Python rest api authentication token example json

Alexis 46 Published: 09/10/2024

Python rest api authentication token example json

I apologize for the misunderstanding earlier! Here's a comprehensive example of using JSON Web Tokens (JWT) for authentication in a REST API, implemented in Python:

Why JWT?

JSON Web Tokens (JWTs) are a popular choice for authentication because they provide a secure, stateless, and compact way to verify identities. They're widely supported by most programming languages, including Python.

Token Structure:

A typical JWT consists of three main parts:

Header: This section contains metadata about the token, such as its algorithm and type. Payload: This is where you store the claims (or data) that will be used to verify the user's identity. Signature: The signature is generated using a secret key and the header and payload.

Python Implementation:

Let's create a Python example using Flask as our web framework. We'll use the pyjwt library for JWT generation and verification.

First, install the required libraries:

pip install flask pyjwt

Next, create a new Flask app:

from flask import Flask, jsonify, request

import jwt

app = Flask(name)

Secret key for signing/verifying tokens

SECRET_KEY = 'your_secret_key_here'

Payload data (username and password)

PAYLOAD = {'username': 'john', 'password': 'hello'}

@app.route('/login', methods=['POST'])

def login():

Get the request body (JSON) containing the username and password

req_body = request.get_json()

Verify the username and password against a database or another source

if req_body['username'] == PAYLOAD['username'] and req_body['password'] == PAYLOAD['password']:

Generate a new JWT token with the payload (claims)

token = jwt.encode({'exp': 3600, 'user': req_body['username']}, SECRET_KEY, algorithm='HS256')

return jsonify({'token': token})

else:

return jsonify({'error': 'Invalid credentials'}), 401

@app.route('/protected', methods=['GET'])

def protected():

Get the JWT token from the request headers

token = request.headers.get('Authorization')

Verify the token using the SECRET_KEY and payload data

try:

decoded_token = jwt.decode(token, SECRET_KEY, algorithms=['HS256'])

if decoded_token['exp'] < int(time.time()):

return jsonify({'error': 'Token has expired'}), 401

else:

User is authenticated; return a protected resource (e.g., a JSON response)

return jsonify({'message': 'Hello, authenticated user!'})

except jwt.ExpiredSignatureError:

return jsonify({'error': 'Token has expired'}), 401

except jwt.InvalidSignatureError:

return jsonify({'error': 'Invalid token'}), 403

if name == 'main':

app.run(debug=True)

How it works:

The client (e.g., a web browser) sends a request to the /login endpoint with the username and password. The server verifies these credentials against a database or another source. If the credentials are valid, the server generates a new JWT token using the pyjwt library. The token is returned in the response as a JSON object containing the claims (payload data). The client stores the token locally and includes it in subsequent requests to protected endpoints. The server verifies the token on each request by decoding it using the same SECRET_KEY used for generation. If the token is valid, the server returns the requested resource; otherwise, it returns an error response.

Security Considerations:

Secret key: Keep your SECRET_KEY secure and never share or hardcode it in your code. Token expiration: Set a reasonable expiration time for your tokens to prevent abuse. Token verification: Always verify the token on each request to prevent unauthorized access.

This is just a basic example to demonstrate the concept of using JSON Web Tokens for authentication in a REST API. In a real-world scenario, you would want to implement additional security measures, such as:

Handling token revocation (e.g., when a user's account is deleted) Implementing rate limiting and IP blocking Using more advanced encryption algorithms and keys

I hope this example helps you get started with JWT authentication in Python!

How to create an API token in Python?

Creating an API token in Python involves generating a cryptographic key and then using that key to create a JSON Web Token (JWT). Here's a step-by-step guide on how to do it:

Step 1: Install the necessary libraries

You'll need to install two libraries: pyjwt for creating JWTs, and secrets for generating a secure random token.

Run the following command in your terminal:

pip install pyjwt

pip install secrets

Step 2: Import the necessary libraries

In your Python script, import the pyjwt and secrets libraries:

import jwt

from secrets import token_hex

Step 3: Generate a secret key

Generate a random secret key using the token_hex function from the secrets library. This key will be used to sign your JWT.

secret_key = token_hex(32)

print(secret_key)

This will generate a 32-character hexadecimal string, which is suitable for most use cases.

Step 4: Define the API token payload

Create a dictionary that represents the payload of your JWT. This should include the relevant information about the user or client that's making the API request.

api_token_payload = {

"user_id": 123,

"username": "john_doe",

"exp": int(datetime.datetime.now() + datetime.timedelta(days=1).timestamp()) # set expiration time

}

In this example, we're creating a JWT that contains the user's ID, username, and an expiration timestamp (set to one day in the future).

Step 5: Create the JWT

Use the pyjwt library to create a signed JWT based on your secret key and payload.

api_token = jwt.encode(payload=api_token_payload, key=secret_key, algorithm='HS256')

print(api_token)

This will generate a JSON Web Token (JWT) that looks something like this:

eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsImF1ZCI6IntcIjYxMDEyLjc4Njg1NCIsInVpZCI6MTcyMDAsInVzZXJVXl9.IW4E8R8u...

Step 6: Verify the API token

To verify the API token, you can use the same pyjwt library to decode the JWT and check its validity.

decoded_token = jwt.decode(api_token, key=secret_key, algorithms=['HS256'])

print(decoded_token)

This will return the original payload dictionary that was used to create the JWT. You can then verify the contents of the payload to ensure it's valid and belongs to the expected user or client.

That's it! By following these steps, you've created an API token in Python using JSON Web Tokens (JWTs).