OAuth 2.0 (Open Authorization 2.

0) is an industry-
standard protocol used for delegated authorization,
allowing applications to access resources on behalf of
users without sharing their credentials. It is widely used
in modern web and mobile applications to enable
secure, controlled access to APIs and services. Let's
delve into OAuth 2.0 with an example scenario:

OAuth 2.0 Components:

1. Resource Owner (User): The user who owns the

data or resources that the client application wants
to access.
2. Client: The application (e.g., web app, mobile app)
that requests access to the user's resources.
3. Authorization Server: Manages the authentication
and authorization processes, issues access tokens
to clients.
4. Resource Server: The server hosting the protected
resources (e.g., APIs, data) that clients want to
access.

OAuth 2.0 Workflow (Authorization Code Grant):

1. User Initiates Authorization:

• The user accesses the client application and

attempts to perform an action that requires

access to their resources (e.g., viewing email
contacts, posting on social media).
2. Authorization Request:
• The client redirects the user to the

authorization server's authorization endpoint,

including parameters such as client ID, scope
(requested permissions), and a redirect URI.
3. User Authentication and Consent:
• The authorization server authenticates the user

and presents them with a consent screen

detailing the requested permissions (scopes).
• The user approves the request, granting the

client application permission to access their

resources.
4. Authorization Code Grant:
• Upon user approval, the authorization server

generates an authorization code and redirects

the user back to the client's redirect URI along
with the authorization code.
5. Access Token Request:
• The client sends a POST request to the

authorization server's token endpoint,

including the authorization code, client ID,
client secret, redirect URI, and grant type
(authorization code).
• The client authenticates itself using its client

credentials (client ID and client secret).

6. Access Token Issuance:
• If the authorization code and client credentials

are valid, the authorization server responds

 with an access token and optionally a refresh
token.
7. Accessing Protected Resources:
• The client uses the access token to make

authorized requests to the resource server's

API endpoints.
• The resource server validates the access token

and provides the requested resources if the

token is valid and authorized.

Example Scenario:

Let's consider a scenario where a social media

application (Client) wants to access a user's profile
information (Resources) from a social media platform
(Resource Server) using OAuth 2.0.

1. User Interaction:
• The user logs into the social media application

and navigates to their profile settings.

2. Authorization Request:
• The social media application (Client) redirects

the user to the social media platform's

authorization endpoint, specifying the
requested scopes (e.g., profile information
access).
3. User Authentication and Consent:
 • The user is prompted to log into their social
media account on the authorization server
(social media platform).
• The authorization server presents a consent

screen detailing the requested permissions

(e.g., read user profile).
• The user consents to the social media

application accessing their profile information.

4. Authorization Code Grant:
• Upon user approval, the authorization server

issues an authorization code and redirects the

user back to the social media application with
the code.
5. Access Token Request:
• The social media application sends a POST

request to the authorization server's token

endpoint, including the authorization code,
client credentials (client ID and secret), redirect
URI, and grant type (authorization code).
6. Access Token Issuance:
• The authorization server validates the request

and responds with an access token.

7. Accessing Profile Information:
• The social media application uses the access

token to make authorized API requests to the

social media platform's profile API endpoints.
• The social media platform validates the access

token and provides the user's profile

 information (e.g., name, email, profile picture)
to the client application.
Key OAuth 2.0 Concepts:

• Scopes: Permissions requested by the client

application to access specific resources or perform
actions on behalf of the user (e.g., read-only
access, write access).
• Redirect URIs: URLs where the authorization
server redirects the user after authentication and
consent, including authorization codes or tokens.
• Access Tokens: Short-lived tokens issued by the
authorization server, used by clients to access
protected resources.
• Refresh Tokens: Long-lived tokens used to obtain
new access tokens without requiring user
interaction once the access token expires.
• Client Credentials: Unique identifiers (client ID and
client secret) used by clients to authenticate
themselves with the authorization server.

OAuth 2.0 provides a secure and standardized

framework for delegated authorization, enabling
seamless and controlled access to user resources
across different applications and services while
protecting user credentials and privacy.