auth-implementation-patterns

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SKILL.md (first lines)

# Authentication & Authorization Implementation Patterns

Build secure, scalable authentication and authorization systems using industry-standard patterns and modern best practices.

## When to Use This Skill

- Implementing user authentication systems
- Securing REST or GraphQL APIs
- Adding OAuth2/social login
- Implementing role-based access control (RBAC)
- Designing session management
- Migrating authentication systems
- Debugging auth issues
- Implementing SSO or multi-tenancy

## Core Concepts

### 1. Authentication vs Authorization

**Authentication (AuthN)**: Who are you?

- Verifying identity (username/password, OAuth, biometrics)
- Issuing credentials (sessions, tokens)
- Managing login/logout

**Authorization (AuthZ)**: What can you do?

- Permission checking
- Role-based access control (RBAC)
- Resource ownership validation
- Policy enforcement

### 2. Authentication Strategies

**Session-Based:**

- Server stores session state
- Session ID in cookie
- Traditional, simple, stateful

**Token-Based (JWT):**

- Stateless, self-contained
- Scales horizontally
- Can store claims

**OAuth2/OpenID Connect:**

- Delegate authentication
- Social login (Google, GitHub)
- Enterprise SSO

## JWT Authentication

### Pattern 1: JWT Implementation

```typescript
// JWT structure: header.payload.signature
import jwt from "jsonwebtoken";
import { Request, Response, NextFunction } from "express";

interface JWTPayload {
  userId: string;
  email: string;
  role: string;
  iat: number;
  exp: number;
}

// Generate JWT
function generateTokens(userId: string, email: string, role: string) {
  const accessToken = jwt.sign(
    { userId, email, role },
    process.env.JWT_SECRET!,
    { expiresIn: "15m" }, // Short-lived
  );

  const refreshToken = jwt.sign(
    { userId },
    process.env.JWT_REFRESH_SECRET!,
    { expiresIn: "7d" }, // Long-lived
  );

  return { accessToken, refreshToken };
}

// Verify JWT
function verifyToken(token: string): JWTPayload {
  try {
    return jwt.verify(token, process.env.JWT_SECRET!) as JWTPayload;
  } catch (error) {
    if (error instanceof jwt.TokenExpiredError) {
      throw new Error("Token expired");
    }
    if (error instanceof jwt.JsonWebTokenError) {
      throw new Error("Invalid token");
    }
    throw error;
  }
}

// Middleware
function authenticate(req: Request, res: Response, next: NextFunction) {
  const authHeader = req.headers.authorization;
  if (!authHeader?.startsWith("Bearer ")) {
    return res.status(401).json({ error: "No token provided" });
  }

  const token = authHeader.substring(7);
  try {
    const payload = verifyToken(token);
    req.user = payload; // Attach user to request
    next();
  } catch (error) {
    return res.status(401).json({ error: "Invalid token" });
  }
}

// Usage

From viniciuscs84/sdd-toolkit, MIT.

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