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dev:app_store_api_security_overview

App Store API Security Overview

Before an application can interact with the App Store API and access data that belongs to a User, it must obtain explicit authorization from said User. The App Store provides as OAuth2 Authorization Service to facilitate this action. A non-technical summary of the security flow is as follows:

Step 1. User Authentication

Is the user who they claim to be?

Any interaction between a user and the App Store must be authenticated. If the user is not authenticated, App Store will redirect your request to a LinkedIn log-in page.

This means the App User must have a LinkedIn account and approve the AppStore request to access personal data from LinkedIn.

If user agrees, we proceed to App Authentication.

Step 2. App Authentication

Is the App who they claim to be?

We only trust registered Apps. When you register an App with the App Store, you are assigned:

  • An AppId - a unique reference for your application
  • An AppSecret - a secret key never to be shared

And for web app developers, we require a record of

  • the Web App URL(s)

We will only trust internet requests from recognized domains.

Step 3. App Authorization

Is the User okay for the App to act for them?

Each App Store API method has one or more security pre-requisites. For instance, the method to debit a user's App Store Credit Account is only available if the user has authorized the App to make “Account Transaction” requests on their behalf.

Thus, the App must tell the App Store which privileges it requires. The App Store then prompts the user to Authorize this request.

Step 4. Access Token

Once steps 1-2-3 above are satisfied, the App Store will issue an access token - opening up the App Store API and allow your App to fully interact with the App Store.

dev/app_store_api_security_overview.txt · Last modified: 2016/04/21 14:39 by su