91 lines
4.3 KiB
Plaintext
91 lines
4.3 KiB
Plaintext
/***********************************************************************
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*
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* README for auth_token
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*
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***********************************************************************/
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INTRODUCTION
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auth_token is an authentication token infrastructure with support for multiple
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authentication mechanisms with an emphasis on providing a scalable single
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sign-on solution.
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A key feature of auth_token is that its authentication tokens contain identity
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information about the entity being authenticated. This information is made available
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to the consuming services. The amount of information contained in the tokens is
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configured on a per-service basis. Because of this feature, we say that auth_token
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projects an "Authenticated Identity".
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ARCHITECTURE COMPONENTS
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The infrastructure provided by auth_token consists of client and server components.
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The client components of auth_token consists of a Client Engine, Get Authentication
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Token API, Authentication Token Cache, and Authentication Mechanism plug-ins.
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The server components of auth_token consists of an Authentication Token Service, a
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Verify Authentication Token API, a JAAS module, a PAM module, and an Apache Authentication
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Provider module. The Authentication Token Service makes use of Authentication Mechanism
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plug-ins, an Identity Data Store Abstraction Layer, and of Identity Token Providers.
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SECURITY FEATURES AND DATA FLOW
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Communications between the Client Engine and the Authentication Token Service (ATS)
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occur over HTTPS. When a client desires to obtain an Authentication Token to access
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a particular service it contacts an ATS which then proceeds to inform the client about
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the Authentication Policy configured for the service. The policy contains information
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about authentication mechanisms supported as well as information about the types of
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credentials that the client can utilize to authenticate to the ATS. Once the client
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receives the Authentication Policy, it then decides what authentication mechanism to
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utilize to authenticate to the ATS based on the available authentication mechanisms
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plug-ins as well as the available credentials. During the authentication process, the
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ATS associates an identity with the entity being authenticated. The result of this
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resolution is saved in a Session Token which is then sent to the client where it is
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cached. Once the client is authenticated to the ATS, it then requests Authentication
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Tokens from it using the obtained Session Token. When an ATS receives a request for
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an Authentication Token, it then verifies the validity of the received Session Token
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and then it creates the appropriate Identity Token for the target service which it then
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embeds within the Authentication Token. The indentity information contained in the
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Identity Token as well as the type of Identity Token utilized depends on what is
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configured for the tatget service.
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Session Tokens and Authentication Tokens are signed by the issuing ATS using Signing
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Certificates. Session Tokens and Authentication Tokens have a Lifetime Value associated
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with them. Token verification involves verifying the token signatures, verifying that
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the tokens where signed by a trusted entity, and verifying that the token lifetime has
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not been exceeeded.
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The auth_token client/service protocol allows for the authentication of the client entity.
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auth_token relies in the server authentication mechanisms of SSL to verify the identity
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of the ATS.
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IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGY AND CURRENT STATUS
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auth_token is currently under development and is not ready to be used in production.
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The implementation strategy has been to first complete the framework with all of its
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modules, APIs, and packaging to allow application writters to start developing to it.
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Once this is done, then the implementation focus will switch to completing the plumbing.
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As of this time, a lot of the framework has been completed and there are sample
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applications that can be utilized to exercise it. For a more complete picture of where
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we are, look at the various TODO lists present in the child folders.
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The schedule for completing auth_token is agressive.
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SECURITY CONSIDERATIONS
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CASA Authentication Tokens when compromised can be used to either impersonate
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a user or to obtain identity information about the user. Because of this it is
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important that the tokens be secured by applications making use of them. It is
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recommended that the tokens be transmitted using SSL.
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