Overriding NextAuth.js Active Directory Profiles with Userinfo
Problem: You're using NextAuth.js to authenticate with Active Directory (AD), but you need to customize the user profile information beyond what AD provides.
Rephrased: Imagine you're logging into a website using your company credentials. The website needs more information about you than just your username and email, like your department or role. NextAuth.js can help you authenticate, but you need to add extra details to your user profile.
Scenario:
You have a NextAuth.js setup that leverages Active Directory for user authentication. However, your application needs additional user attributes that aren't directly provided by AD, such as a user's department or role.
Original Code:
import NextAuth from "next-auth";
import ActiveDirectoryProvider from "next-auth/providers/active-directory";
export default NextAuth({
providers: [
ActiveDirectoryProvider({
domain: "your-company.com",
clientId: "your-client-id",
clientSecret: "your-client-secret",
}),
],
});
Analysis:
NextAuth.js provides an excellent framework for authentication, but its default Active Directory integration relies on the user information provided by AD. While this is sufficient for basic authentication, many applications require a more detailed user profile.
Solution:
You can override the default user profile by utilizing the callbacks feature in NextAuth.js. Specifically, the session callback allows you to modify the session data before it is passed to your application.
Modified Code:
import NextAuth from "next-auth";
import ActiveDirectoryProvider from "next-auth/providers/active-directory";
export default NextAuth({
providers: [
ActiveDirectoryProvider({
domain: "your-company.com",
clientId: "your-client-id",
clientSecret: "your-client-secret",
}),
],
callbacks: {
session: async ({ session, token }) => {
// Fetch additional user information from your data source
const additionalInfo = await fetch(
"https://your-api.com/users/" + token.sub,
{
method: "GET",
headers: {
Authorization: "Bearer " + token.accessToken,
},
}
).then((res) => res.json());
// Merge additionalInfo into the session object
session.user = {
...session.user,
...additionalInfo,
};
return session;
},
},
});
Explanation:
- Fetch Additional Information: Inside the
sessioncallback, you can make a request to a separate API or database to fetch additional user data. This data should ideally be associated with the user's ID (often represented bytoken.subin NextAuth.js). - Merge Data: The fetched
additionalInfois then merged with the user object within the session. This overwrites the original user data from AD with the combined data.
Benefits:
- Flexibility: You gain full control over the user profile data passed to your application, ensuring it aligns with your specific needs.
- Improved Security: You can avoid exposing sensitive information directly from AD by retrieving and managing it in your own system.
- Data Management: You can integrate the user data with other parts of your application by storing it in your database or API.
Important Considerations:
- Security: When fetching additional user data, ensure the API endpoint is secure and protected from unauthorized access.
- Data Consistency: Keep the user data synced between your system and Active Directory to avoid inconsistencies.
Conclusion:
By leveraging the session callback in NextAuth.js, you can easily override the default Active Directory user profile with additional information. This provides greater flexibility and control over the data you make available to your application, enhancing security and user experience.
Resources:
- NextAuth.js Documentation: https://next-auth.js.org/
- Active Directory Authentication with NextAuth.js: https://next-auth.js.org/providers/active-directory
