WebAuthn / Passkeys - SuperTokens Core

Overview

WebAuthn (Web Authentication) enables passwordless authentication using biometrics (fingerprint, Face ID) or hardware security keys (YubiKey, Titan). SuperTokens Core implements the WebAuthn standard for secure, phishing-resistant authentication. Standards: W3C Web Authentication API (WebAuthn Level 2) Implementation: Uses webauthn4j library for credential verification

Core Concepts

Relying Party (RP)

Your application acts as the relying party:

RP ID: Your domain (e.g., “example.com”)
RP Name: Display name (e.g., “My App”)
Origin: Full URL (e.g., “https://example.com”)

Credentials

Each user can have multiple credentials:

Biometric authenticators (Touch ID, Face ID, Windows Hello)
Security keys (YubiKey, Titan Key)
Platform authenticators (TPM, Secure Enclave)

Challenge-Response

WebAuthn uses cryptographic challenge-response:

Server generates random challenge
Client signs challenge with private key
Server verifies signature with public key

Registration Flow

Generate Registration Options

Create options for credential registration. Implementation: io.supertokens.webauthn.WebAuthN.generateRegisterOptions() - View source API Endpoint: POST /recipe/webauthn/options/register Request Body:

{
  "email": "[email protected]",
  "displayName": "John Doe",
  "relyingPartyName": "My App",
  "relyingPartyId": "example.com",
  "origin": "https://example.com",
  "timeout": 60000,
  "attestation": "none",
  "residentKey": "preferred",
  "userVerification": "preferred",
  "supportedAlgorithmIds": [-7, -257],
  "userPresenceRequired": true
}

Response:

{
  "status": "OK",
  "optionsId": "generated-options-id",
  "createdAt": 1234567890,
  "expiresAt": 1234627890,
  "publicKey": {
    "challenge": "base64-encoded-challenge",
    "rp": {
      "name": "My App",
      "id": "example.com"
    },
    "user": {
      "id": "base64-user-id",
      "name": "[email protected]",
      "displayName": "John Doe"
    },
    "pubKeyCredParams": [
      {"type": "public-key", "alg": -7},
      {"type": "public-key", "alg": -257}
    ],
    "timeout": 60000,
    "attestation": "none",
    "authenticatorSelection": {
      "residentKey": "preferred",
      "userVerification": "preferred"
    }
  }
}

Supported Algorithms:

-7: ES256 (ECDSA with SHA-256)
-257: RS256 (RSASSA-PKCS1-v1_5 with SHA-256)

Register Credential

Verify and store the credential. Implementation: io.supertokens.webauthn.WebAuthN.registerCredentials() - View source Process:

Retrieve generated options
Validate credential format
Verify attestation signature
Extract public key
Store credential

API Endpoint: POST /recipe/webauthn/credentials/register Request Body:

{
  "userId": "user-id",
  "optionsId": "options-id",
  "credential": {
    "id": "credential-id",
    "rawId": "base64-raw-id",
    "type": "public-key",
    "response": {
      "clientDataJSON": "base64-client-data",
      "attestationObject": "base64-attestation"
    }
  }
}

Response:

{
  "status": "OK",
  "credential": {
    "credentialId": "credential-id",
    "userId": "user-id",
    "relyingPartyId": "example.com",
    "createdAt": 1234567890
  }
}

Create a new user and credential in one transaction. Implementation: io.supertokens.webauthn.WebAuthN.signUp() - View source API Endpoint: POST /recipe/webauthn/signup Request Body:

{
  "optionsId": "options-id",
  "credential": {
    "id": "credential-id",
    "rawId": "base64-raw-id",
    "type": "public-key",
    "response": {
      "clientDataJSON": "base64-client-data",
      "attestationObject": "base64-attestation"
    }
  }
}

Response:

{
  "status": "OK",
  "user": {
    "id": "user-id",
    "email": "[email protected]",
    "timeJoined": 1234567890
  },
  "credential": {
    "credentialId": "credential-id"
  }
}

Authentication Flow

Create options for authentication. Implementation: io.supertokens.webauthn.WebAuthN.generateSignInOptions() - View source API Endpoint: POST /recipe/webauthn/options/signin Request Body:

{
  "relyingPartyId": "example.com",
  "relyingPartyName": "My App",
  "origin": "https://example.com",
  "timeout": 60000,
  "userVerification": "preferred",
  "userPresenceRequired": true
}

Response:

{
  "status": "OK",
  "optionsId": "options-id",
  "createdAt": 1234567890,
  "publicKey": {
    "challenge": "base64-challenge",
    "timeout": 60000,
    "rpId": "example.com",
    "userVerification": "preferred"
  }
}

Verify credential and authenticate user. Implementation: io.supertokens.webauthn.WebAuthN.signIn() - View source Process:

Retrieve sign-in options
Load credential by ID
Verify authentication data
Update signature counter
Return user information

API Endpoint: POST /recipe/webauthn/signin Request Body:

{
  "optionsId": "options-id",
  "credential": {
    "id": "credential-id",
    "rawId": "base64-raw-id",
    "type": "public-key",
    "response": {
      "clientDataJSON": "base64-client-data",
      "authenticatorData": "base64-authenticator-data",
      "signature": "base64-signature",
      "userHandle": "base64-user-handle"
    }
  }
}

Response:

{
  "status": "OK",
  "user": {
    "id": "user-id",
    "email": "[email protected]",
    "timeJoined": 1234567890
  }
}

Credential Management

List Credentials

Get all credentials for a user. Implementation: io.supertokens.webauthn.WebAuthN.listCredentialsForUser() - View source API Endpoint: GET /recipe/webauthn/credentials/list?userId={userId} Response:

{
  "status": "OK",
  "credentials": [
    {
      "credentialId": "credential-1",
      "userId": "user-id",
      "relyingPartyId": "example.com",
      "createdAt": 1234567890,
      "counter": 5
    },
    {
      "credentialId": "credential-2",
      "userId": "user-id",
      "relyingPartyId": "example.com",
      "createdAt": 1234567891,
      "counter": 3
    }
  ]
}

Get Credential

Retrieve specific credential details. Implementation: io.supertokens.webauthn.WebAuthN.loadCredentialByIdForUser() - View source API Endpoint: GET /recipe/webauthn/credential?credentialId={id}&userId={userId}

Remove Credential

Delete a credential. Implementation: io.supertokens.webauthn.WebAuthN.removeCredential() - View source API Endpoint: POST /recipe/webauthn/credentials/remove Request Body:

{
  "userId": "user-id",
  "credentialId": "credential-id"
}

Account Recovery

WebAuthn accounts can be recovered via email.

Generate Recovery Token

Implementation: io.supertokens.webauthn.WebAuthN.generateRecoverAccountToken() - View source API Endpoint: POST /recipe/webauthn/account/recover/token Request Body:

{
  "email": "[email protected]",
  "userId": "user-id"
}

Response:

{
  "status": "OK",
  "token": "recovery-token"
}

Consume Recovery Token

Implementation: io.supertokens.webauthn.WebAuthN.consumeRecoverAccountToken() - View source API Endpoint: POST /recipe/webauthn/account/recover/token/consume Request Body:

{
  "token": "recovery-token"
}

Response:

{
  "status": "OK",
  "userId": "user-id",
  "email": "[email protected]"
}

User Management

Update User Email

Implementation: io.supertokens.webauthn.WebAuthN.updateUserEmail() - View source API Endpoint: PUT /recipe/webauthn/user/email Request Body:

{
  "userId": "user-id",
  "email": "[email protected]"
}

Configuration

WebAuthn Settings

# Recovery token lifetime (1 hour)
webauthn_recover_account_token_lifetime: 3600000

Relying Party Configuration

Configure in your application: RP ID:

Must match the domain
Can be the root domain or subdomain
Example: “example.com” or “auth.example.com”

Origin:

Must be the full URL
Must use HTTPS in production
Example: “https://example.com”

Security Features

Attestation Verification

Verify authenticator authenticity during registration. Implementation: io.supertokens.webauthn.WebAuthN.verifyRegistrationData() - View source Attestation Types:

none: No attestation (most common)
indirect: Anonymized attestation
direct: Full attestation chain

Signature Counter

Detect cloned authenticators:

if (newCounter <= storedCounter && storedCounter != 0) {
    // Possible authenticator cloning
    throw new SecurityException("Counter decreased");
}

Challenge Validation

Challenges are:

32 random bytes
One-time use
Time-limited (default: 60 seconds)
Cryptographically signed by authenticator

Origin Validation

Strict origin checking:

Must match exactly
No wildcards allowed
HTTPS required in production

WebAuthn Options

User Verification

Controls biometric/PIN verification:

required: Always verify user (biometric/PIN)
preferred: Verify if possible
discouraged: Skip verification

Recommendation: Use preferred for good UX and security balance.

Resident Keys

Also known as “discoverable credentials” or “passkeys”:

required: Must be stored on authenticator
preferred: Store if possible
discouraged: Don’t store on authenticator

Benefits:

Usernameless login
Better UX on mobile
Works across devices (with sync)

Attestation

Control authenticator verification:

none: No attestation (fastest)
indirect: Anonymized attestation
direct: Full attestation (privacy concerns)

Recommendation: Use none unless you need to restrict authenticator types.

Client-Side Integration

Registration (JavaScript)

// 1. Get options from server
const optionsResponse = await fetch('/recipe/webauthn/options/register', {
  method: 'POST',
  body: JSON.stringify({
    email: '[email protected]',
    displayName: 'John Doe',
    relyingPartyName: 'My App',
    relyingPartyId: 'example.com',
    origin: window.location.origin
  })
});
const { optionsId, publicKey } = await optionsResponse.json();

// 2. Convert challenge and user.id from base64
publicKey.challenge = base64ToArrayBuffer(publicKey.challenge);
publicKey.user.id = base64ToArrayBuffer(publicKey.user.id);

// 3. Create credential
const credential = await navigator.credentials.create({ publicKey });

// 4. Register with server
const registerResponse = await fetch('/recipe/webauthn/credentials/register', {
  method: 'POST',
  body: JSON.stringify({
    userId: 'user-id',
    optionsId,
    credential: {
      id: credential.id,
      rawId: arrayBufferToBase64(credential.rawId),
      type: credential.type,
      response: {
        clientDataJSON: arrayBufferToBase64(credential.response.clientDataJSON),
        attestationObject: arrayBufferToBase64(credential.response.attestationObject)
      }
    }
  })
});

Authentication (JavaScript)

// 1. Get options from server
const optionsResponse = await fetch('/recipe/webauthn/options/signin', {
  method: 'POST',
  body: JSON.stringify({
    relyingPartyId: 'example.com',
    origin: window.location.origin
  })
});
const { optionsId, publicKey } = await optionsResponse.json();

// 2. Convert challenge from base64
publicKey.challenge = base64ToArrayBuffer(publicKey.challenge);

// 3. Get credential
const credential = await navigator.credentials.get({ publicKey });

// 4. Sign in with server
const signinResponse = await fetch('/recipe/webauthn/signin', {
  method: 'POST',
  body: JSON.stringify({
    optionsId,
    credential: {
      id: credential.id,
      rawId: arrayBufferToBase64(credential.rawId),
      type: credential.type,
      response: {
        clientDataJSON: arrayBufferToBase64(credential.response.clientDataJSON),
        authenticatorData: arrayBufferToBase64(credential.response.authenticatorData),
        signature: arrayBufferToBase64(credential.response.signature),
        userHandle: arrayBufferToBase64(credential.response.userHandle)
      }
    }
  })
});

Error Handling

Common Exceptions

WebauthNVerificationFailedException: Signature verification failed
WebauthNInvalidFormatException: Malformed credential data
WebauthNOptionsNotExistsException: Options expired or not found
InvalidWebauthNOptionsException: Invalid or expired options
DuplicateCredentialException: Credential already registered
InvalidTokenException: Recovery token invalid or expired

Best Practices

HTTPS only: WebAuthn requires HTTPS (except localhost)
User verification: Use preferred for best UX
Resident keys: Enable for passkey support
Multiple credentials: Allow users to register multiple devices
Recovery flow: Implement email-based recovery
Clear naming: Help users identify their credentials
Error handling: Provide helpful error messages
Browser support: Check for WebAuthn support
Timeout: Use reasonable timeouts (60 seconds)
Testing: Test on multiple browsers and devices

Browser Support

WebAuthn is supported in:

Chrome 67+
Firefox 60+
Safari 14+
Edge 18+

Platform authenticators:

Windows Hello (Windows 10+)
Touch ID / Face ID (iOS 14+, macOS)
Android biometrics (Android 9+)

Multi-Tenancy

WebAuthn credentials are tenant-specific:

Credentials are isolated per tenant
Relying Party ID can vary by tenant
Options validation respects tenant context

Migration

Importing WebAuthn users from other systems is not currently supported due to the cryptographic nature of credentials. Users must re-register their authenticators.

Get Started

Core Concepts

Authentication Methods

Advanced Features

Deployment

​Overview

​Core Concepts

​Relying Party (RP)

​Credentials

​Challenge-Response

​Registration Flow

​Generate Registration Options

​Register Credential

​Sign Up with Credential

​Authentication Flow

​Generate Sign-In Options

​Sign In

​Credential Management

​List Credentials

​Get Credential

​Remove Credential

​Account Recovery

​Generate Recovery Token

​Consume Recovery Token

​User Management

​Update User Email

​Configuration

​WebAuthn Settings

​Relying Party Configuration

​Security Features

​Attestation Verification

​Signature Counter

​Challenge Validation

​Origin Validation

​WebAuthn Options

​User Verification

​Resident Keys

​Attestation

​Client-Side Integration

​Registration (JavaScript)

​Authentication (JavaScript)

​Error Handling

​Common Exceptions

​Best Practices

​Browser Support

​Multi-Tenancy

​Migration

Build docs developers (and LLMs) love

Overview

Core Concepts

Relying Party (RP)

Credentials

Challenge-Response

Registration Flow

Generate Registration Options

Register Credential

Sign Up with Credential

Authentication Flow

Generate Sign-In Options

Sign In

Credential Management

List Credentials

Get Credential

Remove Credential

Account Recovery

Generate Recovery Token

Consume Recovery Token

User Management

Update User Email

Configuration

WebAuthn Settings

Relying Party Configuration

Security Features

Attestation Verification

Signature Counter

Challenge Validation

Origin Validation

WebAuthn Options

User Verification

Resident Keys

Attestation

Client-Side Integration

Registration (JavaScript)

Authentication (JavaScript)

Error Handling

Common Exceptions

Best Practices

Browser Support

Multi-Tenancy

Migration