Authentication

NetRecon supports two authentication methods: JWT bearer tokens and API keys. Both methods work across all endpoints.

JWT Authentication

Login

POST /api/v1/auth/login
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "email": "user@company.com",
  "password": "your-password",
  "totp_code": "123456"  // optional, required if 2FA enabled
}

Response:

{
  "access_token": "eyJhbGciOi...",
  "refresh_token": "eyJhbGciOi...",
  "token_type": "bearer",
  "expires_in": 3600
}

Using the Token

Include the token in the Authorization header:

Authorization: Bearer eyJhbGciOi...

Refresh Token

Tokens expire after 1 hour. Use the refresh token to get a new access token:

POST /api/v1/auth/refresh
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "refresh_token": "eyJhbGciOi..."
}

API Key Authentication

API keys are ideal for server-to-server integrations, CI/CD pipelines, and automation scripts.

Creating an API Key

1. Go to Settings > API Keys in the dashboard
2. Click Generate Key
3. Set a name, permissions, and optional expiry
4. Copy the key immediately — it is shown only once

Using an API Key

Include the key in the X-API-Key header:

X-API-Key: nr_live_a1b2c3d4e5f6a1b2c3d4e5f6a1b2c3d4e5f6a1b2c3d4e5f6

Key Format

All API keys follow the format: nr_live_ followed by 48 hex characters.

Permissions

Each API key has granular permission scopes:

Permission	Description
scans_read	Read scan results
scans_write	Start/stop scans
devices_read	Read device list
devices_write	Modify devices
alerts_read	Read alerts
alerts_write	Manage alerts
reports_read	Read reports
reports_write	Generate reports
users_manage	Manage users
billing	Billing access
cve_read	Read CVE data
ids_read	Read IDS alerts
backup_manage	Manage backups
api_keys_manage	Manage API keys

Revoking Keys

Revoke a key at any time from Settings > API Keys or via the API:

DELETE /api/v1/api-keys/{key_id}

OAuth2 (Enterprise)

Enterprise tenants can configure OAuth2/OIDC for SSO integration:

Authorization Code Flow

GET /api/v1/auth/oauth2/authorize?
  client_id=YOUR_CLIENT_ID&
  redirect_uri=https://your-app.com/callback&
  response_type=code&
  scope=scans_read devices_read&
  state=random_state_string

Token Exchange

POST /api/v1/auth/oauth2/token
Content-Type: application/x-www-form-urlencoded

grant_type=authorization_code&
code=AUTH_CODE&
client_id=YOUR_CLIENT_ID&
client_secret=YOUR_CLIENT_SECRET&
redirect_uri=https://your-app.com/callback

Security Best Practices

1. Rotate keys regularly — set an expiry date on production keys
2. Use least privilege — only assign the permissions your integration needs
3. Never commit keys — use environment variables or secret managers
4. Monitor usage — check the "Last Used" column in the dashboard
5. Enable 2FA — required for accounts that manage API keys