open-vault/website/content/api-docs/system/auth.mdx

---
layout: api
page_title: /sys/auth - HTTP API
description: The `/sys/auth` endpoint is used to manage auth methods in Vault.
---

# `/sys/auth`

The `/sys/auth` endpoint is used to list, create, update, and delete auth
methods. Auth methods convert user or machine-supplied information into a
token which can be used for all future requests.

## List Auth Methods

This endpoint lists all enabled auth methods.

| Method | Path        |
| :----- | :---------- |
| `GET`  | `/sys/auth` |

### Sample Request

```shell-session
$ curl \
    --header "X-Vault-Token: ..." \
    http://127.0.0.1:8200/v1/sys/auth
```

### Sample Response

```json
{
  "github/": {
    "type": "github",
    "description": "GitHub auth"
  },
  "token/": {
    "config": {
      "default_lease_ttl": 0,
      "max_lease_ttl": 0
    },
    "description": "token based credentials",
    "type": "token"
  }
}
```

## Enable Auth Method

This endpoint enables a new auth method. After enabling, the auth method can
be accessed and configured via the auth path specified as part of the URL. This
auth path will be nested under the `auth` prefix.

For example, enable the "foo" auth method will make it accessible at
`/auth/foo`.

- **`sudo` required** – This endpoint requires `sudo` capability in addition to
  any path-specific capabilities.

| Method | Path              |
| :----- | :---------------- |
| `POST` | `/sys/auth/:path` |

### Parameters

- `path` `(string: <required>)` – Specifies the path in which to enable the auth
  method. This is part of the request URL.

  !> **NOTE:** Use ASCII printable characters to specify the desired path.

- `description` `(string: "")` – Specifies a human-friendly description of the
  auth method.

- `type` `(string: <required>)` – Specifies the name of the authentication
  method type, such as "github" or "token".

- `config` `(map<string|string>: nil)` – Specifies configuration options for
  this auth method. These are the possible values:

  - `default_lease_ttl` `(string: "")` - The default lease duration, specified
    as a string duration like "5s" or "30m".

  - `max_lease_ttl` `(string: "")` - The maximum lease duration, specified as a
    string duration like "5s" or "30m".

  - `audit_non_hmac_request_keys` `(array: [])` - List of keys that will not be
    HMAC'd by audit devices in the request data object.

  - `audit_non_hmac_response_keys` `(array: [])` - List of keys that will not be
    HMAC'd by audit devices in the response data object.

  - `listing_visibility` `(string: "")` - Specifies whether to show this mount
    in the UI-specific listing endpoint. Valid values are `"unauth"` or `"hidden"`,
    with the default `""` being equivalent to `"hidden"`.

  - `passthrough_request_headers` `(array: [])` - List of headers to whitelist
    and pass from the request to the plugin.

  - `allowed_response_headers` `(array: [])` - List of headers to whitelist,
    allowing a plugin to include them in the response.

Additionally, the following options are allowed in Vault open-source, but
relevant functionality is only supported in Vault Enterprise:

- `local` `(bool: false)` – Specifies if the auth method is local only. Local
  auth methods are not replicated nor (if a secondary) removed by replication.
  Local auth mounts also generate entities for tokens issued. The entity will 
  be replicated across clusters and the aliases generated on the local auth 
  mount will be local to the cluster. If the goal of marking an auth method 
  as `local` was to comply with GDPR guidelines, then care must be taken to not 
  set the data pertaining to local auth mount or local auth mount aliases in the 
  metadata of the associated entity. Metadata related to local auth mount aliases 
  can be stored as `custom_metadata` on the alias itself which will also be 
  retained locally to the cluster.

  ~> ** Warning:** Remember, policies when using replication secondaries are
  validated by the local cluster. An administrator that can set up a local auth
  method mount can assign policies to tokens that are valid on the replication
  primary if a request is forwarded. Never give untrusted administrators the
  ability to assign policies or configure authentication methods.

- `seal_wrap` `(bool: false)` - Enable seal wrapping for the mount, causing
  values stored by the mount to be wrapped by the seal's encryption capability.

### Sample Payload

```json
{
  "type": "github",
  "description": "Login with GitHub"
}
```

### Sample Request

```shell-session
$ curl \
    --header "X-Vault-Token: ..." \
    --request POST \
    --data @payload.json \
    http://127.0.0.1:8200/v1/sys/auth/my-auth
```

## Read Auth Method configuration

This endpoints returns the configuration of the auth method at the given path.

| Method | Path             |
| :----- | :--------------- |
| `GET`  | `/sys/auth/path` |

### Sample Request

```shell-session
$ curl \
    --header "X-Vault-Token: ..." \
    http://127.0.0.1:8200/v1/sys/auth/my-auth
```

### Sample Response

```json
{
  "uuid": "4b42d1a4-0a0d-3c88-ae90-997e0c8b41be",
  "type": "github",
  "accessor": "auth_github_badd7fd0",
  "local": false,
  "seal_wrap": false,
  "external_entropy_access": false,
  "options": null,
  "config": {
    "default_lease_ttl": 0,
    "force_no_cache": false,
    "max_lease_ttl": 0,
    "token_type": "default-service"
  },
  "description": "",
  "request_id": "8d2a1e33-4c00-46a5-f50d-4dc5f5d96f12",
  "lease_id": "",
  "renewable": false,
  "lease_duration": 0,
  "data": {
    "accessor": "auth_github_badd7fd0",
    "config": {
      "default_lease_ttl": 0,
      "force_no_cache": false,
      "max_lease_ttl": 0,
      "token_type": "default-service"
    },
    "description": "",
    "external_entropy_access": false,
    "local": false,
    "options": null,
    "seal_wrap": false,
    "type": "github",
    "uuid": "4b42d1a4-0a0d-3c88-ae90-997e0c8b41be"
  },
  "wrap_info": null,
  "warnings": null,
  "auth": null
}
```


## Disable Auth Method

This endpoint disables the auth method at the given auth path.

- **`sudo` required** – This endpoint requires `sudo` capability in addition to
  any path-specific capabilities.

| Method   | Path              |
| :------- | :---------------- |
| `DELETE` | `/sys/auth/:path` |

### Parameters

- `path` `(string: <required>)` – Specifies the path to disable. This is part of
  the request URL.

### Sample Request

```shell-session
$ curl \
    --header "X-Vault-Token: ..." \
    --request DELETE \
    http://127.0.0.1:8200/v1/sys/auth/my-auth
```

## Read Auth Method Tuning

This endpoint reads the given auth path's configuration. _This endpoint requires
`sudo` capability on the final path, but the same functionality can be achieved
without `sudo` via `sys/mounts/auth/[auth-path]/tune`._

- **`sudo` required** – This endpoint requires `sudo` capability in addition to
  any path-specific capabilities.

| Method | Path                   |
| :----- | :--------------------- |
| `GET`  | `/sys/auth/:path/tune` |

### Parameters

- `path` `(string: <required>)` – Specifies the path in which to tune.

### Sample Request

```shell-session
$ curl \
    --header "X-Vault-Token: ..." \
    http://127.0.0.1:8200/v1/sys/auth/my-auth/tune
```

### Sample Response

```json
{
  "default_lease_ttl": 2764800,
  "description": "",
  "force_no_cache": false,
  "max_lease_ttl": 2764800,
  "token_type": "default-service"
}
```

## Tune Auth Method

Tune configuration parameters for a given auth path. _This endpoint
requires `sudo` capability on the final path, but the same functionality
can be achieved without `sudo` via `sys/mounts/auth/[auth-path]/tune`._

- **`sudo` required** – This endpoint requires `sudo` capability in addition to
  any path-specific capabilities.

| Method | Path                   |
| :----- | :--------------------- |
| `POST` | `/sys/auth/:path/tune` |

### Parameters

- `default_lease_ttl` `(int: 0)` – Specifies the default time-to-live. If set on
  a specific auth path, this overrides the global default.

- `max_lease_ttl` `(int: 0)` – Specifies the maximum time-to-live. If set on a
  specific auth path, this overrides the global default.

- `description` `(string: "")` – Specifies the description of the mount. This
  overrides the current stored value, if any.

- `audit_non_hmac_request_keys` `(array: [])` - Specifies the list of keys
  that will not be HMAC'd by audit devices in the request data object.

- `audit_non_hmac_response_keys` `(array: [])` - Specifies the list of keys
  that will not be HMAC'd by audit devices in the response data object.

- `listing_visibility` `(string: "")` - Specifies whether to show this mount
  in the UI-specific listing endpoint. Valid values are `"unauth"` or `"hidden"`,
  with the default `""` being equivalent to `"hidden"`.

- `passthrough_request_headers` `(array: [])` - List of headers to whitelist
  and pass from the request to the plugin.

- `allowed_response_headers` `(array: [])` - List of headers to whitelist,
  allowing a plugin to include them in the response.

- `token_type` `(string: "")` – Specifies the type of tokens that should be
  returned by the mount. The following values are available:

  - `default-service`: Unless the auth method requests a different type, issue
    service tokens
  - `default-batch`: Unless the auth method requests a different type, issue
    batch tokens
  - `service`: Override any auth method preference and always issue service
    tokens from this mount
  - `batch`: Override any auth method preference and always issue batch tokens
    from this mount

### Sample Payload

```json
{
  "default_lease_ttl": 1800,
  "max_lease_ttl": 86400,
  "audit_non_hmac_request_keys": ["client_nonce"]
}
```

### Sample Request

```shell-session
$ curl \
    --header "X-Vault-Token: ..." \
    --request POST \
    --data @payload.json \
    http://127.0.0.1:8200/v1/sys/auth/my-auth/tune
```