# Authentication - [Description](#description) - [Basic](#basic) - [Overview](#overview) - [synapse](#synapse) - [mxisd](#mxisd) - [Validate](#validate) - [Next steps](#next-steps) - [Profile auto-fil](#profile-auto-fill) - [Advanced](#advanced) - [Overview](#overview-1) - [Requirements](#requirements) - [Configuration](#configuration) - [Reverse Proxy](#reverse-proxy) - [Apache2](#apache2) - [DNS Overwrite](#dns-overwrite) ## Description Authentication is an enhanced feature of mxisd to ensure coherent and centralized identity management. It allows to use Identity stores configured in mxisd to authenticate users on your Homeserver. Authentication is divided into two parts: - [Basic](#basic): authenticate with a regular username. - [Advanced](#advanced): same as basic with extra ability to authenticate using a 3PID. ## Basic Authentication by username is possible by linking synapse and mxisd together using a specific module for synapse, also known as password provider. ### Overview An overview of the Basic Authentication process: ``` Identity stores Client +------+ | +-------------------------+ +--> | LDAP | | +---------------+ /_matrix/identity | mxisd | | +------+ +-> | Reverse proxy | >------------------+ | | | +--|------------+ | | | | +--------+ | +-----> Check ID stores >------+--> | SQL DB | Login request | | | | +--------+ | | | | | | | +--------------------------+ | +-----|-------------------+ +--> ... +-> | Homeserver | | | | | | | | - Validate credentials >----+ | | Using REST auth module | | | | | | - Auto-provision <-------------------<+ | user profiles | If valid credentials and supported by Identity store(s) +--------------------------+ ``` Performed on [synapse with REST auth module](https://github.com/kamax-io/matrix-synapse-rest-auth/blob/master/README.md) ### Synapse - Install the [password provider](https://github.com/kamax-io/matrix-synapse-rest-auth) - Edit your **synapse** configuration: - As described by the auth module documentation - Set `endpoint` to `http://mxisdAddress:8090` - Replace `mxisdAddress` by an IP/host name that provides a direct connection to mxisd. This **MUST NOT** be a public address, and SHOULD NOT go through a reverse proxy. - Restart synapse ### mxisd - Configure and enable at least one [Identity store](../stores/README.md) - Restart mxisd ### Validate Login on the Homeserver using credentials present in one of your Identity stores. ## Next steps ### Profile auto-fill Auto-filling user profile depends on its support by your configured Identity stores. See your Identity store [documentation](../stores/README.md) on how to enable the feature. ## Advanced The Authentication feature allows users to login to their Homeserver by using their 3PIDs in a configured Identity store. ### Overview This is performed by intercepting the Homeserver endpoint `/_matrix/client/r0/login` as depicted below: ``` +----------------------------+ | Reverse Proxy | | | | | Step 1 +---------------------------+ Step 2 | | | | Client+---->| /_matrix/client/r0/login +---------------->| | Look up address +---------+ | ^ | | mxisd - Identity server +----------------->| Backend | | | | | | +---------+ | /_matrix/* +--+ +---------------------+ | | | | +---------------+-----------+ | | | Step 4 | | | | | Step 3 +---------------|------------+ | | | /_matrix/client/r0/login | +--------------+ | | | | | +---------------------->| Homeserver |<----+ | | +--------------+ ``` Steps of user authentication using a 3PID: 1. The intercepted login request is directly sent to mxisd instead of the Homeserver. 2. Identity stores are queried for a matching user identity in order to modify the request to use the user name. 3. The Homeserver, from which the request was intercepted, is queried using the request at previous step. Its address is resolved using the DNS Overwrite feature to reach its internal address on a non-encrypted port. 4. The response from the Homeserver is sent back to the client, believing it was the HS which directly answered. ### Requirements - [Basic Authentication configured and working](#basic) - Reverse proxy setup - Homeserver - Compatible [Identity store](../stores/README.md) ### Configuration #### Reverse Proxy ##### Apache2 The specific configuration to put under the relevant `VirtualHost`: ```apache ProxyPass /_matrix/client/r0/login http://localhost:8090/_matrix/client/r0/login ``` `ProxyPreserveHost` or equivalent **must** be enabled to detect to which Homeserver mxisd should talk to when building results. Your VirtualHost should now look similar to: ```apache ServerName example.org ... ProxyPreserveHost on ProxyPass /_matrix/client/r0/login http://localhost:8090/_matrix/client/r0/login ProxyPass /_matrix/identity http://localhost:8090/_matrix/identity ProxyPass /_matrix http://localhost:8008/_matrix ``` #### DNS Overwrite Just like you need to configure a reverse proxy to send client requests to mxisd, you also need to configure mxisd with the internal IP of the Homeserver so it can talk to it directly to integrate its directory search. To do so, put the following configuration in your mxisd configuration: ```yaml dns.overwrite.homeserver.client: - name: 'example.org' value: 'http://localhost:8008' ``` `name` must be the hostname of the URL that clients use when connecting to the Homeserver. In case the hostname is the same as your Matrix domain, you can use `${matrix.domain}` to auto-populate the `value` using the `matrix.domain` configuration option and avoid duplicating it. `value` is the base internal URL of the Homeserver, without any `/_matrix/..` or trailing `/`.