Authorization in Nestjs API using Auth0 - Step by Step #Series Part-1

NestJS Authentication and Authorization with Auth0: A Step-by-Step Guide (Part 1)

Introduction

Implementing robust authentication and authorization is crucial for protecting your NestJS API and ensuring secure access to sensitive data. Auth0, a leading identity management platform, provides a streamlined solution for integrating authentication and authorization into your applications.

In this blog post, we'll guide you through the process of setting up authentication and authorization in your NestJS API using Auth0.

Step 1: Create an Auth0 Account and Application

1. Sign up for an Auth0 account: Visit the Auth0 website and create a free account.
2. Create a new application: Go to the Applications section and create a new application for your NestJS API.
3. Configure the application: Set the application's name, callback URL (e.g., http://localhost:3000/callback), and any other necessary settings.

Step 2: Install Required Packages

Install the necessary packages in your NestJS project:

npm install @nestjs/passport @nestjs/jwt auth0-spa

Step 3: Create an Authentication Service

Create a service to handle authentication and authorization logic:

import { Injectable } from '@nestjs/common';
import { PassportStrategy } from '@nestjs/passport';
import { ExtractJwt, Strategy } from 'passport-jwt';
import { Auth0Client } from '@auth0/auth0-spa';

@Injectable()
export class JwtStrategy extends PassportStrategy(Strategy) {
  constructor(private readonly auth0Client: Auth0Client) {
    super({
      jwtFromRequest: ExtractJwt.fromAuthHeaderAsBearerToken(),
      secretOrKey: process.env.AUTH0_SECRET,
      audience: process.env.AUTH0_AUDIENCE,
      issuer: `https://${process.env.AUTH0_DOMAIN}/`
    });
  }

  validate(payload: any) {
    return this.auth0Client.getUser(payload.sub);
  }
}

Step 4: Configure the Passport Module

In your app.module.ts, configure the Passport module:

import { Module } from '@nestjs/common';
import { JwtModule } from '@nestjs/jwt';
import { PassportModule } from '@nestjs/passport';
import { Auth0Strategy } from './auth/auth0.strategy';

@Module({
  imports: [
    PassportModule.register({ defaultStrategy: 'jwt' }),
    JwtModule.register({
      secret: process.env.AUTH0_SECRET,
      signOptions: { expiresIn: '1h' },
    }),
  ],
  providers: [Auth0Strategy],
})
export class AuthModule {}

Step 5: Protect Routes

Use the AuthGuard to protect routes that require authentication:

import { Controller, Get, UseGuards } from '@nestjs/common';
import { AuthGuard } from '@nestjs/passport';

@Controller('profile')
@UseGuards(AuthGuard())
export class ProfileController {
  @Get()
  getProfile() {
    // Access user data here
  }
}

Part-1

Part-2

Part 3

In the next part of this series, we'll delve deeper into authorization, role-based access control, and best practices for securing your NestJS API with Auth0.

Keywords: NestJS, Auth0, authentication, authorization, security, API, web development