Context:
You have an architecture involving a central identity system issuing JSON Web Tokens (JWTs) for authentication and authorisation. These tokens are accessible by third-party systems, including a marketing platform (e.g., ‘Bobbi76’). The issue arises when the marketing system records an undesired state, such as incorrect user roles or behavioural data, leading to repeated zero-trust scenarios.
This undermines trust, complicates endpoint validation, and poisons the user identity data pipeline.
1. Communications Across Architecture & Application Layers
Token Flow and Lifecycle:
1. Token Issuance (Identity System):
• The central identity system issues JWTs containing claims like:
• sub (user ID)
• role (user privileges)
• iat (issued at timestamp)
• permissions (allowed actions)
• Example:
{
"sub": "user_123",
"role": "admin",
"permissions": ["read", "write", "edit"],
"iat": 1696843471
}
2. Distribution (API Gateway):
• The JWT is passed through an API Gateway, which forwards the token to various services, including ‘Bobbi76’. The gateway enforces routing, rate-limiting, and initial validation of the token’s signature and expiry.
3. Consumption (Third-Party Systems):
• Marketing platforms consume the token and may augment it with additional behavioural or campaign-related metadata.
4. Storage and Feedback (Database/CRM):
• These systems log the token and associated state changes in their respective databases. Here, an undesired state might be recorded, such as:
• A role incorrectly downgraded (e.g., “admin” to “viewer”).
• Behavioural metrics that trigger invalid assumptions about the user.
• The marketing system may feed these corrupted states back into the identity pipeline.
Key Communication Layers:
• Application Layer:
• APIs and endpoints transmitting tokens and claims.
• Insecure or misconfigured endpoints may result in token misuse.
• Data Layer:
• Database synchronisation between marketing systems and the identity system might amplify poisoning issues (e.g., incorrect data replication or overwriting valid roles).
• Network Layer:
• If secure communication protocols (e.g., TLS) are not enforced, tokens might be intercepted and altered.
2. Lifecycle of the Identity in ALM
Key Stages:
1. Creation:
• The token is minted by the identity system based on predefined claims and policies.
2. Propagation:
• The token is shared with systems like ‘Bobbi76’ via APIs.
3. Mutation:
• Marketing systems append campaign-related metadata or modify claims.
4. Validation:
• Systems validate token integrity before further processing.
5. Feedback:
• Poisoned data from ‘Bobbi76’ is reintroduced into the identity system, corrupting the source of truth.
3. Root Cause of Poisoning
1. Inconsistent Validation:
• Endpoint validations fail due to poor key management, missing audit trails, or lack of synchronisation between services.
2. Role Escalation or Downgrade:
• Marketing systems introduce unintended role changes & you have created and enhanced your first containment unit.
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