How to setup auth token security for WebAPI requests? - asp.net-mvc-4

Question

In following this tutorial (modifying it to use an application-based auth string rather than their user model), have the following TokenValidationAttribute defined and set this attribute on WebAPI controllers in order to verify that the API request came within my web application:
public class TokenValidationAttribute : ActionFilterAttribute
{
public override void OnActionExecuting(HttpActionContext actionContext)
{
string token;
try
{
token = actionContext.Request.Headers.GetValues("Authorization-Token").First();
}
catch (Exception)
{
actionContext.Response = new HttpResponseMessage(System.Net.HttpStatusCode.BadRequest)
{
Content = new StringContent("Missing Authorization-Token")
};
return;
}
try
{
var crypto = new SimpleCrypto.PBKDF2(); // type of encryption
var authPart = ConfigurationManager.AppSettings["AuthorizationTokenPart"];
var authSalt = GlobalVariables.AuthorizationSalt;
var authToken = GlobalVariables.AuthorizationToken;
if (authToken == crypto.Compute(authPart, authSalt))
{
// valid auth token
}
else
{
// invalid auth token
}
//AuthorizedUserRepository.GetUsers().First(x => x.Name == RSAClass.Decrypt(token));
base.OnActionExecuting(actionContext);
}
catch (Exception ex)
{
actionContext.Response = new HttpResponseMessage(System.Net.HttpStatusCode.Forbidden)
{
Content = new StringContent("Unauthorized User")
};
return;
}
}
}
In my login class, I have the following method defined that returns a User object if valid:
private User IsValid(string username, string password)
{
var crypto = new SimpleCrypto.PBKDF2(); // type of encryption
using (var db = new DAL.DbContext())
{
var user = db.Users
.Include("MembershipType")
.FirstOrDefault(u => u.UserName == username);
if (user != null && user.Password == crypto.Compute(password, user.PasswordSalt))
{
return user;
}
}
return null;
}
As you can see, the user login validation method doesn't make a WebAPI call that would be to ~/api/User (that part works).
1) How do I generate a request with with auth token (only site-generated API requests are valid)? These could be direct API calls from code-behind, or JavaScript-based (AngularJS) requests to hydrate some objects.
2) I'm not entirely clear on what base.OnActionExecuting(actionContext); . What do I do if the token is valid/invalid?

Answer 1

i think the best practices to send authorization header is by added it on request header
request.Headers.Add("Authorization-Token",bla bla bla);
you can create webrequest or httprequest
maybe you should start from http://rest.elkstein.org/2008/02/using-rest-in-c-sharp.html
or http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/debx8sh9%28v=vs.110%29.aspx.
in my opinion in order to create proper login security and request you should apply a standard such as openid or oauth
cheers

Answer 2

I did something like this, LoginSession contains my token and is static (in my case its a shared service (not static))
public HttpClient GetClient()
{
var client = new HttpClient
{
Timeout = new TimeSpan(0, 0, 2, 0),
BaseAddress = new Uri(GetServiceAddress())
};
client.DefaultRequestHeaders.Accept.Add(new MediaTypeWithQualityHeaderValue("application/json"));
if (LoginSession.Token != null)
{
client.DefaultRequestHeaders.TryAddWithoutValidation("Authorization", String.Format("Bearer {0}", LoginSession.Token.AccessToken));
}
return client;
}
notice this line:
client.DefaultRequestHeaders.TryAddWithoutValidation("Authorization", String.Format("Bearer {0}", LoginSession.Token.AccessToken));