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Mohammad Waseem
Mohammad Waseem

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Automating Authentication Flows with Go: An Open Source Approach for Security Researchers

#security #go #automation

Introduction

Automating authentication (auth) flows is a common challenge for security researchers and engineers aiming to streamline testing, penetration testing, or integration workflows. Manually handling OAuth, OpenID Connect, or other auth protocols can be time-consuming and error-prone. Leveraging Go, a powerful language known for its concurrency and simplicity, combined with open-source tools, offers an effective way to develop robust automation scripts or frameworks.

In this post, we'll explore how to build an open-source, reusable tool in Go for automating various auth flows. We'll focus on OAuth 2.0 as a representative example, but the principles can extend to other protocols.

Setting Up the Environment

First, ensure you have Go installed on your system. We will rely on popular open-source packages such as golang.org/x/oauth2 for handling OAuth flows and net/http for custom requests.

# Download dependencies
go get golang.org/x/oauth2
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Building an OAuth 2.0 Automation Script

The goal is to automate the process of obtaining access tokens for testing or integration purposes, including handling authorization codes, tokens, and refresh cycles.

1. Configuring OAuth 2.0 Details

Start by defining your client details and OAuth endpoints:

package main

import (
    "context"
    "fmt"
    "golang.org/x/oauth2"
)

var (
    oauthConfig = &oauth2.Config{
        ClientID:     "your-client-id",
        ClientSecret: "your-client-secret",
        Endpoint: oauth2.Endpoint{
            AuthURL:  "https://auth.example.com/authorize",
            TokenURL: "https://auth.example.com/token",
        },
        RedirectURL: "http://localhost:8080/callback",
        Scopes:      []string{"openid", "profile"},
    }
)

func main() {
    // Generate the URL for user approval
    authURL := oauthConfig.AuthCodeURL("state-token", oauth2.AccessTypeOffline)
    fmt.Println("Visit the URL for authorization:", authURL)

    // After user approval, obtain authorization code (manual step or via automated browser)
    var authCode string
    fmt.Print("Enter the authorization code: ")
    fmt.Scan(&authCode)

    // Exchange authorization code for tokens
    token, err := oauthConfig.Exchange(context.Background(), authCode)
    if err != nil {
        panic(err)
    }
    fmt.Println("Access Token:", token.AccessToken)
    fmt.Println("Refresh Token:", token.RefreshToken)
}
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2. Automating Token Retrieval and Refresh

To simulate a fully automated process, incorporate headless browser automation or programmatically handle redirect responses. Use open-source tools like chromedp for browser automation or intercept requests directly.

// Example: Using chromedp to automate login
// (This requires setting up a headless browser to simulate user login)
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3. Handling Token Refresh

Implement token refresh logic to maintain sessions:

func refreshToken(tokenSource oauth2.TokenSource) {
    newToken, err := tokenSource.Token()
    if err != nil {
        panic(err)
    }
    fmt.Println("Refreshed Access Token:", newToken.AccessToken)
}
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Open Source Tools and Libraries

  • golang.org/x/oauth2: Simplifies OAuth 2.0 flow handling.
  • chromedp: Automates browser interactions, useful for simulating login forms.
  • net/http: Low-level HTTP client for customized token requests.
  • httpmock: Mocks OAuth servers during testing.

Best Practices and Security Considerations

  • Store client secrets securely
  • Use environment variables or secret management tools
  • Validate tokens properly
  • Handle error states gracefully

Conclusion

Automating auth flows in Go using open source tools enables security researchers to streamline testing workflows and improve consistency. By effectively leveraging libraries like golang.org/x/oauth2, combined with automating browser interactions when necessary, you can build resilient, maintainable solutions that save time and reduce manual errors. This approach encourages reproducibility and enhances your ability to simulate realistic attack or integration scenarios in a controlled, programmatic manner.

Remember, always ensure your automation respects the security policies and legal frameworks relevant to your environment.

References:

🛠️ QA Tip

To test this safely without using real user data, I use TempoMail USA.

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