In modern applications, security is paramount. Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) is a powerful way to manage access to resources by assigning roles to users. Coupled with JSON Web Token (JWT) authentication, RBAC becomes a seamless and secure method for protecting routes in your Node.js application.
1. What is Role-Based Access Control?
Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) restricts access based on users’ roles. For example:
- Admin: Can manage all resources.
- Editor: Can modify content but not delete it.
- Viewer: Can only view content.
RBAC ensures users can only perform actions permitted for their role, reducing security vulnerabilities.
2. Why Use JWT for Authentication?
JWT (JSON Web Token) is a compact, URL-safe token for securely transmitting information between parties. JWT is widely used for its simplicity and stateless nature. It encodes user data and serves as a mechanism for authorization and authentication.
3. Setting Up the Node.js Application
Start by setting up a basic Node.js application with express for handling routes and jsonwebtoken for JWT.
Step 1: Initialize the Project
mkdir rbac-nodejs
cd rbac-nodejs
npm init -y
npm install express jsonwebtoken bcryptjs body-parser dotenv
Step 2: Create Basic Structure
Your folder structure should look like this:
rbac-nodejs/
│
├── .env
├── server.js
├── routes/
│ ├── auth.js
│ └── user.js
└── middleware/
├── authenticate.js
└── authorize.js
Step 3: Configure server.js
Create a simple server setup:
require("dotenv").config();
const express = require("express");
const bodyParser = require("body-parser");
const app = express();
app.use(bodyParser.json());
// Routes
app.use("/auth", require("./routes/auth"));
app.use("/user", require("./routes/user"));
const PORT = process.env.PORT || 3000;
app.listen(PORT, () => {
console.log(`Server running on http://localhost:${PORT}`);
});
4. Implementing JWT Authentication
JWT consists of three parts: Header, Payload, and Signature. Let’s implement login and token generation.
Create the auth.js Route
const express = require("express");
const jwt = require("jsonwebtoken");
const bcrypt = require("bcryptjs");
const router = express.Router();
const users = [
{
id: 1,
username: "admin",
password: bcrypt.hashSync("admin123", 10),
role: "admin",
},
{
id: 2,
username: "editor",
password: bcrypt.hashSync("editor123", 10),
role: "editor",
},
];
// Login Endpoint
router.post("/login", (req, res) => {
const { username, password } = req.body;
const user = users.find((u) => u.username === username);
if (!user || !bcrypt.compareSync(password, user.password)) {
return res.status(401).json({ message: "Invalid credentials" });
}
const token = jwt.sign({ id: user.id, role: user.role }, process.env.JWT_SECRET, { expiresIn: "1h" });
res.json({ token });
});
module.exports = router;
5. Adding RBAC to Your Application
Middleware for Authentication
Create authenticate.js to verify the JWT.
const jwt = require("jsonwebtoken");
function authenticate(req, res, next) {
const token = req.headers["authorization"];
if (!token) return res.status(403).json({ message: "No token provided" });
jwt.verify(token.split(" ")[1], process.env.JWT_SECRET, (err, decoded) => {
if (err) return res.status(401).json({ message: "Unauthorized" });
req.user = decoded;
next();
});
}
module.exports = authenticate;
Middleware for Authorization
Create authorize.js to restrict access based on roles.
function authorize(roles) {
return (req, res, next) => {
if (!roles.includes(req.user.role)) {
return res.status(403).json({ message: "Access forbidden" });
}
next();
};
}
module.exports = authorize;
6. Protecting Routes
Create the user.js Route
Add endpoints that use RBAC for access control.
const express = require("express");
const authenticate = require("../middleware/authenticate");
const authorize = require("../middleware/authorize");
const router = express.Router();
// Open to all authenticated users
router.get("/profile", authenticate, (req, res) => {
res.json({ message: `Welcome, user ${req.user.id}!`, role: req.user.role });
});
// Admin-only route
router.delete("/delete", authenticate, authorize(["admin"]), (req, res) => {
res.json({ message: "User deleted successfully!" });
});
// Editor and Admin route
router.post("/edit", authenticate, authorize(["editor", "admin"]), (req, res) => {
res.json({ message: "Content edited successfully!" });
});
module.exports = router;
7. Testing and Securing the App
- Generate a Token: Use the
/auth/loginendpoint to obtain a JWT by providing valid credentials. - Test Routes: Use a tool like Postman to access the endpoints with and without the token.
- Secure Your App:
- Use HTTPS in production.
- Store JWT secrets securely using
dotenvor a similar tool. - Implement token blacklisting if necessary.
8. Conclusion
RBAC and JWT together provide a scalable and secure way to manage access in Node.js applications. With this setup, you can dynamically manage user roles and permissions, ensuring secure access to your application resources.
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