Skip to content

Commit 2e058a3

Browse files
committed
Add client certificate authentication and SNI callback support
Add convenience methods for extracting client certificate information from TLS connections (mTLS) and Server Name Indication (SNI) callback support for hosting multiple certificates on a single server. Client certificate methods added to http_request (requires GnuTLS): - has_client_certificate() - check if client cert present - get_client_cert_dn() - subject Distinguished Name - get_client_cert_issuer_dn() - issuer DN - get_client_cert_cn() - Common Name from subject - is_client_cert_verified() - certificate chain verification status - get_client_cert_fingerprint_sha256() - hex-encoded SHA-256 fingerprint - get_client_cert_not_before() / get_client_cert_not_after() - validity times SNI callback support (requires libmicrohttpd 0.9.71+): - sni_callback() builder method on create_webserver - Callback receives server name from TLS ClientHello - Returns cert/key pair for the requested hostname Closes #133
1 parent 42e769c commit 2e058a3

File tree

10 files changed

+968
-1
lines changed

10 files changed

+968
-1
lines changed

README.md

Lines changed: 118 additions & 0 deletions
Original file line numberDiff line numberDiff line change
@@ -1065,6 +1065,124 @@ To test the above example:
10651065
10661066
You can also check this example on [github](https://github.com/etr/libhttpserver/blob/master/examples/centralized_authentication.cpp).
10671067
1068+
### Using Client Certificate Authentication (mTLS)
1069+
Client certificate authentication (also known as mutual TLS or mTLS) provides strong authentication by requiring clients to present X.509 certificates during the TLS handshake. This is the most secure authentication method as it verifies client identity cryptographically.
1070+
1071+
To enable client certificate authentication, configure your webserver with:
1072+
1. `use_ssl()` - Enable TLS
1073+
2. `https_mem_key()` and `https_mem_cert()` - Server certificate
1074+
3. `https_mem_trust()` - CA certificate(s) to verify client certificates
1075+
1076+
```cpp
1077+
#include <httpserver.hpp>
1078+
1079+
using namespace httpserver;
1080+
1081+
class secure_resource : public http_resource {
1082+
public:
1083+
std::shared_ptr<http_response> render_GET(const http_request& req) {
1084+
// Check if client provided a certificate
1085+
if (!req.has_client_certificate()) {
1086+
return std::make_shared<string_response>(
1087+
"Client certificate required", 401, "text/plain");
1088+
}
1089+
1090+
// Check if certificate is verified by our CA
1091+
if (!req.is_client_cert_verified()) {
1092+
return std::make_shared<string_response>(
1093+
"Certificate not verified", 403, "text/plain");
1094+
}
1095+
1096+
// Extract certificate information
1097+
std::string cn = req.get_client_cert_cn(); // Common Name
1098+
std::string dn = req.get_client_cert_dn(); // Subject DN
1099+
std::string issuer = req.get_client_cert_issuer_dn(); // Issuer DN
1100+
std::string fingerprint = req.get_client_cert_fingerprint_sha256();
1101+
time_t not_before = req.get_client_cert_not_before();
1102+
time_t not_after = req.get_client_cert_not_after();
1103+
1104+
return std::make_shared<string_response>(
1105+
"Welcome, " + cn + "!", 200, "text/plain");
1106+
}
1107+
};
1108+
1109+
int main() {
1110+
webserver ws = create_webserver(8443)
1111+
.use_ssl()
1112+
.https_mem_key("server_key.pem")
1113+
.https_mem_cert("server_cert.pem")
1114+
.https_mem_trust("ca_cert.pem"); // CA for client certs
1115+
1116+
secure_resource sr;
1117+
ws.register_resource("/secure", &sr);
1118+
ws.start(true);
1119+
1120+
return 0;
1121+
}
1122+
```
1123+
1124+
Available client certificate methods (require GnuTLS support):
1125+
- `has_client_certificate()` - Check if client presented a certificate
1126+
- `get_client_cert_dn()` - Get the subject Distinguished Name
1127+
- `get_client_cert_issuer_dn()` - Get the issuer Distinguished Name
1128+
- `get_client_cert_cn()` - Get the Common Name from the subject
1129+
- `is_client_cert_verified()` - Check if the certificate chain is verified
1130+
- `get_client_cert_fingerprint_sha256()` - Get hex-encoded SHA-256 fingerprint
1131+
- `get_client_cert_not_before()` - Get certificate validity start time
1132+
- `get_client_cert_not_after()` - Get certificate validity end time
1133+
1134+
To test with curl:
1135+
1136+
# With client certificate
1137+
curl -k --cert client_cert.pem --key client_key.pem https://localhost:8443/secure
1138+
1139+
# Without client certificate (will be rejected)
1140+
curl -k https://localhost:8443/secure
1141+
1142+
You can also check this example on [github](https://github.com/etr/libhttpserver/blob/master/examples/client_cert_auth.cpp).
1143+
1144+
### Server Name Indication (SNI) Callback
1145+
SNI allows a server to host multiple TLS certificates on a single IP address. The client indicates which hostname it's connecting to during the TLS handshake, and the server can select the appropriate certificate.
1146+
1147+
To use SNI with libhttpserver, configure an SNI callback that returns the certificate/key pair for each server name:
1148+
1149+
```cpp
1150+
#include <httpserver.hpp>
1151+
#include <map>
1152+
1153+
using namespace httpserver;
1154+
1155+
// Map of server names to cert/key pairs
1156+
std::map<std::string, std::pair<std::string, std::string>> certs;
1157+
1158+
// SNI callback - returns (cert_pem, key_pem) for the requested server name
1159+
std::pair<std::string, std::string> sni_callback(const std::string& server_name) {
1160+
auto it = certs.find(server_name);
1161+
if (it != certs.end()) {
1162+
return it->second;
1163+
}
1164+
return {"", ""}; // Use default certificate
1165+
}
1166+
1167+
int main() {
1168+
// Load certificates for different hostnames
1169+
certs["www.example.com"] = {load_file("www_cert.pem"), load_file("www_key.pem")};
1170+
certs["api.example.com"] = {load_file("api_cert.pem"), load_file("api_key.pem")};
1171+
1172+
webserver ws = create_webserver(443)
1173+
.use_ssl()
1174+
.https_mem_key("default_key.pem") // Default certificate
1175+
.https_mem_cert("default_cert.pem")
1176+
.sni_callback(sni_callback); // SNI callback
1177+
1178+
// ... register resources and start
1179+
ws.start(true);
1180+
return 0;
1181+
}
1182+
```
1183+
1184+
Note: SNI support requires libmicrohttpd 0.9.71 or later compiled with GnuTLS.
1185+
10681186
[Back to TOC](#table-of-contents)
10691187
10701188
## HTTP Utils

examples/client_cert_auth.cpp

Lines changed: 175 additions & 0 deletions
Original file line numberDiff line numberDiff line change
@@ -0,0 +1,175 @@
1+
/*
2+
This file is part of libhttpserver
3+
Copyright (C) 2011-2019 Sebastiano Merlino
4+
5+
This library is free software; you can redistribute it and/or
6+
modify it under the terms of the GNU Lesser General Public
7+
License as published by the Free Software Foundation; either
8+
version 2.1 of the License, or (at your option) any later version.
9+
10+
This library is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
11+
but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
12+
MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the GNU
13+
Lesser General Public License for more details.
14+
15+
You should have received a copy of the GNU Lesser General Public
16+
License along with this library; if not, write to the Free Software
17+
Foundation, Inc., 51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA 02110-1301
18+
USA
19+
*/
20+
21+
/**
22+
* Example demonstrating client certificate (mTLS) authentication.
23+
*
24+
* This example shows how to:
25+
* 1. Configure the server to request client certificates
26+
* 2. Extract client certificate information in request handlers
27+
* 3. Implement certificate-based access control
28+
*
29+
* To test this example:
30+
*
31+
* 1. Generate server certificate and key:
32+
* openssl req -x509 -newkey rsa:2048 -keyout server_key.pem -out server_cert.pem \
33+
* -days 365 -nodes -subj "/CN=localhost"
34+
*
35+
* 2. Generate a CA certificate for client certs:
36+
* openssl req -x509 -newkey rsa:2048 -keyout ca_key.pem -out ca_cert.pem \
37+
* -days 365 -nodes -subj "/CN=Test CA"
38+
*
39+
* 3. Generate client certificate signed by the CA:
40+
* openssl req -newkey rsa:2048 -keyout client_key.pem -out client_csr.pem \
41+
* -nodes -subj "/CN=Alice/O=Engineering"
42+
* openssl x509 -req -in client_csr.pem -CA ca_cert.pem -CAkey ca_key.pem \
43+
* -CAcreateserial -out client_cert.pem -days 365
44+
*
45+
* 4. Run the server:
46+
* ./client_cert_auth
47+
*
48+
* 5. Test with curl using client certificate:
49+
* curl -k --cert client_cert.pem --key client_key.pem https://localhost:8443/secure
50+
*
51+
* Or without a certificate (will be denied):
52+
* curl -k https://localhost:8443/secure
53+
*/
54+
55+
#include <iostream>
56+
#include <memory>
57+
#include <set>
58+
#include <string>
59+
60+
#include <httpserver.hpp>
61+
62+
// Set of allowed certificate fingerprints (SHA-256, hex-encoded)
63+
// In a real application, this would be loaded from a database or config file
64+
std::set<std::string> allowed_fingerprints;
65+
66+
// Resource that requires client certificate authentication
67+
class secure_resource : public httpserver::http_resource {
68+
public:
69+
std::shared_ptr<httpserver::http_response> render_GET(const httpserver::http_request& req) {
70+
// Check if client provided a certificate
71+
if (!req.has_client_certificate()) {
72+
return std::make_shared<httpserver::string_response>(
73+
"Client certificate required",
74+
httpserver::http::http_utils::http_unauthorized, "text/plain");
75+
}
76+
77+
// Get certificate information
78+
std::string cn = req.get_client_cert_cn();
79+
std::string dn = req.get_client_cert_dn();
80+
std::string issuer = req.get_client_cert_issuer_dn();
81+
std::string fingerprint = req.get_client_cert_fingerprint_sha256();
82+
bool verified = req.is_client_cert_verified();
83+
84+
// Check if certificate is verified by our CA
85+
if (!verified) {
86+
return std::make_shared<httpserver::string_response>(
87+
"Certificate not verified by trusted CA",
88+
httpserver::http::http_utils::http_forbidden, "text/plain");
89+
}
90+
91+
// Optional: Check fingerprint against allowlist
92+
if (!allowed_fingerprints.empty() &&
93+
allowed_fingerprints.find(fingerprint) == allowed_fingerprints.end()) {
94+
return std::make_shared<httpserver::string_response>(
95+
"Certificate not in allowlist",
96+
httpserver::http::http_utils::http_forbidden, "text/plain");
97+
}
98+
99+
// Check certificate validity times
100+
time_t now = time(nullptr);
101+
time_t not_before = req.get_client_cert_not_before();
102+
time_t not_after = req.get_client_cert_not_after();
103+
104+
if (now < not_before) {
105+
return std::make_shared<httpserver::string_response>(
106+
"Certificate not yet valid",
107+
httpserver::http::http_utils::http_forbidden, "text/plain");
108+
}
109+
110+
if (now > not_after) {
111+
return std::make_shared<httpserver::string_response>(
112+
"Certificate has expired",
113+
httpserver::http::http_utils::http_forbidden, "text/plain");
114+
}
115+
116+
// Build response with certificate info
117+
std::string response = "Welcome, " + cn + "!\n\n";
118+
response += "Certificate Details:\n";
119+
response += " Subject DN: " + dn + "\n";
120+
response += " Issuer DN: " + issuer + "\n";
121+
response += " Fingerprint (SHA-256): " + fingerprint + "\n";
122+
response += " Verified: " + std::string(verified ? "Yes" : "No") + "\n";
123+
124+
return std::make_shared<httpserver::string_response>(response, 200, "text/plain");
125+
}
126+
};
127+
128+
// Public resource that shows certificate info but doesn't require it
129+
class info_resource : public httpserver::http_resource {
130+
public:
131+
std::shared_ptr<httpserver::http_response> render_GET(const httpserver::http_request& req) {
132+
std::string response;
133+
134+
if (req.has_client_certificate()) {
135+
response = "Client certificate detected:\n";
136+
response += " Common Name: " + req.get_client_cert_cn() + "\n";
137+
response += " Verified: " + std::string(req.is_client_cert_verified() ? "Yes" : "No") + "\n";
138+
} else {
139+
response = "No client certificate provided.\n";
140+
response += "Use --cert and --key with curl to provide one.\n";
141+
}
142+
143+
return std::make_shared<httpserver::string_response>(response, 200, "text/plain");
144+
}
145+
};
146+
147+
int main() {
148+
std::cout << "Starting HTTPS server with client certificate authentication on port 8443...\n";
149+
std::cout << "\nEndpoints:\n";
150+
std::cout << " /info - Shows certificate info (optional cert)\n";
151+
std::cout << " /secure - Requires valid client certificate\n\n";
152+
153+
// Create webserver with SSL and client certificate trust store
154+
httpserver::webserver ws = httpserver::create_webserver(8443)
155+
.use_ssl()
156+
.https_mem_key("server_key.pem") // Server private key
157+
.https_mem_cert("server_cert.pem") // Server certificate
158+
.https_mem_trust("ca_cert.pem"); // CA certificate for verifying client certs
159+
160+
secure_resource secure;
161+
info_resource info;
162+
163+
ws.register_resource("/secure", &secure);
164+
ws.register_resource("/info", &info);
165+
166+
std::cout << "Server started. Press Ctrl+C to stop.\n\n";
167+
std::cout << "Test commands:\n";
168+
std::cout << " curl -k https://localhost:8443/info\n";
169+
std::cout << " curl -k --cert client_cert.pem --key client_key.pem https://localhost:8443/info\n";
170+
std::cout << " curl -k --cert client_cert.pem --key client_key.pem https://localhost:8443/secure\n";
171+
172+
ws.start(true);
173+
174+
return 0;
175+
}

0 commit comments

Comments
 (0)