How to set authorization headers with nodejs and express - node.js

Question

I am setting up a site with nodejs, express, mongoose and swig template following this tutorial :
Authenticate a Node.js API with JSON Web Tokens
In this tutorial the author uses Postman to set the token in the header.
I have googled for days to find out how I can set the jwt token in the header of my site, but it is not working for me.

Answer 1

If you want the client to include the token in it's request headers, you can use a cookie parser with express. (HTML5 Web Storage is another option). About Cookies:
Express can set the response headers to tell the client "add the token to a cookie".
Once the client sets the cookie with the token, the token will be in the client's request headers for each request. Let's get to baking with a little
npm install cookie-parser
Sprinkle on some
var cookieParser = require('cookie-parser')
app.use(cookieParser())
Access and set a cookie:
app.use(function (req, res, next) {
var cookie = req.cookies.jwtToken;
if (!cookie) {
res.cookie('jwtToken', theJwtTokenValue, { maxAge: 900000, httpOnly: true });
} else {
console.log('let's check that this is a valid cookie');
// send cookie along to the validation functions...
}
next();
});
You will probably want to do these things with the cookies (or whatever method you go with in the end):
set the cookie to hold the token when a user is authenticated.
check the cookie header value before allowing access to protected
routes.
send back an unauthorized status if a user doesn't have their token
when they are trying to access api routes that require a token.

Answer 2

May help someone in future...
Storing token in cookie with httpOnly:true flag is pretty secure from XSS attack but it can be vulnerable to CSRF attack.
Adding custom request headers for all routes in express using a middleware might be a feasible solution like that:
var token;
//asign 'accessToken' to 'token' in app.post('/login')
token=accessToken;
app.all('*' , (req, res, next) => {
if (!token) {
console.log('token: undefined');
} else {
req.headers.authorization = 'Bearer ' + token;
}
next();
});
this will add authorization=Bearer <token> header in each and every get request coming from browser. Now verify token in each secure route by adding this middleware:
let in app.get('/dashboard')
const authenticateToken=(req, res, next)=>{
var authHeader=req.headers['authorization'];
var token=authHeader && authHeader.split(' ')[1];
if(token==null){
return res.sendStatus(401);
}
jwt.verify(token, process.env.JWT_ACCESS_TOKEN, (err, user)=>{
if(err){
return res.sendStatus(403);
}
req.user=user;
next();
})
}
//in app.get(...)
app.get('/dashboard', authenticateToken ,()=>{
//stuff for authorized user
})
In case if you defined app.post('/login') in another file then,
export addHeader middleware as under:
//var to access token outside app.post('/login') route
var token;
app.post('/login' , (req , res)=>{
//authenticate the user
//create token
const accessToken=jwt.sign(user, secretKey);
//assign 'accessToken' to 'token' var
token=accessToken
//redirect to secure route
res.redirect('dashboard');
}
//middleware to add in your 'index.js' or 'app.js' file.
//export it only if you define app.post('/login') in another file
exports.addHeader = (req, res, next) => {
if (!token) {
console.log('token: undefined');
} else {
req.headers.authorization = 'Bearer ' + token;
}
next();
}
In index.js or app.js
//import file in which app.post('/login') is defined. let it is defined in controller/auth
const authController=require('./controller/auth');
//to add custom header in all routes
app.all('*', authController.addHeader);