dex/Documentation/connectors-configuration.md

Configuring Connectors

Connectors connect dex to authentication providers. dex needs to have at least one connector configured so that users can log in.

Configuration Format

The dex connector configuration format is a JSON array of objects, each with an ID and type, in addition to whatever other configuration is required, like so:

[
    {
        "id": "local",
        "type": "local"
    }, {
        "id": "Google",
        "type": "oidc",
        ...<<more config>>...
    } 
]

The additional configuration is dependent on the specific type of connector.

local connector

The local connector allows email/password based authentication hosted by dex itself. It is special in several ways:

• There can only be one local connector in your configuration.
• The id must be local
• No other configuration is required

When the local connector is present, users can authenticate with the "Log in With Email" button on the authentication screen.

The configuration for the local connector is always the same; it looks like this:

    {
        "id": "local",
        "type": "local"
    }

oidc connector

This connector config lets users authenticate with other OIDC providers. In addition to id and type, the oidc connector takes the following additional fields:

• issuerURL: a string. The base URL for the OIDC provider. Should be a URL with an https scheme.

• clientID: a string. The OIDC client ID.

• clientSecret: a string. The OIDC client secret.

• trustedEmailProvider: a boolean. If true dex will trust the email address claims from this provider and not require that users verify their emails.

In order to use the oidc connector you must register dex as an OIDC client; this mechanism is different from provider to provider. For Google, follow the instructions at their developer site. Regardless of your provider, registering your client will also provide you with the client ID and secret.

When registering dex as a client, you need to provide redirect URLs to the provider. dex requires just one:

https://$DEX_HOST:$DEX_PORT/auth/$CONNECTOR_ID/callback

$DEX_HOST and $DEX_PORT are the host and port of your dex installation. $CONNECTOR_ID is the id field of the connector for this OIDC provider.

Here's what a oidc connector looks like configured for authenticating with Google; the clientID and clientSecret shown are not usable. We consider Google a trusted email provider because the email address that is present in claims is for a Google provisioned email account (eg. an @gmail.com address)

    {
        "type": "oidc",
        "id": "google",
        "issuerURL": "https://accounts.google.com",
        "clientID": "$DEX_GOOGLE_CLIENT_ID",
        "clientSecret": "$DEX_GOOGLE_CLIENT_SECRET",
        "trustedEmailProvider": true
    }

github connector

This connector config lets users authenticate through GitHub. In addition to id and type, the github connector takes the following additional fields:

• clientID: a string. The GitHub OAuth application client ID.

• clientSecret: a string. The GitHub OAuth application client secret.

To begin, register an OAuth application with GitHub through your, or your organization's account settings. To register dex as a client of your GitHub application, enter dex's redirect URL under 'Authorization callback URL':

https://$DEX_HOST:$DEX_PORT/auth/$CONNECTOR_ID/callback

$DEX_HOST and $DEX_PORT are the host and port of your dex installation. $CONNECTOR_ID is the id field of the connector.

Here's an example of a github connector; the clientID and clientSecret should be replaced by values provided by GitHub.

    {
        "type": "github",
        "id": "github",
        "clientID": "$DEX_GITHUB_CLIENT_ID",
        "clientSecret": "$DEX_GITHUB_CLIENT_SECRET"
    }

The github connector requests read only access to user's email through the user:email scope.

bitbucket connector

This connector config lets users authenticate through Bitbucket. In addition to id and type, the bitbucket connector takes the following additional fields:

• clientID: a string. The Bitbucket OAuth consumer client ID.

• clientSecret: a string. The Bitbucket OAuth consumer client secret.

To begin, register an OAuth consumer with Bitbucket through your, or your teams's management page. Follow the documentation at their developer site. NOTE: When configuring a consumer through Bitbucket you must configure read email permissions.

To register dex as a client of your Bitbucket consumer, enter dex's redirect URL under 'Callback URL':

https://$DEX_HOST:$DEX_PORT/auth/$CONNECTOR_ID/callback

$DEX_HOST and $DEX_PORT are the host and port of your dex installation. $CONNECTOR_ID is the id field of the connector.

Here's an example of a bitbucket connector; the clientID and clientSecret should be replaced by values provided by Bitbucket.

    {
        "type": "bitbucket",
        "id": "bitbucket",
        "clientID": "$DEX_BITBUCKET_CLIENT_ID",
        "clientSecret": "$DEX_BITBUCKET_CLIENT_SECRET"
    }

ldap connector

The ldap connector allows email/password based authentication hosted by dex, backed by a LDAP directory.

Authentication is performed by binding to the configured LDAP server using the user supplied credentials. Successfull bind equals authenticated user.

Optionally the connector can be configured to search before authentication. The entryDN found will be used to bind to the LDAP server.

This feature must be enabled to get supplementary information from the directory (ID, Name, Email). This feature can also be used to limit access to the service.

Example use case: Allow your users to log in with e-mail address as username instead of the identification string in your DNs (typically username).

NOTE: Users must register with dex at first login. For this to work you have to run dex-worker with --enable-registration.

In addition to id and type, the ldap connector takes the following additional fields:

• serverHost: a string. The hostname for the LDAP Server.

• serverPort: a unsigned 16-bit integer. The port for the LDAP Server.

• timeout: duration in milliseconds. The timeout for connecting to and reading from LDAP Server in Milliseconds. Default: 60000 (60 Seconds)

• useTLS: a boolean. Whether the LDAP Connector should issue a StartTLS after successfully connecting to the LDAP Server.

• useSSL: a boolean. Whether the LDAP Connector should expect the connection to be encrypted, typically used with ldaps port (636/tcp).

• certFile: a string. Optional Certificate to present to LDAP server.

• keyFile: a string. Key associated with Certificate specified in certFile.

• caFile: a string. Filename for PEM-file containing the set of root certificate authorities that the LDAP client use when verifying the server certificates. Default: use the host's root CA set.

• skipCertVerification: a boolean. Skip server certificate chain verification.

• maxIdleConn: a integer. Maximum number of idle LDAP Connections to keep in connection pool. Default: 5

• baseDN: a string. Base DN from which Bind DN is built and searches are based.

• nameAttribute: a string. Attribute to map to Name. Default: cn

• emailAttribute: a string. Attribute to map to Email. Default: mail

• searchBeforeAuth: a boolean. Perform search for entryDN to be used for bind.

• searchFilter: a string. Filter to apply to search. Variable substititions: %u User supplied username/e-mail address. %b BaseDN.

• searchScope: a string. Scope of the search. base|one|sub. Default: one

• searchBindDN: a string. DN to bind as for search operations.

• searchBindPw: a string. Password for bind for search operations.

• bindTemplate: a string. Template to build bindDN from user supplied credentials. Variable subtitutions: %u User supplied username/e-mail address. %b BaseDN. Default: uid=%u,%b NOTE: This is not used when searchBeforeAuth is enabled.

• trustedEmailProvider: a boolean. If true dex will trust the email address claims from this provider and not require that users verify their emails.

Here's an example of a ldap connector;

    {
        "type": "ldap",
        "id": "ldap",
        "serverHost": "127.0.0.1",
        "serverPort": 389,
        "useTLS": true,
        "useSSL": false,
        "skipCertVerification": false,
        "baseDN": "ou=People,dc=example,dc=com",
        "nameAttribute": "cn",
        "emailAttribute": "mail",
        "searchBeforeAuth": true,
        "searchFilter": "(mail=%u)",
        "searchScope": "one",
        "searchBindDN": "searchuser",
        "searchBindPw": "supersecret",
        "bindTemplate": "uid=%u,%b",
        "trustedEmailProvider": true
    }

Setting the Configuration

To set a connectors configuration in dex, put it in some temporary file, then use the dexctl command to upload it to dex:

dexctl -db-url=$DEX_DB_URL set-connector-configs /tmp/dex_connectors.json