This document describes the security mechanisms, authentication flows, and best practices implemented in the Clean Hono API.

1. Authentication & Authorization
2. Password Security
3. Token Management
4. Rate Limiting
5. Input Validation
6. Security Headers
7. RBAC (Role-Based Access Control)
8. Best Practices

The API uses JWT (JSON Web Tokens) for authentication. The authentication flow works as follows:

POST /auth/register
{
  "name": "John Doe",
  "email": "john@example.com",
  "password": "SecurePass123!"
}

• Password is hashed using bcrypt before storage
• Email verification link is sent to the user
• User account is created but marked as unverified

POST /auth/verify-email
{
  "token": "verification_token_from_email"
}

• Verifies user's email address
• Activates the account for login

POST /auth/login
{
  "email": "john@example.com",
  "password": "SecurePass123!"
}

Response:

{
	"success": true,
	"message": "Login successful",
	"data": {
		"user": {
			"id": "uuid",
			"name": "John Doe",
			"email": "john@example.com",
			"role": "user"
		},
		"token": "eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9..."
	}
}

Include the JWT token in the Authorization header:

Authorization: Bearer eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9...

Protected routes require authentication. The AuthMiddleware validates JWT tokens and extracts user information.

Example Protected Route:

// All profile routes require authentication
ProfileRoutes.use("*", AuthMiddleware);

For Login (Basic Validation):

• Minimum 8 characters
• Maximum 128 characters

For Registration/Password Changes (Strong Validation):

• Minimum 8 characters
• At least one uppercase letter (A-Z)
• At least one lowercase letter (a-z)
• At least one number (0-9)
• At least one special character (!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?)

• Passwords are never stored in plain text
• Passwords are hashed using bcrypt with automatic salt generation
• Hash rounds are configured for optimal security/performance balance

POST /auth/forgot-password
{
  "email": "user@example.com"
}

• Sends password reset link to email
• Token expires after a configured time period (default: 1 hour)
• For security, same response is returned whether email exists or not

POST /auth/reset-password
{
  "token": "reset_token_from_email",
  "password": "NewSecure123!"
}

• Validates reset token
• Ensures new password meets strong password requirements
• Invalidates old tokens after successful reset

PUT /profile/password
Authorization: Bearer <jwt_token>
{
  "current_password": "OldPass123!",
  "new_password": "NewSecure123!"
}

• Requires current password verification
• New password must be different from current password
• New password must meet strong password requirements

{
	"sub": "user_uuid",
	"email": "user@example.com",
	"role": "user",
	"permissions": ["user.read", "user.update"],
	"iat": 1640000000,
	"exp": 1640086400
}

1. Access Token: Short-lived token for API requests (default: 24 hours)
2. Refresh Token: Long-lived token for obtaining new access tokens (default: 7 days)

All authenticated endpoints validate:

• Token signature
• Token expiration
• User existence
• User active status

Tokens can be invalidated through:

• Password change (invalidates all existing tokens)
• Logout (server-side token blacklisting via Redis)
• Admin action (account suspension)

Rate limiting is implemented to prevent abuse and brute force attacks.

Responses include rate limit information:

X-RateLimit-Limit: 100
X-RateLimit-Remaining: 95
X-RateLimit-Reset: 1640000000

{
	"success": false,
	"message": "Too many requests. Please try again later.",
	"data": null
}

All API inputs are validated using Zod schemas with OpenAPI integration.

1. Type Validation: Ensures correct data types
2. Format Validation: Email format, UUID format, etc.
3. Business Rules: Password strength, min/max lengths
4. Custom Validation: Complex validation logic

{
	"success": false,
	"message": "Validation Error",
	"data": null,
	"errors": {
		"email": ["Must be a valid email address"],
		"password": [
			"Password must be at least 8 characters",
			"Password must contain uppercase, lowercase, number, and special character"
		]
	}
}

The API sets security headers on all responses:

X-Content-Type-Options: nosniff
X-Frame-Options: DENY
X-XSS-Protection: 1; mode=block
Strict-Transport-Security: max-age=31536000; includeSubDomains
Content-Security-Policy: default-src 'self'

CORS is configured based on environment:

Development:

• Allows all origins for testing
• Credentials enabled

Production:

• Whitelist of allowed origins
• Credentials enabled for trusted domains only

The system implements hierarchical role-based access:

1. Super Admin: Full system access
2. Admin: Manage users and settings
3. User: Standard user access

Granular permissions control specific actions:

• user.read: View users
• user.create: Create users
• user.update: Update users
• user.delete: Delete users
• role.manage: Manage roles
• permission.manage: Manage permissions

Routes can be protected with permission requirements:

import { HasPermission } from "@guards";

// Requires user.create permission
UserRoutes.use("/", HasPermission("user.create"));

Routes can be protected with role requirements:

import { HasRole } from "@guards";

// Requires admin role
AdminRoutes.use("/", HasRole("admin"));

1. Store tokens securely

   • Use httpOnly cookies or secure storage
   • Never expose tokens in URLs
   • Clear tokens on logout

2. Handle token expiration

   • Implement token refresh logic
   • Gracefully handle 401 unauthorized responses
   • Redirect to login when tokens expire

3. Use HTTPS

   • Always use HTTPS in production
   • Never send credentials over HTTP

4. Implement rate limit handling

   • Respect rate limit headers
   • Implement exponential backoff on failures
   • Cache responses when appropriate

5. Validate responses

   • Check response status codes
   • Validate response data structure
   • Handle errors gracefully

1. Never log sensitive data

   • No passwords in logs
   • Mask sensitive fields
   • Use structured logging

2. Keep dependencies updated

   • Regular security updates
   • Monitor vulnerability databases
   • Use automated dependency scanning

3. Use environment variables

   • Never hardcode secrets
   • Use different keys per environment
   • Rotate keys regularly

4. Implement audit logging

   • Log authentication attempts
   • Log permission changes
   • Log data access

5. Regular security audits

   • Code reviews for security issues
   • Penetration testing
   • Vulnerability scanning

• JWT-based authentication
• Password hashing (bcrypt)
• Email verification
• Password reset with tokens
• Token expiration
• Secure password requirements

• Role-based access control (RBAC)
• Permission-based guards
• Middleware authentication
• Protected routes

• Zod schema validation
• OpenAPI integration
• Detailed error messages
• Type safety

• Request rate limiting
• Redis-backed rate limiter
• Per-endpoint limits
• Rate limit headers

• CORS configuration
• Security headers
• HTTPS enforcement
• Content type validation

• Structured logging (Pino)
• Request ID tracking
• Performance monitoring
• Error tracking

For security issues or vulnerabilities:

• Do not open public issues
• Contact: security@example.com
• Use responsible disclosure practices
• Allow reasonable time for fixes

For general security questions:

• Review this documentation
• Check the API documentation
• Contact: support@example.com

Last Updated: February 8, 2026
Version: 1.0.0