Authorizer: Open-Source Authentication and Authorization Server for AI-Integrated Apps
Authorizer, a new open-source server, provides robust authentication and authorization for web and mobile applications, with a unique focus on enabling AI agents to securely access sensitive data.
A new open-source project named Authorizer has been released, offering a comprehensive solution for managing authentication and authorization within web and mobile applications. Designed to be self-hosted, Authorizer allows development teams to maintain full control over their user accounts and permissions by storing data in a database of their choosing. This approach ensures data sovereignty and customizability, crucial for organizations with stringent security requirements.
The standout feature of Authorizer is its integrated AI agent interface. This capability allows chatbots and other AI assistants to securely query user permissions before accessing sensitive information. This is particularly relevant in the current landscape where AI tools are increasingly being integrated into workflows that handle confidential data. By providing a mechanism for AI agents to check access rights, Authorizer aims to prevent unauthorized data exposure during AI-driven operations, such as vector searches that might otherwise return sensitive information without proper vetting.
Authorizer supports a wide array of conventional authentication methods to cater to diverse user needs and security policies. These include traditional email and password logins, secure magic links, modern passkeys, social logins via ten different providers, and multi-factor authentication using one-time codes. Furthermore, it offers robust support for enterprise-level single sign-on (SSO) through SAML 2.0 and OpenID Connect, protocols commonly used by corporate identity management systems like Okta, facilitating seamless integration into existing business infrastructures.
For granular access control, Authorizer embeds OpenFGA, an open-source implementation inspired by Google's Zanzibar authorization system. OpenFGA models access as relationships, defining who can perform what action on which resource. This allows for complex permission structures to be managed efficiently. The server also exposes an MCP (Machine Communication Protocol) server, which is the standard interface used by tools like Claude Code and Cursor for external service calls. Authorizer's MCP implementation provides three read-only functions: profile, check_permissions, and list_permissions, ensuring that AI agents can only query existing permissions without the ability to alter them.
Security is paramount in Authorizer's design. The maintainers emphasize that the MCP server operates exclusively over local stdio, meaning it cannot be accessed directly over a network, thereby reducing the attack surface. Additionally, any AI agent acting on behalf of a user is strictly limited to accessing only the data that falls within the intersection of the agent's own permissions and the user's permissions. This layered security approach is designed to prevent privilege escalation and unauthorized data access, even when sophisticated AI tools are involved.
Authorizer's compatibility extends to a broad range of databases, including popular options like PostgreSQL, MySQL, MongoDB, and DynamoDB, offering flexibility for different deployment environments. The project is freely available on GitHub, promoting transparency and community contribution, aligning with the growing trend of open-source solutions in critical infrastructure security.
The integration of a fine-grained authorization system for AI agents addresses a growing concern in the cybersecurity community: the potential for AI tools to inadvertently or maliciously access sensitive data. As AI becomes more integrated into business processes, tools like Authorizer are essential for maintaining security and compliance by ensuring that AI interactions are governed by strict access control policies. This proactive approach to securing AI-assisted workflows is becoming increasingly vital for organizations.