Relay Gateway API Authentication via Identity Service
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing API call systems through relay gateways face security vulnerabilities when clients lack credentials for the relay gateway, leading to unauthenticated user attacks and inability to perform non-public operations.
Innovation Solution
The relay gateway makes authentication and authorization decisions based on client characteristics, such as IP address and time of day, and relies on pre-established trust relationships with identity services to validate client credentials.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the relay gateway requires credentials from the client for authentication, then security is improved, but the ease of operation deteriorates because clients must obtain and manage credentials for multiple services
Solution Approach 1:
The relay gateway acts as an intermediary that accepts credentials from a trusted identity service on behalf of the client. Instead of the client needing credentials for the relay gateway itself, the relay gateway validates credentials issued by a trusted identity service, thereby maintaining security while simplifying the client's credential management burden
Solution Approach 2:
The relay gateway implements a universal authentication mechanism that works with credentials from multiple identity services. A single credential from a trusted identity service can be used to access multiple services through the relay gateway, eliminating the need for separate credentials for each service
2Adaptability or versatility
If the relay gateway accepts credentials not issued by itself, then adaptability is improved, but security deteriorates due to potential unauthenticated user attacks
Solution Approach 1:
The relay gateway implements a feedback mechanism by validating credentials against the issuing identity service before accepting them. The gateway sends verification requests to the identity service to confirm the credential's validity and the client's authorization, providing a feedback loop that ensures security while maintaining adaptability to credentials from various identity services
Solution Approach 2:
The relay gateway performs preliminary validation of credentials before accepting API calls from the client. By pre-verifying the credential's authenticity with the issuing identity service and establishing trust relationships in advance, the gateway ensures security is maintained while being able to accept credentials from multiple sources
Data Source
AI summary
Trust is established using a relay gateway for an API call from a client to a target service. In an example, an API call is received at a relay gateway from a client and directed to a target service. The API call includes a credential that is not for the relay gateway. The API call is authenticated using the credential. The API call is forwarded to the target service in response to the authentication. An API response is received from the target service and forwarded from the relay gateway to the client.