OAuth 2.0 - An Overview

What is OAuth 2.0?

OAuth 2.0 is a standard authorization framework that enables a third-party application to access resources on behalf of a user, without requiring the user to share their credentials directly with the application. It's a critical component for secure application integration.

Key Concepts

• Resource Owner: The user who owns the resources.
• Resource Server: The server hosting the protected resources.
• Client: The application requesting access to the resources.
• Authorization Server: The server responsible for issuing access tokens.

Flows

Several OAuth 2.0 flows exist, each suitable for different scenarios:

• Authorization Code Flow: Most secure and commonly used for web applications.
• Implicit Flow: Simpler, but less secure, often used for single-page applications.
• Client Credentials Flow: Used when the client application needs to access resources on behalf of itself.

        1. Client requests authorization code from Authorization Server.
        2. User authenticates and grants permission.
        3. Client receives authorization code.
        4. Client exchanges authorization code for access token.
        5. Client uses access token to access protected resources.
      

Further exploration is recommended to fully understand the intricacies of OAuth 2.0. Refer to the OAuth 2.0 specification for complete details.