Raghunandhan VR

How OAuth Works?

1,340 viewsJul 14, 2025

Understanding OAuth Implementation

When I was working at Freightify, I built an IAM service that handles around 25K+ active users daily. OAuth was one of those concepts that appeared complex initially, but the implementation becomes straightforward once you understand the core principles.

Let me explain what happens behind those "Login with Google" buttons.

The Problem OAuth Solves

Consider this scenario - your application needs to access user data from another service. The traditional approach involves asking users for their username and password of that service. This approach has several critical issues:

Your application stores and manages credentials that don't belong to you
Users must trust you with their passwords
If your system gets compromised, all user credentials are exposed
You get complete access to user accounts, not just what you need
Users cannot revoke access without changing their passwords everywhere

OAuth addresses these issues by implementing a token-based system where users can grant limited access to applications without sharing their actual credentials.

graph TD A[User Requests Access] --> B[App Redirects to OAuth Provider] B --> C[User Login & Consent] C --> D[Authorization Code Returned] D --> E[App Exchanges Code for Token] E --> F[Access Token Received] F --> G[API Calls with Token] G --> H[Protected Data Access]

Core OAuth Components

The OAuth system involves several key components:

Resource Owner: The user who owns the data. This is your end user.

Client: Your application that wants to access user resources. This can be your web app, mobile app, or any service.

Authorization Server: The server that authenticates users and issues access tokens. Examples include Google, Facebook, GitHub.

Resource Server: The server hosting the protected resources. This may be the same as the authorization server or a separate service.

Access Token: A string representing the authorization granted to the client. This acts as a temporary access key.

Refresh Token: A token used to obtain new access tokens when the current one expires.

OAuth Authorization Code Flow

The Authorization Code Flow is the most commonly used OAuth flow. Here's the step-by-step process:

Step 1: Discovery and Initial Request

Most services provide OAuth endpoint information at a well-known location. This eliminates the need to hardcode URLs.

type AuthorizationServerMetadata struct {
    Issuer                string   `json:"issuer"`
    AuthorizationEndpoint string   `json:"authorization_endpoint"`
    TokenEndpoint         string   `json:"token_endpoint"`
    ScopesSupported       []string `json:"scopes_supported"`
}

func discoverAuthServer(baseURL string) (*AuthorizationServerMetadata, error) {
    resp, err := http.Get(baseURL + "/.well-known/oauth-authorization-server")
    if err != nil {
        return nil, err
    }
    defer resp.Body.Close()

    var metadata AuthorizationServerMetadata
    if err := json.NewDecoder(resp.Body).Decode(&metadata); err != nil {
        return nil, err
    }

    return &metadata, nil
}

Step 2: Redirect User to Authorization Server

Your application redirects the user to the authorization server with specific parameters:

func buildAuthorizationURL(authEndpoint, clientID, redirectURI, state string, scopes []string) string {
    params := url.Values{
        "response_type": {"code"},
        "client_id":     {clientID},
        "redirect_uri":  {redirectURI},
        "scope":         {strings.Join(scopes, " ")},
        "state":         {state},
    }

    return authEndpoint + "?" + params.Encode()
}

// Usage
authURL := buildAuthorizationURL(
    "https://auth.raghu.app/oauth/authorize",
    "your-client-id",
    "https://yourapp.com/callback",
    "random-state-value",
    []string{"read:profile", "write:posts"},
)

The parameters are:

response_type=code: Specifies the authorization code flow
client_id: Your application identifier
redirect_uri: Where to send the user after authorization
scope: The permissions you're requesting
state: Random value for security (prevents CSRF attacks)

Step 3: User Authorization

The user gets redirected to the authorization server where they see a consent screen. If they approve, they are sent back to your application with an authorization code.

The redirect looks like:

https://yourapp.com/callback?code=abc123def456&state=random-state-value

Step 4: Exchange Code for Token

Your application takes this authorization code and exchanges it for an access token:

type TokenResponse struct {
    AccessToken  string `json:"access_token"`
    TokenType    string `json:"token_type"`
    ExpiresIn    int    `json:"expires_in"`
    RefreshToken string `json:"refresh_token"`
    Scope        string `json:"scope"`
}

func exchangeCodeForToken(tokenEndpoint, clientID, clientSecret, code, redirectURI string) (*TokenResponse, error) {
    data := url.Values{
        "grant_type":    {"authorization_code"},
        "code":          {code},
        "redirect_uri":  {redirectURI},
        "client_id":     {clientID},
        "client_secret": {clientSecret},
    }

    resp, err := http.PostForm(tokenEndpoint, data)
    if err != nil {
        return nil, err
    }
    defer resp.Body.Close()

    if resp.StatusCode != http.StatusOK {
        return nil, fmt.Errorf("token exchange failed: %s", resp.Status)
    }

    var token TokenResponse
    if err := json.NewDecoder(resp.Body).Decode(&token); err != nil {
        return nil, err
    }

    return &token, nil
}

Step 5: Use Access Token

Now you can make requests to the resource server using the access token:

func makeAuthenticatedRequest(resourceURL, accessToken string) (*http.Response, error) {
    req, err := http.NewRequest("GET", resourceURL, nil)
    if err != nil {
        return nil, err
    }

    req.Header.Set("Authorization", "Bearer "+accessToken)

    client := &http.Client{}
    return client.Do(req)
}

// Example usage
resp, err := makeAuthenticatedRequest("https://api.raghu.app/user/profile", accessToken)

Handling Token Refresh

Access tokens expire for security reasons. When they expire, you use the refresh token to obtain a new one:

func refreshAccessToken(tokenEndpoint, clientID, clientSecret, refreshToken string) (*TokenResponse, error) {
    data := url.Values{
        "grant_type":    {"refresh_token"},
        "refresh_token": {refreshToken},
        "client_id":     {clientID},
        "client_secret": {clientSecret},
    }

    resp, err := http.PostForm(tokenEndpoint, data)
    if err != nil {
        return nil, err
    }
    defer resp.Body.Close()

    var token TokenResponse
    if err := json.NewDecoder(resp.Body).Decode(&token); err != nil {
        return nil, err
    }

    return &token, nil
}

PKCE - For Public Clients

When building mobile apps or SPAs, you cannot securely store client secrets. PKCE (Proof Key for Code Exchange) solves this problem:

import (
    "crypto/rand"
    "crypto/sha256"
    "encoding/base64"
)

func generatePKCEChallenge() (verifier, challenge string, err error) {
    // Generate code verifier
    bytes := make([]byte, 32)
    if _, err := rand.Read(bytes); err != nil {
        return "", "", err
    }
    verifier = base64.RawURLEncoding.EncodeToString(bytes)

    // Generate code challenge
    hash := sha256.Sum256([]byte(verifier))
    challenge = base64.RawURLEncoding.EncodeToString(hash[:])

    return verifier, challenge, nil
}

func buildPKCEAuthURL(authEndpoint, clientID, redirectURI, state, codeChallenge string, scopes []string) string {
    params := url.Values{
        "response_type":         {"code"},
        "client_id":             {clientID},
        "redirect_uri":          {redirectURI},
        "scope":                 {strings.Join(scopes, " ")},
        "state":                 {state},
        "code_challenge":        {codeChallenge},
        "code_challenge_method": {"S256"},
    }

    return authEndpoint + "?" + params.Encode()
}

func exchangeCodeWithPKCE(tokenEndpoint, clientID, code, redirectURI, codeVerifier string) (*TokenResponse, error) {
    data := url.Values{
        "grant_type":    {"authorization_code"},
        "code":          {code},
        "redirect_uri":  {redirectURI},
        "client_id":     {clientID},
        "code_verifier": {codeVerifier},
    }

    resp, err := http.PostForm(tokenEndpoint, data)
    if err != nil {
        return nil, err
    }
    defer resp.Body.Close()

    var token TokenResponse
    if err := json.NewDecoder(resp.Body).Decode(&token); err != nil {
        return nil, err
    }

    return &token, nil
}

OAuth Scopes: The Permission System

Scopes define what permissions you are requesting. Follow the principle of least privilege - only request what you actually need.

Common scope patterns:

read:profile - Read user profile information
write:posts - Create posts on behalf of user
admin:users - Administrative access to user management

type ScopeManager struct {
    requestedScopes []string
    grantedScopes   []string
}

func (s *ScopeManager) HasScope(scope string) bool {
    for _, granted := range s.grantedScopes {
        if granted == scope {
            return true
        }
    }
    return false
}

func (s *ScopeManager) ValidateRequest(requiredScope string) error {
    if !s.HasScope(requiredScope) {
        return fmt.Errorf("insufficient scope: required %s", requiredScope)
    }
    return nil
}

Token Storage and Security

Proper token storage is critical for security:

type TokenStore struct {
    tokens map[string]*TokenResponse
    mutex  sync.RWMutex
}

func NewTokenStore() *TokenStore {
    return &TokenStore{
        tokens: make(map[string]*TokenResponse),
    }
}

func (ts *TokenStore) StoreToken(userID string, token *TokenResponse) {
    ts.mutex.Lock()
    defer ts.mutex.Unlock()
    ts.tokens[userID] = token
}

func (ts *TokenStore) GetToken(userID string) (*TokenResponse, bool) {
    ts.mutex.RLock()
    defer ts.mutex.RUnlock()
    token, exists := ts.tokens[userID]
    return token, exists
}

func (ts *TokenStore) DeleteToken(userID string) {
    ts.mutex.Lock()
    defer ts.mutex.Unlock()
    delete(ts.tokens, userID)
}

Common OAuth Issues and Solutions

Token Expiration

Always check token expiry and refresh when needed:

func (ts *TokenStore) GetValidToken(userID string) (*TokenResponse, error) {
    token, exists := ts.GetToken(userID)
    if !exists {
        return nil, fmt.Errorf("no token found for user")
    }

    // Check if token is expired (simplified)
    if time.Now().Unix() > token.ExpiresIn {
        // Refresh token
        newToken, err := refreshAccessToken(
            tokenEndpoint,
            clientID,
            clientSecret,
            token.RefreshToken,
        )
        if err != nil {
            return nil, err
        }

        ts.StoreToken(userID, newToken)
        return newToken, nil
    }

    return token, nil
}

State Parameter Validation

Always validate the state parameter to prevent CSRF attacks:

func validateState(receivedState, expectedState string) error {
    if receivedState != expectedState {
        return fmt.Errorf("state mismatch: possible CSRF attack")
    }
    return nil
}

OpenID Connect (OIDC)

OIDC builds on top of OAuth to provide identity information. When you include the openid scope, you receive an ID token along with the access token:

type OIDCTokenResponse struct {
    AccessToken  string `json:"access_token"`
    TokenType    string `json:"token_type"`
    ExpiresIn    int    `json:"expires_in"`
    RefreshToken string `json:"refresh_token"`
    IDToken      string `json:"id_token"`
    Scope        string `json:"scope"`
}

// ID Token contains user information
type IDTokenClaims struct {
    Subject   string `json:"sub"`
    Name      string `json:"name"`
    Email     string `json:"email"`
    Picture   string `json:"picture"`
    ExpiresAt int64  `json:"exp"`
    IssuedAt  int64  `json:"iat"`
}

Building Your Own OAuth Server

If you need to build your own OAuth server, here's a basic structure:

type OAuthServer struct {
    clients map[string]*Client
    codes   map[string]*AuthorizationCode
    tokens  map[string]*AccessToken
}

type Client struct {
    ID           string
    Secret       string
    RedirectURIs []string
    Scopes       []string
}

type AuthorizationCode struct {
    Code        string
    ClientID    string
    UserID      string
    Scopes      []string
    ExpiresAt   time.Time
    RedirectURI string
}

func (server *OAuthServer) HandleAuthorization(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
    clientID := r.URL.Query().Get("client_id")
    redirectURI := r.URL.Query().Get("redirect_uri")
    state := r.URL.Query().Get("state")

    // Validate client and redirect URI
    client, exists := server.clients[clientID]
    if !exists {
        http.Error(w, "Invalid client", http.StatusBadRequest)
        return
    }

    // Show consent page to user
    // After user approves, generate authorization code
    code := generateAuthorizationCode()
    server.codes[code] = &AuthorizationCode{
        Code:        code,
        ClientID:    clientID,
        UserID:      getCurrentUserID(r),
        ExpiresAt:   time.Now().Add(10 * time.Minute),
        RedirectURI: redirectURI,
    }

    // Redirect back to client
    redirectURL := fmt.Sprintf("%s?code=%s&state=%s", redirectURI, code, state)
    http.Redirect(w, r, redirectURL, http.StatusFound)
}

JWT Token Validation

Many OAuth providers use JWT tokens. Here's how to validate them properly:

import (
    "crypto/rsa"
    "encoding/json"
    "fmt"
    "github.com/dgrijalva/jwt-go"
    "net/http"
)

type JWKSResponse struct {
    Keys []struct {
        Kid string   `json:"kid"`
        Kty string   `json:"kty"`
        Use string   `json:"use"`
        N   string   `json:"n"`
        E   string   `json:"e"`
    } `json:"keys"`
}

func getPublicKey(jwksURL, kid string) (*rsa.PublicKey, error) {
    resp, err := http.Get(jwksURL)
    if err != nil {
        return nil, err
    }
    defer resp.Body.Close()

    var jwks JWKSResponse
    if err := json.NewDecoder(resp.Body).Decode(&jwks); err != nil {
        return nil, err
    }

    for _, key := range jwks.Keys {
        if key.Kid == kid {
            return jwt.ParseRSAPublicKeyFromPEM([]byte(key.N))
        }
    }
    return nil, fmt.Errorf("key not found")
}

func validateJWTToken(tokenString, jwksURL string) (*jwt.Token, error) {
    token, err := jwt.Parse(tokenString, func(token *jwt.Token) (interface{}, error) {
        if _, ok := token.Method.(*jwt.SigningMethodRSA); !ok {
            return nil, fmt.Errorf("unexpected signing method: %v", token.Header["alg"])
        }

        kid := token.Header["kid"].(string)
        return getPublicKey(jwksURL, kid)
    })

    if err != nil {
        return nil, err
    }

    if !token.Valid {
        return nil, fmt.Errorf("invalid token")
    }

    return token, nil
}

Error Handling

Handle OAuth errors properly to provide good user experience:

type OAuthError struct {
    Error            string `json:"error"`
    ErrorDescription string `json:"error_description"`
    ErrorURI         string `json:"error_uri"`
}

func handleOAuthError(resp *http.Response) error {
    var oauthErr OAuthError
    if err := json.NewDecoder(resp.Body).Decode(&oauthErr); err != nil {
        return fmt.Errorf("failed to decode error response: %v", err)
    }

    switch oauthErr.Error {
    case "invalid_grant":
        return fmt.Errorf("authorization code expired or invalid")
    case "invalid_client":
        return fmt.Errorf("client authentication failed")
    case "access_denied":
        return fmt.Errorf("user denied access")
    case "invalid_scope":
        return fmt.Errorf("requested scope is invalid")
    default:
        return fmt.Errorf("oauth error: %s - %s", oauthErr.Error, oauthErr.ErrorDescription)
    }
}

func exchangeCodeWithErrorHandling(tokenEndpoint, clientID, clientSecret, code, redirectURI string) (*TokenResponse, error) {
    data := url.Values{
        "grant_type":    {"authorization_code"},
        "code":          {code},
        "redirect_uri":  {redirectURI},
        "client_id":     {clientID},
        "client_secret": {clientSecret},
    }

    resp, err := http.PostForm(tokenEndpoint, data)
    if err != nil {
        return nil, fmt.Errorf("token request failed: %v", err)
    }
    defer resp.Body.Close()

    if resp.StatusCode != http.StatusOK {
        return nil, handleOAuthError(resp)
    }

    var token TokenResponse
    if err := json.NewDecoder(resp.Body).Decode(&token); err != nil {
        return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to decode token response: %v", err)
    }

    return &token, nil
}

Token Introspection

Check if tokens are still valid with introspection endpoint:

type IntrospectionResponse struct {
    Active    bool     `json:"active"`
    Scope     string   `json:"scope"`
    ClientID  string   `json:"client_id"`
    Username  string   `json:"username"`
    TokenType string   `json:"token_type"`
    Exp       int64    `json:"exp"`
    Iat       int64    `json:"iat"`
    Sub       string   `json:"sub"`
    Aud       []string `json:"aud"`
}

func introspectToken(introspectURL, token, clientID, clientSecret string) (*IntrospectionResponse, error) {
    data := url.Values{
        "token": {token},
    }

    req, err := http.NewRequest("POST", introspectURL, strings.NewReader(data.Encode()))
    if err != nil {
        return nil, err
    }

    req.SetBasicAuth(clientID, clientSecret)
    req.Header.Set("Content-Type", "application/x-www-form-urlencoded")

    client := &http.Client{}
    resp, err := client.Do(req)
    if err != nil {
        return nil, err
    }
    defer resp.Body.Close()

    var introspection IntrospectionResponse
    if err := json.NewDecoder(resp.Body).Decode(&introspection); err != nil {
        return nil, err
    }

    return &introspection, nil
}

Production Configuration

Manage OAuth configuration properly:

type OAuthConfig struct {
    ClientID          string
    ClientSecret      string
    AuthURL           string
    TokenURL          string
    IntrospectURL     string
    JWKSURL           string
    RedirectURI       string
    Scopes            []string
    Timeout           time.Duration
    RetryAttempts     int
    TokenCacheTimeout time.Duration
}

func NewOAuthConfig() *OAuthConfig {
    return &OAuthConfig{
        ClientID:          os.Getenv("OAUTH_CLIENT_ID"),
        ClientSecret:      os.Getenv("OAUTH_CLIENT_SECRET"),
        AuthURL:           os.Getenv("OAUTH_AUTH_URL"),
        TokenURL:          os.Getenv("OAUTH_TOKEN_URL"),
        IntrospectURL:     os.Getenv("OAUTH_INTROSPECT_URL"),
        JWKSURL:           os.Getenv("OAUTH_JWKS_URL"),
        RedirectURI:       os.Getenv("OAUTH_REDIRECT_URI"),
        Scopes:            strings.Split(os.Getenv("OAUTH_SCOPES"), ","),
        Timeout:           30 * time.Second,
        RetryAttempts:     3,
        TokenCacheTimeout: 5 * time.Minute,
    }
}

func (c *OAuthConfig) Validate() error {
    if c.ClientID == "" {
        return fmt.Errorf("OAUTH_CLIENT_ID is required")
    }
    if c.ClientSecret == "" {
        return fmt.Errorf("OAUTH_CLIENT_SECRET is required")
    }
    if c.AuthURL == "" {
        return fmt.Errorf("OAUTH_AUTH_URL is required")
    }
    if c.TokenURL == "" {
        return fmt.Errorf("OAUTH_TOKEN_URL is required")
    }
    return nil
}

Retry Logic and Rate Limiting

Handle transient failures and rate limits:

import (
    "math"
    "time"
)

type HTTPClient struct {
    client        *http.Client
    retryAttempts int
    baseDelay     time.Duration
}

func NewHTTPClient(timeout time.Duration, retryAttempts int) *HTTPClient {
    return &HTTPClient{
        client: &http.Client{
            Timeout: timeout,
        },
        retryAttempts: retryAttempts,
        baseDelay:     time.Second,
    }
}

func (h *HTTPClient) doWithRetry(req *http.Request) (*http.Response, error) {
    var lastErr error

    for attempt := 0; attempt <= h.retryAttempts; attempt++ {
        resp, err := h.client.Do(req)
        if err != nil {
            lastErr = err
            if attempt < h.retryAttempts {
                delay := time.Duration(math.Pow(2, float64(attempt))) * h.baseDelay
                time.Sleep(delay)
                continue
            }
            return nil, lastErr
        }

        // Handle rate limiting
        if resp.StatusCode == 429 {
            resp.Body.Close()
            retryAfter := resp.Header.Get("Retry-After")
            if retryAfter != "" {
                if delay, err := time.ParseDuration(retryAfter + "s"); err == nil {
                    time.Sleep(delay)
                    continue
                }
            }
            time.Sleep(h.baseDelay * time.Duration(attempt+1))
            continue
        }

        // Only retry on 5xx errors
        if resp.StatusCode >= 500 && attempt < h.retryAttempts {
            resp.Body.Close()
            delay := time.Duration(math.Pow(2, float64(attempt))) * h.baseDelay
            time.Sleep(delay)
            continue
        }

        return resp, nil
    }

    return nil, lastErr
}

Middleware for API Protection

Protect your APIs with OAuth tokens:

func OAuthMiddleware(config *OAuthConfig) func(http.Handler) http.Handler {
    return func(next http.Handler) http.Handler {
        return http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
            authHeader := r.Header.Get("Authorization")
            if authHeader == "" {
                http.Error(w, "Authorization header required", http.StatusUnauthorized)
                return
            }

            tokenParts := strings.Split(authHeader, " ")
            if len(tokenParts) != 2 || tokenParts[0] != "Bearer" {
                http.Error(w, "Invalid authorization header format", http.StatusUnauthorized)
                return
            }

            token := tokenParts[1]

            // Validate token
            introspection, err := introspectToken(config.IntrospectURL, token, config.ClientID, config.ClientSecret)
            if err != nil {
                http.Error(w, "Token validation failed", http.StatusUnauthorized)
                return
            }

            if !introspection.Active {
                http.Error(w, "Token is not active", http.StatusUnauthorized)
                return
            }

            // Add user info to context
            ctx := context.WithValue(r.Context(), "user_id", introspection.Sub)
            ctx = context.WithValue(ctx, "scopes", strings.Split(introspection.Scope, " "))

            next.ServeHTTP(w, r.WithContext(ctx))
        })
    }
}

Testing OAuth Implementation

Test your OAuth flows properly:

func TestOAuthFlow(t *testing.T) {
    // Mock OAuth server
    mockServer := httptest.NewServer(http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
        switch r.URL.Path {
        case "/token":
            response := TokenResponse{
                AccessToken:  "mock_access_token",
                TokenType:    "Bearer",
                ExpiresIn:    3600,
                RefreshToken: "mock_refresh_token",
                Scope:        "read write",
            }
            json.NewEncoder(w).Encode(response)
        case "/introspect":
            response := IntrospectionResponse{
                Active:   true,
                Scope:    "read write",
                ClientID: "test_client",
                Sub:      "user123",
                Exp:      time.Now().Add(time.Hour).Unix(),
            }
            json.NewEncoder(w).Encode(response)
        }
    }))
    defer mockServer.Close()

    config := &OAuthConfig{
        ClientID:      "test_client",
        ClientSecret:  "test_secret",
        TokenURL:      mockServer.URL + "/token",
        IntrospectURL: mockServer.URL + "/introspect",
    }

    // Test token exchange
    token, err := exchangeCodeWithErrorHandling(
        config.TokenURL,
        config.ClientID,
        config.ClientSecret,
        "test_code",
        "http://localhost:8080/callback",
    )

    assert.NoError(t, err)
    assert.Equal(t, "mock_access_token", token.AccessToken)

    // Test token introspection
    introspection, err := introspectToken(
        config.IntrospectURL,
        token.AccessToken,
        config.ClientID,
        config.ClientSecret,
    )

    assert.NoError(t, err)
    assert.True(t, introspection.Active)
}

Key Points

OAuth is about delegation of access, not authentication
Always use HTTPS for OAuth flows
Implement proper state validation to prevent CSRF attacks
Use PKCE for public clients - Mobile apps and SPAs require this
Store tokens securely and handle expiration properly
Follow the principle of least privilege with scopes
Validate all parameters and handle errors gracefully

Summary

Understanding OAuth is essential when building modern applications that integrate with external services. The concepts may appear complex initially, but the patterns become clear with implementation experience.

These fundamentals helped me build a robust IAM service at Freightify that handles thousands of users daily. OAuth, when implemented correctly, provides a secure and scalable way to handle authorization in distributed systems.

Security should be built from the ground up, not added as an afterthought. OAuth provides the necessary tools for secure implementation.