API Gateway Dynamic JWT Claim Discovery
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Solution Overview
Problem
The complexity of maintaining static lists of token requirements for APIs leads to organizational challenges and potential data leakage, as each API has varied token requirements, necessitating a more dynamic and secure method for claim information management.
Innovation Solution
An API gateway queries API claim requirements from a designated claim document and constructs a JWT containing only necessary information, using a whitelist or blacklist to control data transmission, ensuring secure and efficient token generation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If static lists of token requirements are maintained for each API, then authorization checks can be performed, but organizational complexity increases and data leakage risk arises
Solution Approach 1:
The API server autonomously provides its own claim requirements to the API gateway by implementing a claim requirements endpoint. This self-service mechanism eliminates the need for manual configuration maintenance, reducing organizational complexity while ensuring reliable authorization checks.
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from static configuration lists to dynamic claim requirements that are queried at runtime. The API gateway dynamically retrieves updated claim requirements from the API server, allowing the system to adapt to changing authorization needs without manual intervention, thus reducing complexity while maintaining reliability.
2Loss of information
If all claims are included in JWT tokens, then comprehensive authorization information is available, but unnecessary data transmission occurs and security is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The system extracts only the specific claims required by each API from the complete set of available claims. The API server specifies exactly which claims are needed, and the API gateway constructs JWT tokens containing only those extracted claims, preventing unnecessary data transmission and reducing data leakage risk while maintaining complete authorization information.
Solution Approach 2:
Each API receives a customized JWT token with claims tailored to its specific requirements rather than a universal token with all claims. This local quality approach ensures that each service gets only the authorization information it needs, minimizing data exposure while maintaining information completeness for that specific context.
3Manufacturing precision
If manual configuration of claim requirements is performed, then precise control over token contents is achieved, but time consumption and operational overhead increase
Solution Approach 1:
The API server autonomously manages and communicates its own claim requirements to the API gateway through an automated endpoint. This eliminates manual configuration activities, reducing time consumption and operational overhead while maintaining precise control over which claims are included in JWT tokens.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements a feedback loop where the API server communicates its claim requirements to the API gateway, which then constructs appropriate JWT tokens. This automated feedback mechanism ensures precise claim requirements control without manual intervention, significantly reducing configuration time and operational overhead.
Data Source
AI summary
In an approach for autonomous claim requirements discovery of APIs, a processor receives an access request from a client to a server. A processor validates the access request. A processor queries claim requirements in a claim document from the server upon the validation of the access request. A processor receives the claim requirements. A processor constructs a token based on the claim requirements. A processor sends the token to the server. A processor receives a response from the server. A processor sends the response to the client.