I'm trying to configure a token refresh method in my express middleware in which the token is validate at every request to the API. I will check if the token expired and if so, I will sign a new token with new exp date. The problem is that I have to send the token again, but doing that I lose the original request to send the token with the response and the API will not continue to the destination endpoint.
How I can send back the new refreshed token and continue with the request?
My express middleware to check the token:
apiRouter.use(function(req, res, next) {
var token = req.body.token || req.query.token || req.headers['x-access-token'];
if (token) {
jwt.verify(token, app.get('superSecret'), function(err, decoded) {
if (err) {
//Here I can check if the received token in the request expired
if(err.name == "TokenExpiredError"){
var refreshedToken = jwt.sign({
success: true,
}, app.get('superSecret'), {
expiresIn: '5m'
});
//Here need to send the new token back to the client and continue with the request
//but if I use return res.... the request don't continue to next()
next();
}else if (err) {
return res.json({ success: false, message: 'Failed to authenticate token.' });
}
} else {
//If no error with the token, continue
next();
};
});
} else {
return res.status(403).send({
success: false,
message: 'No token provided.'
});
}
});
I don't know if it's the best approach to this.
Thank you.
You can not send a response to the client two times for single request, so better way will be sent an access token with the actual API response.
apiRouter.use(function(req, res, next) {
var token = req.body.token || req.query.token || req.headers['x-access-token'];
if (token) {
jwt.verify(token, app.get('superSecret'), function(err, decoded) {
if (err) {
//Here I can check if the received token in the request expired
if(err.name == "TokenExpiredError"){
var refreshedToken = jwt.sign({
success: true,
}, app.get('superSecret'), {
expiresIn: '5m'
});
request.apiToken = refreshedToken;
next();
}else if (err) {
return res.json({ success: false, message: 'Failed to authenticate token.' });
}
} else {
//If no error with the token, continue
request.apiToken = token;
next();
};
});
} else {
return res.status(403).send({
success: false,
message: 'No token provided.'
});
}
});
then when you send a response then send a response with the token, that you can get with request.apiToken.
but a better strategy is to provide a client refresh token and let the client make a request to get refreshed token.
You can read more about that here