Authentication

Purpose ✅

Explain how to locate, validate, rotate, and troubleshoot API tokens and related authentication settings used by NetAlertX.

Pre-Flight Check (MANDATORY) ⚠️

1. Ensure the backend is running (use devcontainer services or ps/systemd checks).
2. Verify the API_TOKEN setting can be read with Python (see below).
3. If a token-related error occurs, gather logs (/tmp/log/app.log, nginx logs) before changing secrets.

Retrieve the API token (Python — preferred) 🐍

Always use Python helpers to read secrets to avoid accidental exposure in shells or logs:

from helper import get_setting_value
token = get_setting_value("API_TOKEN")

If you must inspect from a running container (read-only), use:

docker exec <CONTAINER_ID> python3 -c "from helper import get_setting_value; print(get_setting_value('API_TOKEN'))"

You can also check the runtime config file:

docker exec <CONTAINER_ID> grep API_TOKEN /data/config/app.conf

Rotate / Generate a new token 🔁

• Preferred: Use the web UI (Settings / System) and click Generate for the API_TOKEN field — this updates the value safely and immediately.
• Manual: Edit /data/config/app.conf and restart the backend if required (use the existing devcontainer service tasks).
• After rotation: verify the value with get_setting_value('API_TOKEN') and update any clients or sync nodes to use the new token.

Troubleshooting 401 / 403 Errors 🔍

1. Confirm backend is running and reachable.
2. Confirm get_setting_value('API_TOKEN') returns a non-empty value.
3. Ensure client requests send the header exactly: Authorization: Bearer <API_TOKEN>.
4. Check /tmp/log/app.log and plugin logs (e.g., sync plugin) for "Incorrect API Token" messages.
5. If using multiple nodes, ensure the token matches across nodes for sync operations.
6. If token appears missing or incorrect, rotate via UI or update app.conf and re-verify.

Best Practices & Security 🔐

• Never commit tokens to source control or paste them in public issues. Redact tokens when sharing logs.
• Rotate tokens when a secret leak is suspected or per your security policy.
• Use get_setting_value() in tests and scripts — do not hardcode secrets.

Related Skills & Docs 📚

• testing-workflow — how to use API_TOKEN in tests
• settings-management — where settings live and how they are managed
• Docs: docs/API.md, docs/API_OLD.md, docs/API_SSE.md

Last updated: 2026-01-23