What is OpenID Connect in AWS?
Last Updated :
14 Oct, 2024
IAM roles can be configured to trust OIDC identity providers, enabling users authenticated by those providers to assume roles and gain access to AWS resources based on predefined policies. This setup is especially useful for implementing fine-grained access control and managing temporary, limited-privilege access without maintaining separate user identities within AWS. Overall, OpenID Connect simplifies the integration of third-party authentication with AWS, enhancing security and user experience.
Usage of OpenID Connect
Following are some of the use cases of the OpenID connect:
- Application Authentication: Developers building applications that need to authenticate users can use OIDC to integrate with AWS services. For instance, web or mobile applications can use OIDC to authenticate users via a chosen IdP and then obtain an access token, which can be used to interact with AWS APIs securely.
- Client Types and Application Security: OIDC supports various client types, including confidential clients (like server-side applications) and public clients (like mobile or JavaScript apps). This flexibility allows different security considerations and mitigations to be applied based on the client type.
- Session Management and Logout: OIDC also addresses session management and logout features, allowing applications to handle user sessions and perform Single Logout (SLO) across multiple applications.
Working of OpenID Connect
- Registering the IdP: First, the external identity provider must be registered with AWS as a trusted OIDC provider. This process involves creating an IAM identity provider with the OIDC metadata URL of the IDP. This registration tells AWS to trust tokens issued by the IDP.
- Creating IAM Roles: After the IdP is registered, IAM roles are created with specific policies that define the level of access these roles will have. The roles are configured to be assumable by users or applications authenticated by the trusted IdP.
- Mapping IdP Users to IAM Roles: AWS uses a combination of trust policies and role mappings to allow users authenticated by the IdP to assume the corresponding IAM roles. This setup ensures that only authorized users have access to AWS resources, based on their group membership, claims, or attributes within the IdP.
- Token Exchange and Access: When a user or application authenticates with the IDP they receive an OIDC token. This token is then used to assume the corresponding IAM role in AWS, granting temporary, scoped access to the resources defined by the IAM policies.
Setup Process for AWS OpenID Connect
Following are the steps required for the setup process for AWS OpenID Connect:
Note: As OpenID Connect is used for different cloud technologies, its setup process is different for each, here we are going to connect it to GitHub Actions to automate a github process.
Step 1: Select OpenID Connect from IAM
First step is to login to the AWS console, then go to IAM > Identity Provider > Create Identity Provider. identity provider is used so that we can successfully verify the identity of user while allocating the resources.
Select OpenID Connect from IAM.Step 2: Confiure the provider
Next step is to configure the provider, as we are going to use the OpenID Connect, we will choose the second option instead of SAML, we will also have to provide URL so that AWS can verify it (In case of Github actions it is shown in the Actions page.)
Confiure the provider.Step 3: Create Web Identity Role
In the next step we will have to create a web identity role so that we can include it into our source code wherever it is necessary, this will allow us to create a trusted entity which will interact and connect, here again we will have to provide the identity provider URL (in this case it is GitHub but it can differ according to different services)
Create Web Identity Role.Step 4: Commit the Changes
Once the above steps are completed, we will have to commit the changes of our project so that GitHub can reload the changes into its code base and allow the OpenID Connect to function properly, we can either do this manually or using the git software.
Commit the Changes.Step 5: Successfully Deployed
Once the entire process is completed and the changes are committed, we will be able to see that the OpenID connect will automatically start working and execute as per the instructions required, as you can see in the image below it has connected to AWS using OpenID Connect and deployed the build and push of images.
Successfully Deployed.This is how we can setup the OpenID connect in AWS.
Benefits of Using OpenID Connect in AWS
- Enhanced Security: By relying on external identity providers, AWS reduces the need to store and manage user credentials. This minimizes the risk associated with password management and potential breaches.
- Simplified User Management: Organizations can manage their users centrally, using their existing IdPs, without needing to replicate user directories in AWS.
- Flexible Application Integration: OIDC allows integration with both web and mobile applications, making it easier to implement a unified authentication mechanism across different types of applications running on AWS. This flexibility is crucial for organizations that deploy diverse workloads on AWS.
- Scalability and Cost Efficiency: OIDC reduces the need to maintain separate identity systems, which can be costly and complex to scale. By using existing identity providers, you can leverage their scalability and reliability while focusing on managing AWS resources and applications.
- Centralized Auditing: Using OIDC with AWS allows centralized logging and auditing of user activity across multiple AWS accounts and services. This helps in maintaining compliance and providing a clear audit trail for user authentication and access events.
Conclusion
Including OpenID Connect into AWS environments streamlines authentication processes by connecting users from various identity providers to AWS services. This integration not only enhances the security and manageability of cloud resources but also improves user experience through simplified and unified login processes.
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