Mike Jones: self-issued

Musings on Digital Identity

Category: Token Binding

The core Token Binding specs are now RFCs 8471, 8472, and 8473

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On October 8, 2018

In IETF, OAuth, OpenID, Specifications, Token Binding

IETF logoThe IETF Token Binding working group has completed the core Token Binding specifications. These new standards are:

  • RFC 8471: The Token Binding Protocol Version 1.0
  • RFC 8472: Transport Layer Security (TLS) Extension for Token Binding Protocol Negotiation
  • RFC 8473: Token Binding over HTTP

As Alex Simons recently wrote, it’s time for token binding. Especially now that the core specs are done, now’s the time for platforms and applications to deploy Token Binding. This will enable replacing bearer tokens, which can be stolen and reused, with Token Bound tokens, which are useless if stolen. This is a huge security benefit applicable to any tokens used over TLS, including browser cookies, OAuth access tokens and refresh tokens, and OpenID Connect ID Tokens.

Congratulations especially to the editors Andrei Popov, Dirk Balfanz, Jeff Hodges, Magnus Nyström, and Nick Harper and the chairs John Bradley and Leif Johansson for getting this done!

I likewise look forward to timely completion of related Token Binding specifications, which enable use of Token Binding with TLS 1.3, with OAuth 2.0, and with OpenID Connect.

It’s Time for Token Binding

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On August 21, 2018

In IETF, OAuth, OpenID, Specifications, Token Binding

IETF logoCheck out Alex Simons‘ and Pamela Dingle‘s blog post “It’s Time for Token Binding“. Now that the IETF Token Binding specs are essentially done, it’s time to ask those who write TLS software you use to ship Token Binding support soon, if they haven’t already done so.

Token Binding in a nutshell: When an attacker steals a bearer token sent over TLS, he can use it; when an attacker steals a Token Bound token, it’s useless to him.

OAuth and OpenID Connect Token Binding specs updated

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On October 26, 2017

In Cryptography, IETF, OAuth, OpenID, Specifications, Token Binding

OAuth logoThe OAuth 2.0 Token Binding specification has been updated to enable Token Binding of JWT Authorization Grants and JWT Client Authentication. The discussion of phasing in Token Binding was improved and generalized. See the Document History section for other improvements applied.

The specification is available at:

An HTML-formatted version is also available at:

An update to the closely-related OpenID Connect Token Bound Authentication 1.0 specification was also simultaneously published. Its discussion of phasing in Token Binding was correspondingly updated.

The OpenID Connect Token Binding specification is available in HTML and text versions at:

Thanks to Brian Campbell for doing the bulk of the editing for both sets of revisions.

Strong Authentication and Token Binding Presentations at EIC 2017

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On May 11, 2017

In Cryptography, Events, Phishing Resistance, Token Binding

EIC logoI gave two presentations at the 2017 European Identity and Cloud Conference (EIC) on progress we’re making in creating and deploying important new identity and security standards. The presentations were:

  • Strong Authentication using Asymmetric Keys on Devices Controlled by You: This presentation is about the new authentication experiences enabled by the W3C Web Authentication (WebAuthn) and FIDO 2.0 Client To Authenticator Protocol (CTAP) specifications. It describes the progress being made on the standards and shows some example user experiences logging in using authenticators. Check it out in PowerPoint or PDF.
  • Token Binding Standards and Applications: Securing what were previously bearer tokens: This presentation is about how data structures such as browser cookies, ID Tokens, and access tokens can be cryptographically bound to the TLS channels on which they are transported, making them no longer bearer tokens. It describes the state of the Token Binding standards (IETF, OAuth, and OpenID) and provides data on implementations and deployments to date. This presentation was a collaboration with Brian Campbell of Ping Identity. Check it out in PowerPoint or PDF.

Mike presenting at EIC 2017
(Photo from https://twitter.com/drummondreed/status/862314926433603584)

OAuth Token Binding spec adding numerous examples and authorization code token binding

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On March 13, 2017

In Cryptography, OAuth, Specifications, Token Binding

OAuth logoDraft -02 of the OAuth Token Binding specification adds example protocol messages for every distinct flow and also adds token binding for authorization codes. A lot of this is informed by implementation work that Brian Campbell has been doing, who did most of the heavy lifting for this draft. Working group members are requested to give the new text a read before IETF 98 in Chicago and to have a look at the updated open issues list. The descriptions of some of the flows were also clarified, thanks to William Denniss.

The specification is available at:

An HTML-formatted version is also available at:

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