this matter would be highly valued.

Thank you in advance for your assistance.

javascript laravel vue.js

Answer 1

Answer №1

When working with Laravel Passport, you have the convenience of easily consuming your own API with a JavaScript application. The framework provides a straightforward middleware that can be integrated into the 'web' middleware group within your App\Http\Kernel file:

'web' => [
    // Other middleware...
    \Laravel\Passport\Http\Middleware\CreateFreshApiToken::class,
],

Laravel will automatically handle the generation and storage of JWT tokens for logged-in users, simplifying the authentication process when making requests to your API. This eliminates the need to manually pass access tokens during each request.

It's important to remember that CSRF protection should still be maintained by including CSRF tokens in your requests. Utilizing Axios with Vue makes this task effortless:

window.axios.defaults.headers.common = {
    'X-Requested-With': 'XMLHttpRequest',
};

By following this method, there is no need to manage access tokens or expose sensitive credentials like client_id and secret to the client.

Answer 2

When working with Laravel Passport, you have the convenience of easily consuming your own API with a JavaScript application. The framework provides a straightforward middleware that can be integrated into the 'web' middleware group within your App\Http\Kernel file:

'web' => [
    // Other middleware...
    \Laravel\Passport\Http\Middleware\CreateFreshApiToken::class,
],

Laravel will automatically handle the generation and storage of JWT tokens for logged-in users, simplifying the authentication process when making requests to your API. This eliminates the need to manually pass access tokens during each request.

It's important to remember that CSRF protection should still be maintained by including CSRF tokens in your requests. Utilizing Axios with Vue makes this task effortless:

window.axios.defaults.headers.common = {
    'X-Requested-With': 'XMLHttpRequest',
};

By following this method, there is no need to manage access tokens or expose sensitive credentials like client_id and secret to the client.

Answer 3

Answer №2

When I encountered a similar issue, I discovered an intriguing solution that may be of help to you. You have the option to create a custom endpoint on the backend and send the request from there.

To accomplish this, follow these steps:

Begin by establishing a route in the api.php file

Route::post('/login', 'AuthController@login');

Next, generate the AuthController along with the login function linked to that route

php artisan make:controller AuthController

Lastly, install Guzzle, the HTTP client that enables PHP requests

composer require guzzlehttp/guzzle

and execute the request from within the login function

public function login(Request $request)
{
    $http = new \GuzzleHttp\Client;

    try {

        $response = $http->post('http://example.test/oauth/token', [
            'form_params' => [
                'grant_type' => 'password',
                'client_id' => 2,
                'client_secret' => 'your_client_secret',
                'username' => $request->username,
                'password' => $request->password,
            ]
        ]);

        return $response->getBody();

    } catch (\GuzzleHttp\Exception\BadResponseException $e) {

        if($e->getCode() == 400)
        {
            return response()->json('Invalid Request, Please enter email or password.', $e->getCode());
        }
        else if($e->getCode() == 401)
        {
            return response()->json('Your credentials are incorrect. Please try again', $e->getCode());
        }

        return response()->json('Something went wrong on the server.', $e->getCode());

    }
}

Now, the vue.js front end application simply needs to send a post request to http://example.test/login with the username and password to receive the access_token, without needing to know the client_secret as it is handled by the backend.

This video provides a detailed explanation and excellent implementation of this process.

Additionally, here is a presentation covering some theoretical concepts and how to securely store and transmit the token from the vue.js app after retrieving it.

I trust that this information proves beneficial to you.

Answer 4

When I encountered a similar issue, I discovered an intriguing solution that may be of help to you. You have the option to create a custom endpoint on the backend and send the request from there.

To accomplish this, follow these steps:

Begin by establishing a route in the api.php file

Route::post('/login', 'AuthController@login');

Next, generate the AuthController along with the login function linked to that route

php artisan make:controller AuthController

Lastly, install Guzzle, the HTTP client that enables PHP requests

composer require guzzlehttp/guzzle

and execute the request from within the login function

public function login(Request $request)
{
    $http = new \GuzzleHttp\Client;

    try {

        $response = $http->post('http://example.test/oauth/token', [
            'form_params' => [
                'grant_type' => 'password',
                'client_id' => 2,
                'client_secret' => 'your_client_secret',
                'username' => $request->username,
                'password' => $request->password,
            ]
        ]);

        return $response->getBody();

    } catch (\GuzzleHttp\Exception\BadResponseException $e) {

        if($e->getCode() == 400)
        {
            return response()->json('Invalid Request, Please enter email or password.', $e->getCode());
        }
        else if($e->getCode() == 401)
        {
            return response()->json('Your credentials are incorrect. Please try again', $e->getCode());
        }

        return response()->json('Something went wrong on the server.', $e->getCode());

    }
}

Now, the vue.js front end application simply needs to send a post request to http://example.test/login with the username and password to receive the access_token, without needing to know the client_secret as it is handled by the backend.

This video provides a detailed explanation and excellent implementation of this process.

Additionally, here is a presentation covering some theoretical concepts and how to securely store and transmit the token from the vue.js app after retrieving it.

I trust that this information proves beneficial to you.

Exploring the secure synergy between Laravel 5.5 Passport client_secret and Vue JS authentication

Answer №1

Answer №2

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