Customizing Mfa in spring security 7

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Summary

The goal is to customize Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) in Spring Security 7 to differentiate between authentication methods. When a user logs in with an OIDC provider like Google or Facebook, they should be granted access directly. However, when a user chooses to log in using username and password authentication, they must also verify their email with a one-time token login.

Root Cause

The root cause of the complexity in achieving this customization lies in the default behavior of Spring Security’s MFA, which applies uniformly across all authentication methods. To customize MFA based on the authentication method, we need to override the default MFA configuration.

Why This Happens in Real Systems

This happens in real systems because:

  • Different authentication methods have different security requirements. OIDC providers like Google or Facebook already implement robust security measures, potentially making an additional MFA step redundant for these providers.
  • Username and password authentication is more vulnerable and thus may require an additional layer of security, such as email verification with a one-time token.
  • Customization is necessary to balance security with user experience, ensuring that the authentication process is not overly cumbersome for users while maintaining adequate security measures.

Real-World Impact

The real-world impact includes:

  • Enhanced security for less secure authentication methods like username and password.
  • Improved user experience for users authenticating through secure OIDC providers, as they are not required to perform additional authentication steps.
  • Flexibility in authentication methods, allowing users to choose their preferred method while ensuring that security standards are met.

Example or Code (if necessary and relevant)

@EnableMultiFactorAuthentication(authorities = { 
    FactorGrantedAuthority.PASSWORD_AUTHORITY, 
    FactorGrantedAuthority.OTT_AUTHORITY 
})
public class SecurityConfig {
    // Custom configuration for MFA based on authentication method
}

How Senior Engineers Fix It

Senior engineers fix this by:

  • Implementing custom authentication filters that can differentiate between various authentication methods.
  • Configuring Spring Security to use these custom filters, ensuring that MFA is applied based on the authentication method chosen by the user.
  • Testing thoroughly to ensure that the custom MFA configuration works as expected across different authentication scenarios.

Why Juniors Miss It

Juniors might miss this because:

  • Lack of experience with Spring Security’s advanced features, including custom authentication filters and conditional application of MFA.
  • Insufficient understanding of security requirements for different authentication methods, leading to a one-size-fits-all approach to MFA.
  • Overlooking the need for customization in security configurations to meet specific application requirements.