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JWT Beveiliging: Algoritme, Verlopen, Rotatie en Aanvalspreventie

14 minby DevToolBox

JWT-beveiligingsbest practices

JSON Web Tokens zijn overal β€” maar de meeste implementaties hebben kritieke beveiligingsfouten. Deze gids behandelt algoritme-selectie, token-vervaldatum en rotatie, en verdediging tegen de belangrijkste JWT-aanvallen.

Wat is een JWT en hoe werkt het?

Een JWT is een Base64URL-gecodeerde string met drie door punten gescheiden delen: header (algoritme + type), payload (claims) en handtekening.

Algoritme-selectie: HS256 vs RS256 vs ES256

De meest voorkomende JWT-beveiligingsfout is het gebruik van HS256 in een gedistribueerd systeem. RS256 en ES256 gebruiken asymmetrische sleutels.

// Anatomy of a JWT β€” Header.Payload.Signature

// 1. Header (Base64URL decoded)
const header = {
  alg: "RS256",   // Algorithm: RS256 (asymmetric) preferred over HS256 (symmetric)
  typ: "JWT"
};

// 2. Payload (Base64URL decoded) β€” the claims
const payload = {
  iss: "https://auth.example.com",         // Issuer
  sub: "user_01HXYZ123",                  // Subject (user ID)
  aud: "https://api.example.com",          // Audience (target service)
  exp: 1735689600,                         // Expiry: Unix timestamp (15 min from now)
  iat: 1735688700,                         // Issued at
  jti: "8f14e0f9-21af-4c1e-8f26-3b4a5c6d7e8f", // Unique token ID (for revocation)
  roles: ["user"],                         // Custom claims
  email: "alice@example.com"
};

// 3. Signature (server-side only)
// RS256: sign(base64url(header) + '.' + base64url(payload), PRIVATE_KEY)
// Verification: verify(token, PUBLIC_KEY) β€” other services only need the public key

// --- Generating a JWT with jsonwebtoken (Node.js) ---
import jwt from 'jsonwebtoken';
import { readFileSync } from 'fs';
import { randomUUID } from 'crypto';

const privateKey = readFileSync('./private.pem');   // RSA private key
const publicKey  = readFileSync('./public.pem');    // RSA public key (shared with all services)

function issueAccessToken(userId: string, roles: string[]): string {
  return jwt.sign(
    {
      sub: userId,
      aud: 'https://api.example.com',
      roles,
      jti: randomUUID(),
    },
    privateKey,
    {
      algorithm: 'RS256',
      issuer: 'https://auth.example.com',
      expiresIn: '15m',  // Short-lived access token
    }
  );
}

function verifyAccessToken(token: string) {
  return jwt.verify(token, publicKey, {
    algorithms: ['RS256'],           // CRITICAL: whitelist algorithms β€” never allow 'none'
    issuer: 'https://auth.example.com',
    audience: 'https://api.example.com',
  });
}

Token-verval- en rotatiestrategie

Kortlevende access tokens (15 minuten) gecombineerd met langlevende refresh tokens (7–30 dagen) is de industriestandaard.

// Refresh Token Pattern β€” Stateless Access + Stateful Refresh

import jwt from 'jsonwebtoken';
import { randomBytes } from 'crypto';

// ---- Token issuance ----
async function issueTokenPair(userId: string) {
  const accessToken = jwt.sign(
    { sub: userId, jti: randomUUID() },
    process.env.JWT_PRIVATE_KEY!,
    { algorithm: 'RS256', expiresIn: '15m' }
  );

  // Refresh token: random bytes stored in DB β€” NOT a JWT
  const refreshToken = randomBytes(64).toString('hex');
  const refreshExpiry = new Date(Date.now() + 30 * 24 * 60 * 60 * 1000); // 30 days

  // Store hashed refresh token in DB (never store plaintext)
  await db.refreshTokens.create({
    tokenHash: sha256(refreshToken),
    userId,
    expiresAt: refreshExpiry,
    createdAt: new Date(),
  });

  return { accessToken, refreshToken, refreshExpiry };
}

// ---- Token refresh endpoint ----
app.post('/auth/refresh', async (req, res) => {
  const { refreshToken } = req.cookies; // httpOnly cookie
  if (!refreshToken) return res.status(401).json({ error: 'No refresh token' });

  const stored = await db.refreshTokens.findOne({
    tokenHash: sha256(refreshToken),
    expiresAt: { >: new Date() }, // Not expired
    revokedAt: null,                  // Not revoked
  });

  if (!stored) return res.status(401).json({ error: 'Invalid or expired refresh token' });

  // Rotate: invalidate old, issue new pair (refresh token rotation)
  await db.refreshTokens.update(
    { id: stored.id },
    { revokedAt: new Date() }         // Revoke old refresh token
  );

  const newPair = await issueTokenPair(stored.userId);

  // Set new refresh token as httpOnly cookie
  res.cookie('refreshToken', newPair.refreshToken, {
    httpOnly: true,
    secure: true,
    sameSite: 'strict',
    expires: newPair.refreshExpiry,
    path: '/auth/refresh',            // Scope cookie to refresh endpoint only
  });

  return res.json({ accessToken: newPair.accessToken });
});

// ---- Logout: revoke refresh token ----
app.post('/auth/logout', async (req, res) => {
  const { refreshToken } = req.cookies;
  if (refreshToken) {
    await db.refreshTokens.update(
      { tokenHash: sha256(refreshToken) },
      { revokedAt: new Date() }
    );
  }
  res.clearCookie('refreshToken', { path: '/auth/refresh' });
  return res.json({ success: true });
});

Veelvoorkomende JWT-aanvallen en verdedigingen

De gevaarlijkste JWT-kwetsbaarheden zijn: algoritme-verwarring, RS256β†’HS256-verwarring, zwakke geheimen en ontbrekende exp-validatie.

// JWT Attack Defenses β€” Code Patterns

// ---- ATTACK 1: Algorithm confusion ("none" bypass) ----
// VULNERABLE: never use verify() without specifying allowed algorithms
const VULNERABLE = jwt.verify(token, secret); // attacker can set alg: "none"

// SAFE: always whitelist algorithms
const SAFE = jwt.verify(token, publicKey, {
  algorithms: ['RS256'], // Never include 'none', 'HS256' if you're using RS256
});

// ---- ATTACK 2: RS256 > HS256 confusion ----
// Attacker changes alg from RS256 to HS256 and signs with the PUBLIC key as the secret
// Defense: always specify algorithm on verify β€” never infer from the token header
// VULNERABLE:
const header = JSON.parse(atob(token.split('.')[0]));
jwt.verify(token, publicKey, { algorithms: [header.alg] }); // attacker controls this!

// SAFE:
jwt.verify(token, publicKey, { algorithms: ['RS256'] }); // hardcoded

// ---- ATTACK 3: Weak HS256 secrets (brute-force) ----
// VULNERABLE: short or predictable secrets
const BAD_SECRET = 'secret';
const BAD_SECRET2 = 'mysupersecretkey';

// SAFE: 256-bit cryptographically random secret
import { randomBytes } from 'crypto';
const GOOD_SECRET = randomBytes(32).toString('hex'); // 256-bit
// Store in environment variable, rotate annually

// ---- ATTACK 4: Missing expiry validation ----
// Some older libraries skip exp check by default
// SAFE: always validate exp (jsonwebtoken does this by default)
try {
  const decoded = jwt.verify(token, publicKey, {
    algorithms: ['RS256'],
    clockTolerance: 30, // Allow 30 seconds clock skew max
    ignoreExpiration: false, // NEVER set this to true in production
  });
} catch (err) {
  if (err instanceof jwt.TokenExpiredError) {
    return res.status(401).json({ error: 'Token expired', code: 'TOKEN_EXPIRED' });
  }
  return res.status(401).json({ error: 'Invalid token' });
}

// ---- Token blacklist (for early revocation via jti) ----
import { createClient } from 'redis';
const redis = createClient();

async function revokeToken(jti: string, exp: number) {
  const ttl = exp - Math.floor(Date.now() / 1000); // seconds until natural expiry
  if (ttl > 0) {
    await redis.set(`jwt:revoked:${jti}`, '1', { EX: ttl });
  }
}

async function isTokenRevoked(jti: string): Promise<boolean> {
  return (await redis.get(`jwt:revoked:${jti}`)) !== null;
}

// Middleware: check blacklist
app.use(async (req, res, next) => {
  const decoded = jwt.verify(req.headers.authorization?.split(' ')[1] ?? '', publicKey, {
    algorithms: ['RS256'],
  });
  if (await isTokenRevoked((decoded as jwt.JwtPayload).jti ?? '')) {
    return res.status(401).json({ error: 'Token revoked' });
  }
  next();
});

Veilige token-opslag

Access tokens: opslaan in geheugen. Refresh tokens: opslaan in httpOnly, Secure, SameSite=Strict cookies.

Veelgestelde vragen

Moet ik JWT of opaque sessietokens gebruiken?

Gebruik opaque sessietokens voor server-rendered apps. Gebruik JWTs voor microservices of API's waar stateless verificatie nodig is.

Hoe kan ik een JWT voor vervaldatum intrekken?

Oplossingen: korte vervaldatum (15 min), token-blacklist in Redis of tokenversie in gebruikersrecord.

Welke claims moet elke JWT bevatten?

Verplicht: iss, sub, aud, exp, iat, jti. Valideer altijd iss en aud op de ontvangende service.

Hoe lang moeten JWT-geheimen en privΓ©sleutels zijn?

HS256-geheimen: minimaal 256 bits. RS256: minimaal 2048-bit RSA-sleutel. ES256: 256-bit elliptische curve sleutel.

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