#813: FedCM Auto Re-authentication API

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Opened Feb 3, 2023

Wotcher TAG!

I'm requesting a TAG review of FedCM Auto Re-authentication API .

An extension to the existing FedCM API that provides a streamlined UX when users return to websites. The API requires that the user has already granted permission for the RelyingParty (RP) and Identity Provider (IdP) communication in the browser through a previous FedCM call.

  • Explainer¹ (minimally containing user needs and example code): [url]
  • Security and Privacy self-review²: [url]
  • GitHub repo (if you prefer feedback filed there): [url]
  • Primary contacts (and their relationship to the specification):
    • [Yi Gu] (@yi-gu), Google
    • [Sam Goto] (@samuelgoto), Google, spec editor
  • Organization/project driving the design: [Google Chrome / FedCM]
  • External status/issue trackers for this feature (publicly visible, e.g. Chrome Status):

Further details:

  • I have reviewed the TAG's Web Platform Design Principles
  • The group where the incubation/design work on this is being done (or is intended to be done in the future): FedID CG
  • The group where standardization of this work is intended to be done ("unknown" if not known): unknown
  • Existing major pieces of multi-stakeholder review or discussion of this design: N/A
  • Major unresolved issues with or opposition to this design: N/A
  • This work is being funded by: Google Chrome

You should also know that the initial FedCM TAG review is https://github.com/w3ctag/design-reviews/issues/718. We're requesting a review specifically on the addition: auto re-authentication.

We'd prefer the TAG provide feedback as (please delete all but the desired option): 💬 leave review feedback as a comment in this issue and @-notify @yi-gu

Discussions

2023-02-20

Minutes

Hadley: [leaves comment about lack of explainer]

Amy: I think this is too early.. still going back and forth with group members on this in an issue. There's no privacy & security questionnaire.

2023-02-27

Minutes

2023-03-13

Minutes

Hadley: we weren't happy with explainer - asked them for a proper explainer - they have not responded.

2023-04-tokyo

Minutes

Posted a question about user consent and possibly replay issues.

2023-06-12

Minutes

Hadley: looked at in the tokyo face to face. I'm not sure their reply addresses Peter's question. My main concern.. prevent silent access.. the site calling the browser after the user clicks sign out... sounds like credentials are still in the browser.. could there be ways to override that? On the other hand the browser as the UA is the place we've decided to trust for all this stuff anyway. So I think it's okay.

Peter: in saml in a lot of implementations you can sign out of the RP without signing out of the IDP. You're just closing the session. So if you revisit the same app it autorelogs you in.

Hadley: so you have multiple steps to sign out, that don't necessarily feel intuitive? That's not good for the user

Peter: in saml there's the possibility that when you sign out of an app you can feed it upstream and sign it out of the idp as well. And that can kill sessions of other RPs, but that's very rarely implemented. I don't know if this flow is an issue in FedCM. In my experiecne most users don't undrestand the difference between signing into an RP vs an IDP. If you're on a computer that isn't yours, most cases people will think they have signed out but haven't. Concerned about people walking away from active sessions that they don't realise they're walking away form.

Hadley: I think that's worth making explicit

Peter: this might be addressed elsewhere in FedCM, don't want to add noise. Need more time - plenary.

2023-06-19

Minutes

Amy: They've asked "since there's no new API should we close this review"?

Yves: and they've said they align with firefox.

set to proposed closing and bumped to f2f to close