Nested JSON Web Token (JWT)
draft-yusef-oauth-nested-jwt-00

ACME Working Group                                        R. Shekh-Yusef
Internet-Draft                                                     Avaya
Intended status: Standards Track                          March 11, 2019
Expires: September 12, 2019

                      Nested JSON Web Token (JWT)
                    draft-yusef-oauth-nested-jwt-00

Abstract

   This specification extends the scope of the Nested JSON Web Token
   (JWT) to allow the enclosing JWT to contain its own Claims Set in
   addition to the enclosed JWT.

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Table of Contents

   1.  Introduction  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   2
     1.1.  Terminology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   2
   2.  Overview  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   3
   3.  JWT Content Type Header Parameter . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   3
   4.  JWT Content . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   3
   5.  Example . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   4
   6.  Security Considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   4
   7.  IANA Considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   4
   8.  Acknowledgments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   4
   9.  Normative References  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   4
   Author's Address  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   4

1.  Introduction

   JSON Web Token (JWT) is a mechanism that is used to transfer claims
   between two parties across security domains.  Nested JWT is a JWT in
   which the payload is another JWT.  The current specification does not
   define a means by which the enclosing JWT could have its own Claims
   Set, only the enclosed JWT would have claims.

   This specification extends the scope of the Nested JWT to allow the
   enclosing JWT to contain its own Claims Set in addition to the
   enclosed JWT.

1.1.  Terminology

   The key words "MUST", "MUST NOT", "REQUIRED", "SHALL", "SHALL NOT",
   "SHOULD", "SHOULD NOT", "RECOMMENDED", "MAY", and "OPTIONAL" in this
   document are to be interpreted as described in [RFC2119].

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2.  Overview

   RFC7519 defines Nested JWT as a JWT in which nested signing and/or
   encryption are employed.  In Nested JWTs, a JWT is used as the
   payload or plaintext value of an enclosing JWS or JWE structure,
   respectively.

   To indicate that the payload of an enclosing JWT is yet another JWT,
   the value of the Content Type Parameter of the JOSE header, i.e.
   "cty", must be set to "JWT", which means that the enclosing JWT
   cannot have its own claims.

   This document updates the enclosing JWT content to allow it to
   represent a Claims Set and an enclosed JWT, using JSON data
   structures, and updates the Content Type to indicate this new nested
   content.

3.  JWT Content Type Header Parameter

   The JOSE Header contains an optional parameter that could be used to
   indicate the type of the payload of a JWT.  With a typical Nested
   JWT, the value of the "cty" header must be "JWT".  To indicate that
   the payload contains a Claims Set in addition to the JWT, the value
   of the "cty" header must be "NJWT".

4.  JWT Content

   The payload of the enclosing JWT is JSON object that contains the
   Claims Set, and one new claim that is used to hold the enclosed JWT.

   This document defines a new claim, "njwt", that is used to contain
   the enclosed JWT.

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5.  Example

   {
     "alg": "HS256",
     "typ": "JWT",
     "cty": "NJWT"
   }

   {
     "sub": "1234567890",
     "name": "John Doe",
     "iat": 1516239022,
     "njwt": "<njwt>"
   }

6.  Security Considerations

   TODO

7.  IANA Considerations

   TODO

8.  Acknowledgments

   TODO

9.  Normative References

   [RFC2119]  Bradner, S., "Key words for use in RFCs to Indicate
              Requirement Levels", RFC 2119, March 1997.

Author's Address

   Rifaat Shekh-Yusef
   Avaya
   250 Sidney Street
   Belleville, Ontario
   Canada

   Phone: +1-613-967-5176
   EMail: rifaat.ietf@gmail.com

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