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* conversion stage 1 * correct image paths * add sidebar title to frontmatter * docs/concepts and docs/internals * configuration docs and multi-level nav corrections * commands docs, index file corrections, small item nav correction * secrets converted * auth * add enterprise and agent docs * add extra dividers * secret section, wip * correct sidebar nav title in front matter for apu section, start working on api items * auth and backend, a couple directory structure fixes * remove old docs * intro side nav converted * reset sidebar styles, add hashi-global-styles * basic styling for nav sidebar * folder collapse functionality * patch up border length on last list item * wip restructure for content component * taking middleman hacking to the extreme, but its working * small css fix * add new mega nav * fix a small mistake from the rebase * fix a content resolution issue with middleman * title a couple missing docs pages * update deps, remove temporary markup * community page * footer to layout, community page css adjustments * wip downloads page * deps updated, downloads page ready * fix community page * homepage progress * add components, adjust spacing * docs and api landing pages * a bunch of fixes, add docs and api landing pages * update deps, add deploy scripts * add readme note * update deploy command * overview page, index title * Update doc fields Note this still requires the link fields to be populated -- this is solely related to copy on the description fields * Update api_basic_categories.yml Updated API category descriptions. Like the document descriptions you'll still need to update the link headers to the proper target pages. * Add bottom hero, adjust CSS, responsive friendly * Add mega nav title * homepage adjustments, asset boosts * small fixes * docs page styling fixes * meganav title * some category link corrections * Update API categories page updated to reflect the second level headings for api categories * Update docs_detailed_categories.yml Updated to represent the existing docs structure * Update docs_detailed_categories.yml * docs page data fix, extra operator page remove * api data fix * fix makefile * update deps, add product subnav to docs and api landing pages * Rearrange non-hands-on guides to _docs_ Since there is no place for these on learn.hashicorp, we'll put them under _docs_. * WIP Redirects for guides to docs * content and component updates * font weight hotfix, redirects * fix guides and intro sidenavs * fix some redirects * small style tweaks * Redirects to learn and internally to docs * Remove redirect to `/vault` * Remove `.html` from destination on redirects * fix incorrect index redirect * final touchups * address feedback from michell for makefile and product downloads
55 lines
2.7 KiB
Markdown
55 lines
2.7 KiB
Markdown
---
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layout: "docs"
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page_title: "Token Authentication"
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sidebar_title: "Token Authentication"
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sidebar_current: "docs-internals-token"
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description: |-
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Learn about the client token authentication in Vault.
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---
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# Token Authentication
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The `token` auth method is built-in and is at the core of
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client authentication. Other auth methods may be used to
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authenticate a client, but they eventually result in the generation of a client
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token managed by the `token` backend.
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Every token has a number of properties:
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* ID - The primary ID of a token is a randomly generated value
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* Display Name - Optionally, a human readable display name
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* Metadata - Metadata used for audit logging
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* Number of Uses - Optionally, a restricted use count
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* Parent ID - Optionally, a parent token which created this child token
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* Policies - An associated list of ACL policies
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* Source Path - The path at which the token was generated (e.g. `auth/github/login`)
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The properties of a token are immutable once created. The exception to this
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is the number of uses, which is decremented on each request. Each of these
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properties enable Vault to do a number of interesting things.
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Each token maintains the source path, or the login path, that was used
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to create the token. This is used to allow source based revocation. For example,
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if we believe our GitHub organization was compromised, we may want to revoke
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all tokens generated via `auth/github/login`. This would be done by using the
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`sys/revoke-prefix/` API with the `auth/github/` prefix. Revoking the
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prefix will revoke all client tokens generated at that path, as well as all
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dynamic secrets generated by those tokens. This provides a powerful "break glass"
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procedure during a potential compromise.
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If a token is created by another auth method, they do not have
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a parent token. However, any tokens created by the `auth/token/create` API
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have a parent token, namely the token used to make that request. By maintaining
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this parent-child relationship, Vault models token trees. Child tokens can
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be created with a subset of the parent policies, allowing for dropping of
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privileges. When a token is revoked, the entire sub-tree of tokens is revoked
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with it. This allows clients to safely generate child tokens and then revoke
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them all along with the root.
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Child tokens are very useful, especially when combined with limited use tokens.
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When a token is created, its use count can be optionally specified. Providing
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a use count of one makes a _one time token_. This means the token can be used
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for a single request before being automatically revoked. This can be generalized
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to any number of uses. Limited use tokens cannot be used to create sub-tokens,
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but they can be a powerful way to allow extremely limited access to Vault.
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