actix-jwt 0.1.0

Full-featured JWT authentication middleware for actix-web: login, logout, refresh, token rotation, cookie management, RSA/HMAC, RBAC authorizer, pluggable token store
Documentation

Actix JWT Middleware

A full-featured JWT authentication middleware for actix-web, built on top of jsonwebtoken. Easily add login, token refresh, and authorization to your actix-web applications.

Based on appleboy/gin-jwt (ported from Gin to Echo to actix-web) with additional features adopted from labstack/echo-jwt.

Table of Contents

Features

  • Simple JWT authentication for actix-web
  • Built-in login, refresh, and logout handlers
  • Customizable authentication, authorization, and claims
  • Cookie and header token support
  • Easy integration and clear API
  • RFC 6749 compliant refresh tokens (OAuth 2.0 standard)
  • Pluggable refresh token storage (in-memory, Redis via feature gate)
  • Direct token generation without HTTP middleware
  • Structured Token type with metadata

Extra Features (from labstack/echo-jwt)

The following features are adopted from labstack/echo-jwt, which only provides token validation. This module combines them with the full gin-jwt feature set (login, refresh, logout, token store, etc.):

Feature Description
Skipper Skip middleware for specific routes (e.g. public endpoints)
BeforeFunc Hook called before token extraction - useful for request preprocessing
SuccessHandler Hook called after successful token validation
ErrorHandler Custom error handler with access to the original error
ContinueOnIgnoredError Continue to the next handler when ErrorHandler returns None - enables hybrid public/authenticated routes
Typed errors TokenParsing and TokenExtraction variants on JwtError allow distinguishing between missing and invalid tokens

Example: Hybrid Public/Authenticated Route

let mut jwt = ActixJwtMiddleware::new();
// ... standard config ...
jwt.continue_on_ignored_error = true;
jwt.error_handler = Some(Arc::new(|req, err| {
    // No valid token - allow through as a public user
    None // returning None means "ignore the error, continue"
}));

Example: Skipper

jwt.skipper = Some(Arc::new(|service_req| {
    service_req.path().starts_with("/public")
}));

Security Notice

Critical Security Requirements

JWT Secret Security

  • Minimum Requirements: Use secrets of at least 256 bits (32 bytes) in length
  • Never use: Simple passwords, dictionary words, or predictable patterns
  • Recommended: Generate cryptographically secure random secrets or use RS256 algorithm
  • Storage: Store secrets in environment variables, never hardcode in source code
  • Vulnerability: Weak secrets are vulnerable to brute-force attacks (jwt-cracker)

Production Security Checklist

  • HTTPS Only: Always use HTTPS in production environments
  • Strong Secrets: Minimum 256-bit randomly generated secrets
  • Token Expiry: Set appropriate timeout values (recommended: 15-60 minutes for access tokens)
  • Secure Cookies: Enable secure_cookie, cookie_http_only, and appropriate cookie_same_site settings
  • Environment Variables: Store sensitive configuration in environment variables
  • Input Validation: Validate all authentication inputs thoroughly

OAuth 2.0 Security Standards

This library follows RFC 6749 OAuth 2.0 security standards:

  • Separate Tokens: Uses distinct opaque refresh tokens (not JWT) for enhanced security
  • Server-Side Storage: Refresh tokens are stored and validated server-side
  • Token Rotation: Refresh tokens are automatically rotated on each use
  • Improved Security: Prevents JWT refresh token vulnerabilities and replay attacks

Secure Configuration Example

use std::env;
use std::sync::Arc;
use std::time::Duration;
use actix_web::cookie::SameSite;
use actix_jwt::ActixJwtMiddleware;

// BAD: Weak secret, insecure settings
let mut bad_jwt = ActixJwtMiddleware::new();
bad_jwt.key = b"weak".to_vec();                    // Too short!
bad_jwt.timeout = Duration::from_secs(86400);       // Too long!
bad_jwt.secure_cookie = false;                      // Insecure in production!

// GOOD: Strong security configuration
let mut jwt = ActixJwtMiddleware::new();
jwt.key = env::var("JWT_SECRET")                    // From environment
    .expect("JWT_SECRET must be set")
    .into_bytes();
jwt.timeout = Duration::from_secs(900);             // 15-minute access tokens
jwt.max_refresh = Duration::from_secs(604800);      // 1 week refresh validity
jwt.secure_cookie = true;                           // HTTPS only
jwt.cookie_http_only = true;                        // Prevent XSS
jwt.cookie_same_site = SameSite::Strict;            // CSRF protection
jwt.send_cookie = true;                             // Enable secure cookies

Installation

Add to your Cargo.toml:

[dependencies]
actix-jwt = { git = "https://github.com/LdDl/actix-jwt" }

To enable Redis refresh token storage:

[dependencies]
actix-jwt = { git = "https://github.com/LdDl/actix-jwt", features = ["redis-store"] }

Quick Start Example

Please see the example file and you can use extract_claims to fetch user data.

use std::collections::HashMap;
use std::env;
use std::sync::Arc;
use std::time::Duration;

use actix_jwt::{extract_claims, get_identity, ActixJwtMiddleware, JwtError};
use actix_web::{web, App, HttpRequest, HttpResponse, HttpServer};
use serde::Deserialize;
use serde_json::{Value, json};

const IDENTITY_KEY: &str = "id";

#[derive(Debug, Deserialize)]
struct LoginRequest {
    username: String,
    password: String,
}

#[actix_web::main]
async fn main() -> std::io::Result<()> {
    let port = env::var("PORT").unwrap_or_else(|_| "8000".to_string());
    let bind_addr = format!("0.0.0.0:{}", port);

    // Build the JWT middleware
    let mut jwt = ActixJwtMiddleware::new();
    jwt.realm = "test zone".to_string();
    jwt.key = b"secret key".to_vec();
    jwt.timeout = Duration::from_secs(3600);
    jwt.max_refresh = Duration::from_secs(3600);
    jwt.identity_key = IDENTITY_KEY.to_string();
    jwt.token_lookup = "header:Authorization, query:token, cookie:jwt".to_string();
    jwt.token_head_name = "Bearer".to_string();

    // Authenticator: validate username/password, return user data as JSON Value
    jwt.authenticator = Some(Arc::new(|_req: &HttpRequest, body: &[u8]| {
        let login: LoginRequest =
            serde_json::from_slice(body).map_err(|_| JwtError::MissingLoginValues)?;

        if (login.username == "admin" && login.password == "admin")
            || (login.username == "test" && login.password == "test")
        {
            Ok(json!({
                "user_name": login.username,
                "first_name": "Wu",
                "last_name": "Bo-Yi",
            }))
        } else {
            Err(JwtError::FailedAuthentication)
        }
    }));

    // PayloadFunc: extract identity claims from user data returned by authenticator
    jwt.payload_func = Some(Arc::new(|data: &Value| {
        let mut claims = HashMap::new();
        if let Some(user_name) = data.get("user_name") {
            claims.insert(IDENTITY_KEY.to_string(), user_name.clone());
        }
        claims
    }));

    // IdentityHandler: reconstruct user data from JWT claims stored in request extensions
    jwt.identity_handler = Arc::new(|req: &HttpRequest| {
        let claims = extract_claims(req);
        claims.get(IDENTITY_KEY).cloned()
    });

    // Authorizer: only allow the "admin" user to access protected routes
    jwt.authorizer = Arc::new(|_req: &HttpRequest, data: &Value| {
        data.as_str() == Some("admin")
    });

    // Unauthorized response
    jwt.unauthorized = Arc::new(|_req: &HttpRequest, code: u16, message: &str| {
        HttpResponse::build(
            actix_web::http::StatusCode::from_u16(code)
                .unwrap_or(actix_web::http::StatusCode::UNAUTHORIZED),
        )
        .json(json!({
            "code": code,
            "message": message,
        }))
    });

    // Logout response: show logged-out user info
    jwt.logout_response = Arc::new(|req: &HttpRequest| {
        let claims = extract_claims(req);
        let identity = get_identity(req);

        let mut response = json!({
            "code": 200,
            "message": "Successfully logged out",
        });

        if let Some(user_id) = claims.get(IDENTITY_KEY) {
            response["logged_out_user"] = user_id.clone();
        }
        if let Some(user) = identity {
            response["user_info"] = user;
        }

        HttpResponse::Ok().json(response)
    });

    // Initialize (validates config and prepares keys)
    jwt.init().expect("JWT middleware init failed");

    let jwt_arc = Arc::new(jwt);

    println!("Listening on {}", bind_addr);

    HttpServer::new(move || {
        let jwt_data = web::Data::new(jwt_arc.clone());

        App::new()
            .app_data(jwt_data.clone())
            // Public routes
            .route("/login", web::post().to(login))
            .route("/refresh", web::post().to(refresh))
            // Protected routes
            .service(
                web::scope("/auth")
                    .wrap(jwt_arc.middleware())
                    .route("/hello", web::get().to(hello))
                    .route("/logout", web::post().to(logout)),
            )
    })
    .bind(&bind_addr)?
    .run()
    .await
}

async fn login(
    jwt: web::Data<Arc<ActixJwtMiddleware>>,
    req: HttpRequest,
    body: web::Bytes,
) -> HttpResponse {
    jwt.login_handler(&req, &body).await
}

async fn refresh(
    jwt: web::Data<Arc<ActixJwtMiddleware>>,
    req: HttpRequest,
    body: web::Bytes,
) -> HttpResponse {
    jwt.refresh_handler(&req, &body).await
}

async fn logout(
    jwt: web::Data<Arc<ActixJwtMiddleware>>,
    req: HttpRequest,
    body: web::Bytes,
) -> HttpResponse {
    jwt.logout_handler(&req, &body).await
}

async fn hello(req: HttpRequest) -> HttpResponse {
    let claims = extract_claims(&req);
    let identity = get_identity(&req);

    HttpResponse::Ok().json(json!({
        "userID": claims.get(IDENTITY_KEY),
        "userName": identity,
        "text": "Hello World.",
    }))
}

Complete Examples

This repository provides several complete example implementations demonstrating different use cases:

Basic Authentication

The basic example showing fundamental JWT authentication with login, protected routes, and token validation.

OAuth SSO Integration

OAuth 2.0 Single Sign-On conceptual example supporting multiple identity providers (Google, GitHub):

  • OAuth 2.0 Authorization Code Flow pattern
  • CSRF protection with state tokens
  • Secure token delivery for both browser and mobile apps

Token Generator

Direct token generation without HTTP middleware, perfect for:

  • Programmatic authentication
  • Service-to-service communication
  • Testing authenticated endpoints
  • Custom authentication flows

Redis Store

Demonstrates Redis integration for refresh token storage with:

  • Automatic fallback to in-memory store
  • Production-ready configuration examples

Redis Store (Explicit Config)

Explicit Redis configuration using RedisConfig struct with store info endpoint.

Redis TLS

Redis store with TLS configuration for secure connections.

Authorization

Advanced authorization patterns including:

  • Role-based access control (admin/user/guest)
  • Path-based authorization
  • Multiple middleware instances
  • Fine-grained permission control

Configuration

The ActixJwtMiddleware struct provides the following configuration options:

Option Type Required Default Description
realm String No "actix jwt" Realm name to display to the user.
signing_algorithm String No "HS256" Signing algorithm (HS256, HS384, HS512, RS256, RS384, RS512).
key Vec<u8> Yes - Secret key used for signing.
timeout Duration No 3600s (1 hour) Duration that a JWT access token is valid.
max_refresh Duration No 0 Duration that a refresh token is valid.
authenticator Fn(&HttpRequest, &[u8]) -> Result<Value, JwtError> Yes - Callback to authenticate the user. Returns user data as serde_json::Value.
authorizer Fn(&HttpRequest, &Value) -> bool No true Callback to authorize the authenticated user.
payload_func Fn(&Value) -> HashMap<String, Value> No - Callback to add additional payload data to the token.
unauthorized Fn(&HttpRequest, u16, &str) -> HttpResponse No default JSON Callback for unauthorized requests.
login_response Fn(&HttpRequest, &Token) -> HttpResponse No default JSON Callback for successful login response.
logout_response Fn(&HttpRequest) -> HttpResponse No default JSON Callback for successful logout response.
refresh_response Fn(&HttpRequest, &Token) -> HttpResponse No default JSON Callback for successful refresh response.
identity_handler Fn(&HttpRequest) -> Option<Value> No - Callback to retrieve identity from claims.
identity_key String No "identity" Key used to store identity in claims.
token_lookup String No "header:Authorization" Source to extract token from (header, query, cookie).
token_head_name String No "Bearer" Header name prefix.
time_func Fn() -> DateTime<Utc> No Utc::now Function to provide current time.
priv_key_file Option<String> No None Path to private key file (for RS algorithms).
pub_key_file Option<String> No None Path to public key file (for RS algorithms).
send_cookie bool No false Whether to send token as a cookie.
cookie_max_age Duration No timeout Duration that the cookie is valid.
secure_cookie bool No false Whether to use secure cookies for access token (HTTPS only). Refresh token cookies are always secure.
cookie_http_only bool No false Whether to use HTTPOnly cookies.
cookie_domain Option<String> No None Domain for the cookie.
cookie_name String No "jwt" Name of the cookie.
refresh_token_cookie_name String No "refresh_token" Name of the refresh token cookie.
cookie_same_site SameSite No SameSite::Lax SameSite attribute for the cookie.
send_authorization bool No false Whether to return authorization header for every request.
key_func Fn(&Header) -> Result<DecodingKey, JwtError> No None Dynamic key function for multi-provider JWT support.
skipper Fn(&ServiceRequest) -> bool No None Skip middleware for matching requests.
before_func Fn(&ServiceRequest) No None Hook called before token extraction.
success_handler Fn(&HttpRequest) -> Result<(), JwtError> No None Hook called after successful token validation.
error_handler Fn(&HttpRequest, JwtError) -> Option<JwtError> No None Custom error handler; return None to ignore the error.
continue_on_ignored_error bool No false Continue to next handler when error_handler returns None.

JWT Parsing Options

The jsonwebtoken crate's Validation struct controls JWT parsing behavior. While the middleware configures sensible defaults internally, you can customize validation by using key_func or by modifying the middleware source.

Clock Skew Tolerance (Leeway)

When running distributed systems across multiple servers, clock synchronization issues can cause valid tokens to be rejected. The jsonwebtoken crate supports leeway via Validation::leeway:

When to Use Leeway

  • Microservices Architecture: Services on different machines with slightly unsynchronized clocks
  • Cloud Deployments: Distributed systems across different availability zones or regions
  • Load Balanced Environments: Multiple backend servers with small time drift
  • Testing Environments: Development/staging systems with less strict time synchronization

How Leeway Works

With a 60-second leeway configuration:

  • Expired tokens: A token that expired 30 seconds ago will still be accepted
  • Not-before tokens: A token with nbf 30 seconds in the future will be accepted

Security Note: Use reasonable leeway values (30-120 seconds). Excessive leeway reduces token security by extending validity beyond intended expiration times.

Validation Example

use jsonwebtoken::Validation;

let mut validation = Validation::new(jsonwebtoken::Algorithm::HS256);
validation.leeway = 60; // 60 seconds clock skew tolerance
validation.validate_exp = true;

Other Parsing Options

Required Claims Validation

Enforce that certain claims must be present in the token:

let mut validation = Validation::new(jsonwebtoken::Algorithm::HS256);
validation.set_required_spec_claims(&["exp", "iat", "sub"]);

Audience Validation

let mut validation = Validation::new(jsonwebtoken::Algorithm::HS256);
validation.set_audience(&["my-api"]);

Combining Multiple Options

let mut validation = Validation::new(jsonwebtoken::Algorithm::HS256);
validation.leeway = 60;                                    // 60s clock skew tolerance
validation.set_required_spec_claims(&["exp", "sub"]);      // Require expiration and subject
validation.set_audience(&["my-api"]);                      // Validate audience

Supporting Multiple JWT Providers

In some scenarios, you may need to accept JWT tokens from multiple sources, such as your own authentication system and external identity providers like Azure AD, Auth0, or other OAuth 2.0 providers. This section explains how to implement multi-provider token validation using the key_func callback.

Use Cases

  • Hybrid Authentication: Support both internal and external authentication
  • Third-Party Integration: Accept tokens from Azure AD, Google, Auth0, etc.
  • Migration Scenarios: Gradually migrate from one auth system to another
  • Enterprise SSO: Support enterprise Single Sign-On alongside regular auth

Solution: Dynamic Key Function

The recommended approach is to use a single middleware with a dynamic key_func that determines the appropriate validation method based on token properties (such as the issuer claim).

Why This Works

The key_func callback is designed for exactly this purpose. It allows you to:

  • Inspect the token header before validation
  • Choose the correct signing key/method dynamically
  • Avoid issues when chaining multiple middlewares

Implementation

use std::sync::Arc;
use jsonwebtoken::{DecodingKey, Header};
use actix_jwt::{ActixJwtMiddleware, JwtError};

let own_secret = b"your-secret-key";

let mut jwt = ActixJwtMiddleware::new();
jwt.key = own_secret.to_vec();
jwt.identity_key = "sub".to_string();

// Dynamic key function - the core of multi-provider support
jwt.key_func = Some(Arc::new(|header: &Header| {
    match header.alg {
        // RS256 tokens (e.g., Azure AD, Google)
        jsonwebtoken::Algorithm::RS256 => {
            // Look up the public key by KID from header
            let kid = header.kid.as_deref().unwrap_or("");
            // In production: fetch from JWKS endpoint and cache
            // let key = get_cached_jwks_key(kid)?;
            Err(JwtError::InvalidToken(
                format!("unknown key ID: {}", kid)
            ))
        }
        // HS256 tokens (your own)
        jsonwebtoken::Algorithm::HS256 => {
            Ok(DecodingKey::from_secret(b"your-secret-key"))
        }
        _ => Err(JwtError::InvalidToken(
            format!("unexpected algorithm: {:?}", header.alg)
        )),
    }
}));

Provider-Specific Identity Handler

use actix_web::HttpRequest;
use actix_jwt::extract_claims;
use serde_json::json;

jwt.identity_handler = Arc::new(|req: &HttpRequest| {
    let claims = extract_claims(req);

    // Try standard "sub" claim (used by most OAuth providers)
    if let Some(sub) = claims.get("sub") {
        return Some(sub.clone());
    }

    // Fallback to custom "identity" claim
    if let Some(identity) = claims.get("identity") {
        return Some(identity.clone());
    }

    None
});

Provider-Specific Authorization

jwt.authorizer = Arc::new(|req: &HttpRequest, data: &serde_json::Value| {
    let claims = extract_claims(req);
    let issuer = claims.get("iss")
        .and_then(|v| v.as_str())
        .unwrap_or("");

    if issuer.contains("login.microsoftonline.com") {
        // Azure AD specific authorization
        // Check roles, groups, app_role claims
        return claims.get("roles")
            .and_then(|v| v.as_array())
            .map(|roles| roles.iter().any(|r| r.as_str() == Some("User")))
            .unwrap_or(false);
    }

    // Your own token authorization
    data.get("role")
        .and_then(|r| r.as_str())
        .map(|r| r == "admin" || r == "user")
        .unwrap_or(false)
});

Key Considerations

  1. Token Issuer Validation: Always validate the iss claim to ensure tokens are from trusted sources
  2. Audience Validation: Verify the aud claim matches your application's client ID
  3. Algorithm Validation: Ensure the signing algorithm matches expectations (HS256 for your tokens, RS256 for Azure AD)
  4. Key Caching: Cache public keys from JWKS endpoints to reduce latency
  5. Key Rotation: Implement automatic key refresh to handle provider key rotation
  6. Error Handling: Provide clear error messages indicating which provider validation failed
  7. Security: Never skip signature validation or disable security checks

Testing Multi-Provider Setup

# Test with your own token
curl -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_INTERNAL_TOKEN" \
     http://localhost:8000/api/profile

# Test with Azure AD token
curl -H "Authorization: Bearer AZURE_AD_TOKEN" \
     http://localhost:8000/api/profile

Additional Resources

Token Generator (Direct Token Creation)

The token_generator functionality allows you to create JWT tokens directly without HTTP middleware, perfect for programmatic authentication, testing, and custom flows.

Basic Usage

use std::collections::HashMap;
use std::sync::Arc;
use std::time::Duration;
use actix_jwt::{ActixJwtMiddleware, JwtError};
use serde_json::json;

#[tokio::main]
async fn main() {
    let mut jwt = ActixJwtMiddleware::new();
    jwt.realm = "example zone".to_string();
    jwt.key = b"secret key".to_vec();
    jwt.timeout = Duration::from_secs(3600);
    jwt.max_refresh = Duration::from_secs(86400);

    jwt.payload_func = Some(Arc::new(|data: &serde_json::Value| {
        let mut claims = HashMap::new();
        claims.insert("user_id".to_string(), data.clone());
        claims
    }));

    jwt.authenticator = Some(Arc::new(|_req, _body| {
        Err(JwtError::MissingLoginValues)
    }));

    jwt.init().expect("JWT init failed");

    // Generate a complete token pair (access + refresh tokens)
    let user_data = json!("user123");
    let token = jwt.token_generator(&user_data).await.unwrap();

    println!("Access Token: {}", token.access_token);
    println!("Refresh Token: {:?}", token.refresh_token);
    println!("Expires In: {} seconds", token.expires_in());
}

Token Structure

The token_generator method returns a structured Token:

pub struct Token {
    pub access_token: String,           // JWT access token
    pub token_type: String,             // Always "Bearer"
    pub refresh_token: Option<String>,  // Opaque refresh token
    pub expires_at: i64,                // Unix timestamp
    pub created_at: i64,                // Unix timestamp
}

impl Token {
    pub fn expires_in(&self) -> i64;    // Returns seconds until expiry
}

Refresh Token Management

Use token_generator_with_revocation to refresh tokens and automatically revoke old ones:

// Refresh with automatic revocation of old token
let new_token = jwt.token_generator_with_revocation(
    &user_data,
    &old_refresh_token,
).await?;

// Old refresh token is now invalid
println!("New Access Token: {}", new_token.access_token);
println!("New Refresh Token: {:?}", new_token.refresh_token);

Use Cases:

  • Programmatic Authentication: Service-to-service communication
  • Testing: Generate tokens for testing authenticated endpoints
  • Registration Flow: Issue tokens immediately after user signup
  • Background Jobs: Create tokens for automated processes
  • Custom Auth Flows: Build custom authentication logic

See the complete example for more details.

Redis Store Configuration

This library supports Redis as a backend for refresh token storage, feature-gated behind redis-store. Redis store provides better scalability and persistence compared to the default in-memory store.

Redis Features

  • Automatic fallback to in-memory store if Redis connection fails
  • Easy configuration via RedisConfig
  • Configurable key prefix for Redis keys
  • Optional TLS support

Configuration Options

RedisConfig

Option Type Default Description
addr String "redis://127.0.0.1:6379/" Redis connection URL
password Option<String> None Redis password
db i32 0 Redis database number
pool_size u32 10 Connection pool size
key_prefix String "actix-jwt:" Prefix for all Redis keys
tls bool false Whether to use TLS

Fallback Behavior

If Redis connection fails during initialization:

  • The middleware logs an error message
  • Automatically falls back to in-memory store
  • Application continues to function normally

This ensures high availability and prevents application failures due to Redis connectivity issues.

Example with Redis

Enable the redis-store feature in Cargo.toml:

[dependencies]
actix-jwt = { git = "https://github.com/LdDl/actix-jwt", features = ["redis-store"] }

use std::sync::Arc;
use std::time::Duration;
use actix_jwt::{ActixJwtMiddleware, JwtError};
use actix_jwt::store::RedisRefreshTokenStore;
use actix_web::{web, App, HttpRequest, HttpResponse, HttpServer};
use serde_json::json;

#[actix_web::main]
async fn main() -> std::io::Result<()> {
    let mut jwt = ActixJwtMiddleware::new();
    jwt.realm = "example zone".to_string();
    jwt.key = b"secret key".to_vec();
    jwt.timeout = Duration::from_secs(3600);
    jwt.max_refresh = Duration::from_secs(86400);
    jwt.identity_key = "id".to_string();

    // Configure Redis store
    let redis_config = actix_jwt::store::RedisConfig {
        addr: "redis://127.0.0.1:6379/".to_string(),
        ..Default::default()
    };
    let redis_store = RedisRefreshTokenStore::new(redis_config)
        .await
        .expect("Failed to connect to Redis");
    jwt.refresh_token_store = Arc::new(redis_store);

    jwt.authenticator = Some(Arc::new(|_req: &HttpRequest, body: &[u8]| {
        // your authentication logic
        Ok(json!({"username": "admin"}))
    }));

    jwt.init().expect("JWT middleware init failed");

    let jwt_arc = Arc::new(jwt);

    HttpServer::new(move || {
        let jwt_data = web::Data::new(jwt_arc.clone());
        App::new()
            .app_data(jwt_data.clone())
            .route("/login", web::post().to({
                let jwt = jwt_arc.clone();
                move |req: HttpRequest, body: web::Bytes| {
                    let jwt = jwt.clone();
                    async move { jwt.login_handler(&req, &body).await }
                }
            }))
            .service(
                web::scope("/auth")
                    .wrap(jwt_arc.middleware())
                    .route("/hello", web::get().to(|req: HttpRequest| async move {
                        HttpResponse::Ok().json(json!({"message": "Hello World."}))
                    })),
            )
    })
    .bind("0.0.0.0:8000")?
    .run()
    .await
}

Demo

Run the example server:

cargo run --example basic

Install httpie for easy API testing.

Login

http -v --json POST localhost:8000/login username=admin password=admin

Refresh Token

Using RFC 6749 compliant refresh tokens (default behavior):

# First login to get refresh token
http -v --json POST localhost:8000/login username=admin password=admin

# Method 1: With cookies enabled (automatic - recommended for browsers)
# The refresh token cookie is automatically sent, no need to manually include it
http -v POST localhost:8000/refresh --session=./session.json

# Method 2: Send refresh token in JSON body
http -v --json POST localhost:8000/refresh refresh_token=your_refresh_token_here

# Method 3: Use refresh token from response via form data
http -v --form POST localhost:8000/refresh refresh_token=your_refresh_token_here

Security Note: When send_cookie is enabled, refresh tokens are automatically stored in httpOnly cookies. Browser-based applications can simply call the refresh endpoint without manually including the token - it's handled automatically by the cookie mechanism.

Important: Query parameters are NOT supported for refresh tokens as they expose tokens in server logs, proxy logs, browser history, and Referer headers. Use cookies (recommended), JSON body, or form data instead.

Hello World

Login as admin/admin and call:

http -f GET localhost:8000/auth/hello "Authorization:Bearer xxxxxxxxx"  "Content-Type: application/json"

Response:

{
  "text": "Hello World.",
  "userID": "admin"
}

Authorization Example

Login as test/test and call:

http -f GET localhost:8000/auth/hello "Authorization:Bearer xxxxxxxxx"  "Content-Type: application/json"

Response:

{
  "code": 403,
  "message": "You don't have permission to access."
}

Understanding the Authorizer

The authorizer callback is a crucial component for implementing role-based access control in your application. It determines whether an authenticated user has permission to access specific protected routes.

How Authorizer Works

The authorizer is called automatically during the JWT middleware processing for any route that uses .wrap(jwt_arc.middleware()). Here is the execution flow:

  1. Token Validation: JWT middleware validates the token
  2. Identity Extraction: identity_handler extracts user identity from token claims
  3. Authorization Check: authorizer determines if the user can access the resource
  4. Route Access: If authorized, request proceeds; otherwise, unauthorized is called

Authorizer Function Signature

Fn(&HttpRequest, &Value) -> bool
  • &HttpRequest: The actix-web request containing request information
  • &Value: User identity data returned by identity_handler
  • Returns bool: true for authorized access, false to deny access

Basic Usage Examples

Example 1: Role-Based Authorization

jwt.authorizer = Arc::new(|_req: &HttpRequest, data: &Value| {
    // Only allow "admin" users
    data.as_str() == Some("admin")
});

Example 2: Path-Based Authorization

jwt.authorizer = Arc::new(|req: &HttpRequest, data: &Value| {
    let role = data.get("role").and_then(|r| r.as_str()).unwrap_or("");
    let path = req.path();

    // Admin can access all routes
    if role == "admin" {
        return true;
    }

    // Regular users can only access specific routes
    let allowed = ["/auth/profile", "/auth/hello"];
    allowed.contains(&path)
});

Example 3: Method and Path Based Authorization

jwt.authorizer = Arc::new(|req: &HttpRequest, data: &Value| {
    let role = data.get("role").and_then(|r| r.as_str()).unwrap_or("");
    let path = req.path();
    let method = req.method().as_str();

    // Admins have full access
    if role == "admin" {
        return true;
    }

    // Users can only GET their own profile
    if path == "/auth/profile" && method == "GET" {
        return true;
    }

    // Users cannot modify or delete resources
    if matches!(method, "POST" | "PUT" | "DELETE") {
        return false;
    }

    true // Allow other GET requests
});

Setting Up Different Authorization for Different Routes

Method 1: Multiple Middleware Instances

// Admin-only middleware
let mut admin_jwt = ActixJwtMiddleware::new();
// ... shared config ...
admin_jwt.authorizer = Arc::new(|_req, data| {
    data.get("role").and_then(|r| r.as_str()) == Some("admin")
});
admin_jwt.init().unwrap();
let admin_arc = Arc::new(admin_jwt);

// Regular user middleware
let mut user_jwt = ActixJwtMiddleware::new();
// ... shared config ...
user_jwt.authorizer = Arc::new(|_req, data| {
    matches!(
        data.get("role").and_then(|r| r.as_str()),
        Some("user") | Some("admin")
    )
});
user_jwt.init().unwrap();
let user_arc = Arc::new(user_jwt);

// Route setup
App::new()
    .service(
        web::scope("/admin")
            .wrap(admin_arc.middleware())
            // admin-only routes
    )
    .service(
        web::scope("/user")
            .wrap(user_arc.middleware())
            // user routes
    )

Method 2: Single Authorizer with Path Logic

jwt.authorizer = Arc::new(|req: &HttpRequest, data: &Value| {
    let role = data.get("role").and_then(|r| r.as_str()).unwrap_or("");
    let path = req.path();

    // Admin routes - only admins allowed
    if path.starts_with("/admin/") {
        return role == "admin";
    }

    // User routes - users and admins allowed
    if path.starts_with("/user/") {
        return role == "user" || role == "admin";
    }

    // Public authenticated routes - all authenticated users
    true
});

Advanced Authorization Patterns

Using Claims for Fine-Grained Control

use actix_jwt::extract_claims;

jwt.authorizer = Arc::new(|req: &HttpRequest, _data: &Value| {
    // Extract additional claims
    let claims = extract_claims(req);

    // Get user permissions from claims
    let permissions = claims.get("permissions")
        .and_then(|v| v.as_array());

    let permissions = match permissions {
        Some(p) => p,
        None => return false,
    };

    // Check if user has required permission for this route
    let required = get_required_permission(req.path());

    permissions.iter()
        .any(|p| p.as_str() == Some(required))
});

fn get_required_permission(path: &str) -> &str {
    match path {
        "/auth/users" => "read_users",
        "/auth/reports" => "read_reports",
        "/auth/settings" => "admin",
        _ => "none",
    }
}

Common Patterns and Best Practices

  1. Always validate the data type: Check that the Value contains expected fields before accessing
  2. Use claims for additional context: Access JWT claims using extract_claims(&req)
  3. Consider the request context: Use req.path(), req.method(), etc.
  4. Fail securely: Return false by default and explicitly allow access
  5. Log authorization failures: Add logging for debugging authorization issues

Complete Example

See the authorization example for a complete implementation showing different authorization scenarios.

Logout

Login first, then call the logout endpoint with the JWT token:

# First login to get the JWT token
http -v --json POST localhost:8000/login username=admin password=admin

# Use the returned JWT token to logout (replace xxxxxxxxx with actual token)
http -f POST localhost:8000/auth/logout "Authorization:Bearer xxxxxxxxx" "Content-Type: application/json"

Response:

{
  "code": 200,
  "logged_out_user": "admin",
  "message": "Successfully logged out",
  "user_info": "admin"
}

The logout response demonstrates that JWT claims are accessible during logout through extract_claims(&req), allowing developers to access user information for logging, auditing, or cleanup purposes.

Cookie Token

To set the JWT in a cookie, use these options (see MDN docs):

jwt.send_cookie = true;
jwt.secure_cookie = false;                          // for non-HTTPS dev environments (access token only)
jwt.cookie_http_only = true;                        // JS can't modify
jwt.cookie_domain = Some("localhost".to_string());
jwt.cookie_name = "token".to_string();              // default: "jwt"
jwt.refresh_token_cookie_name = "refresh_token".to_string(); // default: "refresh_token"
jwt.token_lookup = "cookie:token".to_string();
jwt.cookie_same_site = SameSite::Lax;              // Lax, Strict, or None

Refresh Token Cookie Support

When send_cookie is enabled, the middleware automatically stores both access and refresh tokens as httpOnly cookies:

  • Access Token Cookie: Stored with the name specified in cookie_name (default: "jwt")
  • Refresh Token Cookie: Stored with the name specified in refresh_token_cookie_name (default: "refresh_token")

The refresh token cookie:

  • Uses the refresh_token_timeout duration (default: 30 days)
  • Is always set with httpOnly: true for security
  • Is always set with secure: true (HTTPS only) regardless of the secure_cookie setting
  • Is automatically sent with refresh requests
  • Is cleared on logout

Automatic Token Extraction: The refresh_handler automatically extracts refresh tokens from cookies, form data, query parameters, or JSON body, in that order. This means you don't need to manually include the refresh token when using cookie-based authentication - it's handled automatically.

Login request flow (using login_handler)

PROVIDED: login_handler

This is a provided method to be called on any login endpoint, which will trigger the flow described below.

REQUIRED: authenticator

This callback should verify the user credentials given the HttpRequest and raw body bytes (i.e. password matches hashed password for a given user email, and any other authentication logic). Then the authenticator should return a serde_json::Value that contains the user data that will be embedded in the JWT token. This might be something like an account id, role, is_verified, etc. After having successfully authenticated, the data returned from the authenticator is passed in as a parameter into the payload_func, which is used to embed the user identifiers mentioned above into the JWT token. If an error is returned, the unauthorized callback is used.

OPTIONAL: payload_func

This function is called after having successfully authenticated (logged in). It should take whatever was returned from authenticator and convert it into a HashMap<String, Value>. A typical use case of this function is for when authenticator returns a Value which holds the user identifiers, and those fields need to be extracted into a map. The map should include one element that is [identity_key (default "identity"): some_user_identity]. The elements of the map returned in payload_func will be embedded within the JWT token (as token claims). When users pass in their token on subsequent requests, you can get these claims back by using extract_claims.

Standard JWT Claims (RFC 7519): You can set standard JWT claims in payload_func for better interoperability:

  • sub (Subject) - The user identifier (e.g., user ID)
  • iss (Issuer) - The issuer of the token (e.g., your app name)
  • aud (Audience) - The intended audience (e.g., your API)
  • nbf (Not Before) - Token is not valid before this time
  • iat (Issued At) - When the token was issued
  • jti (JWT ID) - Unique identifier for the token

Note: The exp (Expiration) and orig_iat claims are managed by the framework and cannot be overwritten.

jwt.payload_func = Some(Arc::new(|data: &Value| {
    let mut claims = HashMap::new();
    if let Some(user) = data.as_object() {
        if let Some(id) = user.get("id") {
            claims.insert("sub".to_string(), id.clone());          // Standard: Subject
        }
        claims.insert("iss".to_string(), json!("my-app"));         // Standard: Issuer
        claims.insert("aud".to_string(), json!("my-api"));         // Standard: Audience
        if let Some(name) = user.get("username") {
            claims.insert("identity".to_string(), name.clone());   // Custom claim
        }
        if let Some(role) = user.get("role") {
            claims.insert("role".to_string(), role.clone());       // Custom claim
        }
    }
    claims
}));

OPTIONAL: login_response

After having successfully authenticated with authenticator, created the JWT token using the identifiers from the map returned from payload_func, and set cookies if send_cookie is enabled, this function is called. This function receives the complete token information as a structured Token object and should return the appropriate HttpResponse.

Signature: Fn(&HttpRequest, &Token) -> HttpResponse

Subsequent requests on endpoints requiring jwt token (using middleware)

PROVIDED: middleware()

This returns an actix-web middleware (Transform) that should be used via .wrap() on any scope or resource that requires JWT authentication. This middleware will parse the request headers for the token if it exists, and check that the JWT token is valid (not expired, correct signature). Then it will call identity_handler followed by authorizer. If authorizer passes and all of the previous token validity checks passed, the middleware will continue the request. If any of these checks fail, the unauthorized function is used.

OPTIONAL: identity_handler

The default of this function is likely sufficient for your needs. The purpose of this function is to fetch the user identity from claims embedded within the JWT token, and pass this identity value to authorizer. This function assumes [identity_key: some_user_identity] is one of the attributes embedded within the claims of the JWT token (determined by payload_func).

OPTIONAL: authorizer

Given the user identity value (data parameter) and the HttpRequest, this function should check if the user is authorized to be reaching this endpoint (on the endpoints where the middleware applies). This function should likely use extract_claims to check if the user has the sufficient permissions to reach this endpoint, as opposed to hitting the database on every request. This function should return true if the user is authorized to continue through with the request, or false if they are not authorized (where unauthorized will be called).

Logout request flow (using logout_handler)

PROVIDED: logout_handler

This is a provided method to be called on any logout endpoint. The handler performs the following actions:

  1. Extracts JWT claims to make them available in logout_response (for logging/auditing)
  2. Attempts to revoke the refresh token from the server-side store if provided
  3. Clears authentication cookies if send_cookie is enabled:
    • Access Token Cookie: Named according to cookie_name
    • Refresh Token Cookie: Named according to refresh_token_cookie_name
  4. Calls logout_response to return the response

The logout handler tries to extract the refresh token from multiple sources (cookie, form, query, JSON body) to ensure it can be properly revoked.

OPTIONAL: logout_response

This function is called after logout processing is complete. It should return the appropriate HttpResponse to indicate logout success or failure. Since logout doesn't generate new tokens, this function only receives the HttpRequest. You can access JWT claims and user identity via extract_claims(&req) and get_identity(&req) for logging or auditing purposes.

Signature: Fn(&HttpRequest) -> HttpResponse

Refresh request flow (using refresh_handler)

PROVIDED: refresh_handler

This is a provided method to be called on any refresh token endpoint. The handler expects a refresh_token parameter (RFC 6749 compliant) from multiple sources and validates it against the server-side token store. The handler automatically extracts the refresh token from the following sources in order of priority:

  1. Cookie (most common for browser-based apps): refresh_token_cookie_name cookie (default: "refresh_token")
  2. POST Form: refresh_token form field
  3. JSON Body: refresh_token field in request body

Security Note: Query parameters are NOT supported for refresh tokens to prevent token leakage through server logs, proxy logs, browser history, and Referer headers. Only secure delivery methods are supported.

If the refresh token is valid and not expired, the handler will:

  • Create a new access token and refresh token
  • Revoke the old refresh token (token rotation)
  • Set both tokens as cookies (if send_cookie is enabled)
  • Pass the new tokens into refresh_response

This follows OAuth 2.0 security best practices by rotating refresh tokens and supporting multiple secure delivery methods.

Cookie-Based Authentication: When using cookies (recommended for browser apps), the refresh token is automatically sent with the request, so you don't need to manually include it. Simply call the refresh endpoint and the middleware handles everything.

OPTIONAL: refresh_response

This function is called after successfully refreshing tokens. It receives the complete new token information as a structured Token object and should return an HttpResponse containing the new access_token, token_type, expires_in, and refresh_token fields, following RFC 6749 token response format. Note that when using cookies, the tokens are already set as httpOnly cookies before this function is called.

Signature: Fn(&HttpRequest, &Token) -> HttpResponse

Failures with logging in, bad tokens, or lacking privileges

OPTIONAL: unauthorized

On any error logging in, authorizing the user, or when there was no token or an invalid token passed in with the request, the following will happen. http_status_message_func is called which by default converts the error into a string. Finally the unauthorized callback will be called. This function should likely return an HttpResponse containing the HTTP error code and error message to the user.

Note: When a 401 Unauthorized response is returned, the middleware automatically adds a WWW-Authenticate header with the Bearer authentication scheme, as defined in RFC 6750 (OAuth 2.0 Bearer Token Usage), RFC 7235 (HTTP Authentication), and the MDN documentation:

WWW-Authenticate: Bearer realm="<your-realm>"

This header informs HTTP clients that Bearer token authentication is required, ensuring compatibility with standard HTTP authentication mechanisms.