# Authentication System Documentation
This document describes the authentication and authorization system implemented in the infoscreen_2025 project.
## Overview
The system provides session-based authentication with role-based access control (RBAC). It includes:
- **Backend**: Flask session-based auth with bcrypt password hashing
- **Frontend**: React context/hooks for managing authentication state
- **Permissions**: Decorators for protecting routes based on user roles
- **Roles**: Four levels (user, editor, admin, superadmin)
## Architecture
### Backend Components
#### 1. Auth Routes (`server/routes/auth.py`)
Provides authentication endpoints:
- **`POST /api/auth/login`** - Authenticate user and create session
- **`POST /api/auth/logout`** - End user session
- **`GET /api/auth/me`** - Get current user info (protected)
- **`GET /api/auth/check`** - Quick auth status check
#### 2. Permission Decorators (`server/permissions.py`)
Decorators for protecting routes:
```python
from server.permissions import require_role, admin_or_higher, editor_or_higher
# Require specific role(s)
@app.route('/admin-settings')
@require_role('admin', 'superadmin')
def admin_settings():
return "Admin only"
# Convenience decorators
@app.route('/settings')
@admin_or_higher # admin or superadmin
def settings():
return "Settings"
@app.route('/events', methods=['POST'])
@editor_or_higher # editor, admin, or superadmin
def create_event():
return "Create event"
```
Available decorators:
- `@require_auth` - Just require authentication
- `@require_role(*roles)` - Require any of specified roles
- `@superadmin_only` - Superadmin only
- `@admin_or_higher` - Admin or superadmin
- `@editor_or_higher` - Editor, admin, or superadmin
#### 3. Session Configuration (`server/wsgi.py`)
Flask session configured with:
- Secret key from `FLASK_SECRET_KEY` environment variable
- HTTPOnly cookies (prevent XSS)
- SameSite=Lax (CSRF protection)
- Secure flag in production (HTTPS only)
### Frontend Components
#### 1. API Client (`dashboard/src/apiAuth.ts`)
TypeScript functions for auth operations:
```typescript
import { login, logout, fetchCurrentUser } from './apiAuth';
// Login
await login('username', 'password');
// Get current user
const user = await fetchCurrentUser();
// Logout
await logout();
// Check auth status (lightweight)
const { authenticated, role } = await checkAuth();
```
Helper functions:
```typescript
import { hasRole, hasAnyRole, isAdminOrHigher } from './apiAuth';
if (isAdminOrHigher(user)) {
// Show admin UI
}
```
#### 2. Auth Context/Hooks (`dashboard/src/useAuth.tsx`)
React context for managing auth state:
```typescript
import { useAuth, useCurrentUser, useIsAuthenticated } from './useAuth';
function MyComponent() {
// Full auth context
const { user, login, logout, loading, error, isAuthenticated } = useAuth();
// Or just what you need
const user = useCurrentUser();
const isAuth = useIsAuthenticated();
if (loading) return
Loading...
;
if (!isAuthenticated) {
return ;
}
return Welcome {user.username}!
;
}
```
## User Roles
Four hierarchical roles with increasing permissions:
| Role | Value | Description | Use Case |
|------|-------|-------------|----------|
| **User** | `user` | Read-only access | View events only |
| **Editor** | `editor` | Can CRUD events/media | Content managers |
| **Admin** | `admin` | Manage settings, users (except superadmin), groups | Organization staff |
| **Superadmin** | `superadmin` | Full system access | Developers, system admins |
### Permission Matrix
| Action | User | Editor | Admin | Superadmin |
|--------|------|--------|-------|------------|
| View events | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Create/edit events | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Manage media | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Manage groups/clients | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Manage users (non-superadmin) | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Manage settings | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Manage superadmins | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ |
| System configuration | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ |
## Setup Instructions
### 1. Environment Configuration
Add to your `.env` file:
```bash
# Flask session secret key (REQUIRED)
# Generate with: python -c 'import secrets; print(secrets.token_hex(32))'
FLASK_SECRET_KEY=your_secret_key_here
# Superadmin account (REQUIRED for initial setup)
DEFAULT_SUPERADMIN_USERNAME=superadmin
DEFAULT_SUPERADMIN_PASSWORD=your_secure_password
```
### 2. Database Initialization
The superadmin user is created automatically when containers start. See `SUPERADMIN_SETUP.md` for details.
### 3. Frontend Integration
Wrap your app with `AuthProvider` in `main.tsx` or `App.tsx`:
```typescript
import { AuthProvider } from './useAuth';
function App() {
return (
{/* Your app components */}
);
}
```
## Usage Examples
### Backend: Protecting Routes
```python
from flask import Blueprint
from server.permissions import require_role, admin_or_higher
users_bp = Blueprint("users", __name__, url_prefix="/api/users")
@users_bp.route("", methods=["GET"])
@admin_or_higher
def list_users():
"""List all users - admin+ only"""
# Implementation
pass
@users_bp.route("", methods=["POST"])
@require_role('superadmin')
def create_superadmin():
"""Create superadmin - superadmin only"""
# Implementation
pass
```
### Frontend: Conditional Rendering
```typescript
import { useAuth } from './useAuth';
import { isAdminOrHigher, isEditorOrHigher } from './apiAuth';
function NavigationMenu() {
const { user } = useAuth();
return (
);
}
```
### Frontend: Login Form Example
```typescript
import { useState } from 'react';
import { useAuth } from './useAuth';
function LoginPage() {
const [username, setUsername] = useState('');
const [password, setPassword] = useState('');
const { login, loading, error } = useAuth();
const handleSubmit = async (e: React.FormEvent) => {
e.preventDefault();
try {
await login(username, password);
// Redirect on success
window.location.href = '/dashboard';
} catch (err) {
// Error is already in auth context
console.error('Login failed:', err);
}
};
return (
);
}
```
## Security Considerations
### Backend Security
1. **Password Hashing**: All passwords hashed with bcrypt (salt rounds default)
2. **Session Security**:
- HTTPOnly cookies (prevent XSS access)
- SameSite=Lax (CSRF protection)
- Secure flag in production (HTTPS only)
3. **Secret Key**: Must be set via environment variable, not hardcoded
4. **Role Checking**: Server-side validation on every protected route
### Frontend Security
1. **Credentials**: Always use `credentials: 'include'` in fetch calls
2. **No Password Storage**: Never store passwords in localStorage/sessionStorage
3. **Role Gating**: UI gating is convenience, not security (always validate server-side)
4. **HTTPS**: Always use HTTPS in production
### Production Checklist
- [ ] Generate strong `FLASK_SECRET_KEY` (32+ bytes)
- [ ] Set `SESSION_COOKIE_SECURE=True` (handled automatically by ENV=production)
- [ ] Use HTTPS with valid TLS certificate
- [ ] Change default superadmin password after first login
- [ ] Review and audit user roles regularly
- [ ] Enable audit logging (future enhancement)
## API Reference
### Authentication Endpoints
#### POST /api/auth/login
Authenticate user and create session.
**Request:**
```json
{
"username": "string",
"password": "string"
}
```
**Response (200):**
```json
{
"message": "Login successful",
"user": {
"id": 1,
"username": "admin",
"role": "admin"
}
}
```
**Errors:**
- `400` - Missing username or password
- `401` - Invalid credentials or account disabled
#### POST /api/auth/logout
End current session.
**Response (200):**
```json
{
"message": "Logout successful"
}
```
#### GET /api/auth/me
Get current user information (requires authentication).
**Response (200):**
```json
{
"id": 1,
"username": "admin",
"role": "admin",
"is_active": true
}
```
**Errors:**
- `401` - Not authenticated or account disabled
#### GET /api/auth/check
Quick authentication status check.
**Response (200):**
```json
{
"authenticated": true,
"role": "admin"
}
```
Or if not authenticated:
```json
{
"authenticated": false
}
```
## Testing
### Manual Testing
1. **Create test users** (via database or future user management UI):
```sql
INSERT INTO users (username, password_hash, role, is_active)
VALUES ('testuser', '', 'user', 1);
```
2. **Test login**:
```bash
curl -X POST http://localhost:8000/api/auth/login \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{"username":"superadmin","password":"your_password"}' \
-c cookies.txt
```
3. **Test /me endpoint**:
```bash
curl http://localhost:8000/api/auth/me -b cookies.txt
```
4. **Test protected route**:
```bash
# Should fail without auth
curl http://localhost:8000/api/protected
# Should work with cookie
curl http://localhost:8000/api/protected -b cookies.txt
```
### Automated Testing
Example test cases (to be implemented):
```python
def test_login_success():
response = client.post('/api/auth/login', json={
'username': 'testuser',
'password': 'testpass'
})
assert response.status_code == 200
assert 'user' in response.json
def test_login_invalid_credentials():
response = client.post('/api/auth/login', json={
'username': 'testuser',
'password': 'wrongpass'
})
assert response.status_code == 401
def test_me_authenticated():
# Login first
client.post('/api/auth/login', json={'username': 'testuser', 'password': 'testpass'})
response = client.get('/api/auth/me')
assert response.status_code == 200
assert response.json['username'] == 'testuser'
def test_me_not_authenticated():
response = client.get('/api/auth/me')
assert response.status_code == 401
```
## Troubleshooting
### Login Not Working
**Symptoms**: Login endpoint returns 401 even with correct credentials
**Solutions**:
1. Verify user exists in database: `SELECT * FROM users WHERE username='...'`
2. Check password hash is valid bcrypt format
3. Verify user `is_active=1`
4. Check server logs for bcrypt errors
### Session Not Persisting
**Symptoms**: `/api/auth/me` returns 401 after successful login
**Solutions**:
1. Verify `FLASK_SECRET_KEY` is set
2. Check frontend is sending `credentials: 'include'` in fetch
3. Verify cookies are being set (check browser DevTools)
4. Check CORS settings if frontend/backend on different domains
### Permission Denied on Protected Route
**Symptoms**: 403 error on decorated routes
**Solutions**:
1. Verify user is logged in (`/api/auth/me`)
2. Check user role matches required role
3. Verify decorator is applied correctly
4. Check session hasn't expired
### TypeScript Errors in Frontend
**Symptoms**: Type errors when using auth hooks
**Solutions**:
1. Ensure `AuthProvider` is wrapping your app
2. Import types correctly: `import type { User } from './apiAuth'`
3. Check TypeScript config for `verbatimModuleSyntax`
## Next Steps
See `userrole-management.md` for the complete implementation roadmap:
1. ✅ **Extend User Model** - Done
2. ✅ **Seed Superadmin** - Done (`init_defaults.py`)
3. ✅ **Expose Current User Role** - Done (this document)
4. ⏳ **Implement Minimal Role Enforcement** - Apply decorators to existing routes
5. ⏳ **Test the Flow** - Verify permissions work correctly
6. ⏳ **Frontend Role Gating** - Update UI components
7. ⏳ **User Management UI** - Build admin interface
## References
- User model: `models/models.py`
- Auth routes: `server/routes/auth.py`
- Permissions: `server/permissions.py`
- API client: `dashboard/src/apiAuth.ts`
- Auth context: `dashboard/src/useAuth.tsx`
- Flask sessions: https://flask.palletsprojects.com/en/latest/api/#sessions
- Bcrypt: https://pypi.org/project/bcrypt/