Using API-Key in Vapor





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I'm developing a simple web API with Vapor. To give more context, I'm newbie in backend development.



The consumer of the API is going to be an iOS app. Currently, I don't need the users to sign up to use the app. And I would like to keep it like that.



On the other hand, I would like to have some authentication to avoid that anyone could use the API I'm developing.



Looking for information I've found how implement authentication. But the examples I've seen are based on creating users in the backend for each user of the app. What I don't want to do. I would like to use an api-key as we do normally when we use third-party api's.



How could I have "api-key authentication" with Vapor ??



Or, should I just create an unique user/password that it's shared by all the users of the iOS app (that use the API) and then use basic or token authentication?



Thank you very much!



Carlos










share|improve this question





























    2















    I'm developing a simple web API with Vapor. To give more context, I'm newbie in backend development.



    The consumer of the API is going to be an iOS app. Currently, I don't need the users to sign up to use the app. And I would like to keep it like that.



    On the other hand, I would like to have some authentication to avoid that anyone could use the API I'm developing.



    Looking for information I've found how implement authentication. But the examples I've seen are based on creating users in the backend for each user of the app. What I don't want to do. I would like to use an api-key as we do normally when we use third-party api's.



    How could I have "api-key authentication" with Vapor ??



    Or, should I just create an unique user/password that it's shared by all the users of the iOS app (that use the API) and then use basic or token authentication?



    Thank you very much!



    Carlos










    share|improve this question

























      2












      2








      2








      I'm developing a simple web API with Vapor. To give more context, I'm newbie in backend development.



      The consumer of the API is going to be an iOS app. Currently, I don't need the users to sign up to use the app. And I would like to keep it like that.



      On the other hand, I would like to have some authentication to avoid that anyone could use the API I'm developing.



      Looking for information I've found how implement authentication. But the examples I've seen are based on creating users in the backend for each user of the app. What I don't want to do. I would like to use an api-key as we do normally when we use third-party api's.



      How could I have "api-key authentication" with Vapor ??



      Or, should I just create an unique user/password that it's shared by all the users of the iOS app (that use the API) and then use basic or token authentication?



      Thank you very much!



      Carlos










      share|improve this question














      I'm developing a simple web API with Vapor. To give more context, I'm newbie in backend development.



      The consumer of the API is going to be an iOS app. Currently, I don't need the users to sign up to use the app. And I would like to keep it like that.



      On the other hand, I would like to have some authentication to avoid that anyone could use the API I'm developing.



      Looking for information I've found how implement authentication. But the examples I've seen are based on creating users in the backend for each user of the app. What I don't want to do. I would like to use an api-key as we do normally when we use third-party api's.



      How could I have "api-key authentication" with Vapor ??



      Or, should I just create an unique user/password that it's shared by all the users of the iOS app (that use the API) and then use basic or token authentication?



      Thank you very much!



      Carlos







      vapor






      share|improve this question













      share|improve this question











      share|improve this question




      share|improve this question










      asked Nov 23 '18 at 23:38









      CarlosCarlos

      612923




      612923
























          2 Answers
          2






          active

          oldest

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          3














          One way around this is to create a fake token and use either the TokenAuthenticationMiddleware or more likely a custom middleware that checks the incoming token.



          However, be aware that there is nothing stopping anyone from inspecting the traffic coming from your app to view the token and then using that to access your API.






          share|improve this answer
























          • Agreed, only thing that would mitigate downside of inspecting traffic is using cert pinning. But I doubt this application calls for that level of security.

            – Andrew Edwards
            Nov 24 '18 at 20:10











          • Thanks Tim! One question (maybe silly). About someone inspecting the traffic coming from my app. I would have this problem always, right? I mean, even if I implemented full authentication, someone could inspect the traffic and get the token of an specific user, couldn't they?

            – Carlos
            Nov 25 '18 at 14:19











          • Yeah cert pinning is one way around it, but you can still decompile the app and pull out the key. There are barriers you can put up but it’s essentially impossible to completely stop it.

            – 0xTim
            Nov 25 '18 at 21:23











          • @Carlos yeah you’d always have the issue. However with full authentication then you require users to provide credentials to get a key. That means you can lock it down better. For instance you don’t have a global key that can do everything, you can add authorisation so that API key can interact with only certain parts. Does that make sense?

            – 0xTim
            Nov 25 '18 at 21:26



















          1














          Following Tim idea and an example from the book Server Side with Vapor (by the Raywenderlich.com Tutorial Team) I've created this custom middleware that makes the work:



          final class SecretMiddleware: Middleware {

          let secret: String

          init(secret: String) {
          self.secret = secret
          }

          func respond(to request: Request, chainingTo next: Responder) throws -> Future<Response> {

          guard let bearerAuthorization = request.http.headers.bearerAuthorization else {
          throw Abort(.unauthorized, reason: "Missing token")
          }

          guard bearerAuthorization.token == secret else {
          throw Abort(.unauthorized, reason: "Wrong token")
          }

          return try next.respond(to: request)
          }
          }
          extension SecretMiddleware: ServiceType {

          static func makeService(for worker: Container) throws -> SecretMiddleware {

          let secret: String
          switch worker.environment {
          case .development:
          secret = "foo"
          default:
          guard let envSecret = Environment.get("SECRET") else {
          let reason = "No SECRET set on environment."
          throw Abort(.internalServerError, reason: reason)
          }
          secret = envSecret
          }
          return SecretMiddleware(secret: secret)
          }
          }





          share|improve this answer
























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            2 Answers
            2






            active

            oldest

            votes








            2 Answers
            2






            active

            oldest

            votes









            active

            oldest

            votes






            active

            oldest

            votes









            3














            One way around this is to create a fake token and use either the TokenAuthenticationMiddleware or more likely a custom middleware that checks the incoming token.



            However, be aware that there is nothing stopping anyone from inspecting the traffic coming from your app to view the token and then using that to access your API.






            share|improve this answer
























            • Agreed, only thing that would mitigate downside of inspecting traffic is using cert pinning. But I doubt this application calls for that level of security.

              – Andrew Edwards
              Nov 24 '18 at 20:10











            • Thanks Tim! One question (maybe silly). About someone inspecting the traffic coming from my app. I would have this problem always, right? I mean, even if I implemented full authentication, someone could inspect the traffic and get the token of an specific user, couldn't they?

              – Carlos
              Nov 25 '18 at 14:19











            • Yeah cert pinning is one way around it, but you can still decompile the app and pull out the key. There are barriers you can put up but it’s essentially impossible to completely stop it.

              – 0xTim
              Nov 25 '18 at 21:23











            • @Carlos yeah you’d always have the issue. However with full authentication then you require users to provide credentials to get a key. That means you can lock it down better. For instance you don’t have a global key that can do everything, you can add authorisation so that API key can interact with only certain parts. Does that make sense?

              – 0xTim
              Nov 25 '18 at 21:26
















            3














            One way around this is to create a fake token and use either the TokenAuthenticationMiddleware or more likely a custom middleware that checks the incoming token.



            However, be aware that there is nothing stopping anyone from inspecting the traffic coming from your app to view the token and then using that to access your API.






            share|improve this answer
























            • Agreed, only thing that would mitigate downside of inspecting traffic is using cert pinning. But I doubt this application calls for that level of security.

              – Andrew Edwards
              Nov 24 '18 at 20:10











            • Thanks Tim! One question (maybe silly). About someone inspecting the traffic coming from my app. I would have this problem always, right? I mean, even if I implemented full authentication, someone could inspect the traffic and get the token of an specific user, couldn't they?

              – Carlos
              Nov 25 '18 at 14:19











            • Yeah cert pinning is one way around it, but you can still decompile the app and pull out the key. There are barriers you can put up but it’s essentially impossible to completely stop it.

              – 0xTim
              Nov 25 '18 at 21:23











            • @Carlos yeah you’d always have the issue. However with full authentication then you require users to provide credentials to get a key. That means you can lock it down better. For instance you don’t have a global key that can do everything, you can add authorisation so that API key can interact with only certain parts. Does that make sense?

              – 0xTim
              Nov 25 '18 at 21:26














            3












            3








            3







            One way around this is to create a fake token and use either the TokenAuthenticationMiddleware or more likely a custom middleware that checks the incoming token.



            However, be aware that there is nothing stopping anyone from inspecting the traffic coming from your app to view the token and then using that to access your API.






            share|improve this answer













            One way around this is to create a fake token and use either the TokenAuthenticationMiddleware or more likely a custom middleware that checks the incoming token.



            However, be aware that there is nothing stopping anyone from inspecting the traffic coming from your app to view the token and then using that to access your API.







            share|improve this answer












            share|improve this answer



            share|improve this answer










            answered Nov 24 '18 at 19:18









            0xTim0xTim

            1,006512




            1,006512













            • Agreed, only thing that would mitigate downside of inspecting traffic is using cert pinning. But I doubt this application calls for that level of security.

              – Andrew Edwards
              Nov 24 '18 at 20:10











            • Thanks Tim! One question (maybe silly). About someone inspecting the traffic coming from my app. I would have this problem always, right? I mean, even if I implemented full authentication, someone could inspect the traffic and get the token of an specific user, couldn't they?

              – Carlos
              Nov 25 '18 at 14:19











            • Yeah cert pinning is one way around it, but you can still decompile the app and pull out the key. There are barriers you can put up but it’s essentially impossible to completely stop it.

              – 0xTim
              Nov 25 '18 at 21:23











            • @Carlos yeah you’d always have the issue. However with full authentication then you require users to provide credentials to get a key. That means you can lock it down better. For instance you don’t have a global key that can do everything, you can add authorisation so that API key can interact with only certain parts. Does that make sense?

              – 0xTim
              Nov 25 '18 at 21:26



















            • Agreed, only thing that would mitigate downside of inspecting traffic is using cert pinning. But I doubt this application calls for that level of security.

              – Andrew Edwards
              Nov 24 '18 at 20:10











            • Thanks Tim! One question (maybe silly). About someone inspecting the traffic coming from my app. I would have this problem always, right? I mean, even if I implemented full authentication, someone could inspect the traffic and get the token of an specific user, couldn't they?

              – Carlos
              Nov 25 '18 at 14:19











            • Yeah cert pinning is one way around it, but you can still decompile the app and pull out the key. There are barriers you can put up but it’s essentially impossible to completely stop it.

              – 0xTim
              Nov 25 '18 at 21:23











            • @Carlos yeah you’d always have the issue. However with full authentication then you require users to provide credentials to get a key. That means you can lock it down better. For instance you don’t have a global key that can do everything, you can add authorisation so that API key can interact with only certain parts. Does that make sense?

              – 0xTim
              Nov 25 '18 at 21:26

















            Agreed, only thing that would mitigate downside of inspecting traffic is using cert pinning. But I doubt this application calls for that level of security.

            – Andrew Edwards
            Nov 24 '18 at 20:10





            Agreed, only thing that would mitigate downside of inspecting traffic is using cert pinning. But I doubt this application calls for that level of security.

            – Andrew Edwards
            Nov 24 '18 at 20:10













            Thanks Tim! One question (maybe silly). About someone inspecting the traffic coming from my app. I would have this problem always, right? I mean, even if I implemented full authentication, someone could inspect the traffic and get the token of an specific user, couldn't they?

            – Carlos
            Nov 25 '18 at 14:19





            Thanks Tim! One question (maybe silly). About someone inspecting the traffic coming from my app. I would have this problem always, right? I mean, even if I implemented full authentication, someone could inspect the traffic and get the token of an specific user, couldn't they?

            – Carlos
            Nov 25 '18 at 14:19













            Yeah cert pinning is one way around it, but you can still decompile the app and pull out the key. There are barriers you can put up but it’s essentially impossible to completely stop it.

            – 0xTim
            Nov 25 '18 at 21:23





            Yeah cert pinning is one way around it, but you can still decompile the app and pull out the key. There are barriers you can put up but it’s essentially impossible to completely stop it.

            – 0xTim
            Nov 25 '18 at 21:23













            @Carlos yeah you’d always have the issue. However with full authentication then you require users to provide credentials to get a key. That means you can lock it down better. For instance you don’t have a global key that can do everything, you can add authorisation so that API key can interact with only certain parts. Does that make sense?

            – 0xTim
            Nov 25 '18 at 21:26





            @Carlos yeah you’d always have the issue. However with full authentication then you require users to provide credentials to get a key. That means you can lock it down better. For instance you don’t have a global key that can do everything, you can add authorisation so that API key can interact with only certain parts. Does that make sense?

            – 0xTim
            Nov 25 '18 at 21:26













            1














            Following Tim idea and an example from the book Server Side with Vapor (by the Raywenderlich.com Tutorial Team) I've created this custom middleware that makes the work:



            final class SecretMiddleware: Middleware {

            let secret: String

            init(secret: String) {
            self.secret = secret
            }

            func respond(to request: Request, chainingTo next: Responder) throws -> Future<Response> {

            guard let bearerAuthorization = request.http.headers.bearerAuthorization else {
            throw Abort(.unauthorized, reason: "Missing token")
            }

            guard bearerAuthorization.token == secret else {
            throw Abort(.unauthorized, reason: "Wrong token")
            }

            return try next.respond(to: request)
            }
            }
            extension SecretMiddleware: ServiceType {

            static func makeService(for worker: Container) throws -> SecretMiddleware {

            let secret: String
            switch worker.environment {
            case .development:
            secret = "foo"
            default:
            guard let envSecret = Environment.get("SECRET") else {
            let reason = "No SECRET set on environment."
            throw Abort(.internalServerError, reason: reason)
            }
            secret = envSecret
            }
            return SecretMiddleware(secret: secret)
            }
            }





            share|improve this answer




























              1














              Following Tim idea and an example from the book Server Side with Vapor (by the Raywenderlich.com Tutorial Team) I've created this custom middleware that makes the work:



              final class SecretMiddleware: Middleware {

              let secret: String

              init(secret: String) {
              self.secret = secret
              }

              func respond(to request: Request, chainingTo next: Responder) throws -> Future<Response> {

              guard let bearerAuthorization = request.http.headers.bearerAuthorization else {
              throw Abort(.unauthorized, reason: "Missing token")
              }

              guard bearerAuthorization.token == secret else {
              throw Abort(.unauthorized, reason: "Wrong token")
              }

              return try next.respond(to: request)
              }
              }
              extension SecretMiddleware: ServiceType {

              static func makeService(for worker: Container) throws -> SecretMiddleware {

              let secret: String
              switch worker.environment {
              case .development:
              secret = "foo"
              default:
              guard let envSecret = Environment.get("SECRET") else {
              let reason = "No SECRET set on environment."
              throw Abort(.internalServerError, reason: reason)
              }
              secret = envSecret
              }
              return SecretMiddleware(secret: secret)
              }
              }





              share|improve this answer


























                1












                1








                1







                Following Tim idea and an example from the book Server Side with Vapor (by the Raywenderlich.com Tutorial Team) I've created this custom middleware that makes the work:



                final class SecretMiddleware: Middleware {

                let secret: String

                init(secret: String) {
                self.secret = secret
                }

                func respond(to request: Request, chainingTo next: Responder) throws -> Future<Response> {

                guard let bearerAuthorization = request.http.headers.bearerAuthorization else {
                throw Abort(.unauthorized, reason: "Missing token")
                }

                guard bearerAuthorization.token == secret else {
                throw Abort(.unauthorized, reason: "Wrong token")
                }

                return try next.respond(to: request)
                }
                }
                extension SecretMiddleware: ServiceType {

                static func makeService(for worker: Container) throws -> SecretMiddleware {

                let secret: String
                switch worker.environment {
                case .development:
                secret = "foo"
                default:
                guard let envSecret = Environment.get("SECRET") else {
                let reason = "No SECRET set on environment."
                throw Abort(.internalServerError, reason: reason)
                }
                secret = envSecret
                }
                return SecretMiddleware(secret: secret)
                }
                }





                share|improve this answer













                Following Tim idea and an example from the book Server Side with Vapor (by the Raywenderlich.com Tutorial Team) I've created this custom middleware that makes the work:



                final class SecretMiddleware: Middleware {

                let secret: String

                init(secret: String) {
                self.secret = secret
                }

                func respond(to request: Request, chainingTo next: Responder) throws -> Future<Response> {

                guard let bearerAuthorization = request.http.headers.bearerAuthorization else {
                throw Abort(.unauthorized, reason: "Missing token")
                }

                guard bearerAuthorization.token == secret else {
                throw Abort(.unauthorized, reason: "Wrong token")
                }

                return try next.respond(to: request)
                }
                }
                extension SecretMiddleware: ServiceType {

                static func makeService(for worker: Container) throws -> SecretMiddleware {

                let secret: String
                switch worker.environment {
                case .development:
                secret = "foo"
                default:
                guard let envSecret = Environment.get("SECRET") else {
                let reason = "No SECRET set on environment."
                throw Abort(.internalServerError, reason: reason)
                }
                secret = envSecret
                }
                return SecretMiddleware(secret: secret)
                }
                }






                share|improve this answer












                share|improve this answer



                share|improve this answer










                answered Jan 20 at 19:18









                CarlosCarlos

                612923




                612923






























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