¿Cómo integrar Firebase Auth?

How to integrate Firebase Authentication with Auth0 and its evolution?

Surely you know how easy it is to configure functions such as multifactor authentication or passwordless in Auth0 by simply activating a check. However, have you thought about the integration of Auth0 and Firebase Authentication? Until June 2017, this integration was as simple as one click in Auth0. Due to security issues, it was disabled, making it necessary to perform this process manually. Learn how to build effective code for this complex but fascinating integration.

How does the authentication flow work in Next.js and Auth0?

The Next.js integration is a reference. By using the Next.js SDK, authentication can be implemented with just a few lines of code. We log in with services like GitHub, Auth0 manages the session and we can protect pages, displaying user information. This is possible through the use of ID tokens and access tokens.

A common challenge is the protection of external APIs. Auth0 offered us a solution by establishing an audience, allowing us to obtain specific access tokens to consume those APIs, and, if they are properly signed, access protected resources.

What are the challenges of protecting data in Firebase?

We have used Firebase to access collections such as the movie collection in Firestore, but with completely open initial access rules. While it may seem easy to replicate the external API protection strategy, the Firebase and Auth0 systems operate differently. Firebase has its own authentication solution, with its own user database. However, centralization of the user directory is paramount to avoid multiple databases, which could make maintenance expensive and complicated.

How can we integrate Firebase without users in your system?

The goal is to connect Auth0 with Firebase without managing users directly in Firebase. This is where Firebase Admin comes in, allowing us to create a more complex flow through an endpoint called createCustomToken.

Integration step by step:

1. Auth0 Login: Log in using GitHub.
2. CustomToken generation in Firebase: Auth0 creates a session and requests a CustomToken from Firebase.
3. Authentication and access: The CustomToken is returned to Next.js and is used to authenticate and access the collections in Firestore.

Practical tip: Enabling the authentication module in Firebase

The main challenge lies in differentiating between using the Firebase authentication module and accessing Firestore. Be sure to enable these features to maximize the security and functionality of your application.

How to adopt a similar implementation using alternative technologies?

Maintaining a modular and centralized architecture is crucial. You can use alternatives such as Superbase Auth, which is an open source version of Firebase, and apply an architecture similar to the one shown between Auth0 and Firebase to optimize user management.

The next step in your learning

Stay motivated! Knowledge is your ally and mastering system integration will boost your application development skills. Keep a focus on security and centralization to build scalable and efficient solutions. In future classes, we will explore practical implementation in more detail.