Open Source Authentication & Authorization for Your Apps

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Authorizer is a freely available server designed to manage user authentication and access control for web and mobile applications.

Authorizer Overview

Authorizer is a freely available server designed to manage user authentication and access control for web and mobile applications. It enables organizations to deploy the solution on their internal infrastructure while storing user credentials in databases of their choice. The project integrates a permissions management system and an interface for AI-driven workflows into a single Go-based application, allowing AI tools to verify user access rights before retrieving sensitive data. This capability is critical for teams integrating AI assistants with internal document repositories.

Key Features

The platform employs a vector search mechanism to identify textually similar queries, but ensures user-specific access restrictions by filtering results based on authorized documents prior to scoring. This prevents unauthorized exposure of restricted content during search operations. Authentication options include traditional password-based login, magic links, biometric passkeys, social authentication through ten supported providers, and one-time codes for multi-factor verification. It also supports enterprise-grade single sign-on protocols such as SAML 2.0 and OpenID Connect, aligning with corporate identity management systems like Okta.

Database and Architecture

The server is compatible with 13+ database systems, including PostgreSQL, MySQL, MongoDB, and DynamoDB. For granular access control, it incorporates OpenFGA, an open-source framework inspired by Google’s Zanzibar architecture. OpenFGA models permissions as relationships, such as user-file access hierarchies. A built-in microservices control (MCP) server facilitates interactions between tools like Claude Code and Cursor and external services.

Technical Specifications

The MCP server operates exclusively through local standard input/output channels and is not accessible over networks. Access control policies ensure that AI agents acting on behalf of users only inherit overlapping permissions between their own configurations and the user’s assigned rights. The project is distributed under an open-source license and hosted on GitHub. The solution addresses security challenges in AI integration by enforcing strict access boundaries during data retrieval.

Access Control and Security

The platform’s architecture prioritizes minimal attack surface by isolating critical components and restricting network exposure. Organizations deploying Authorizer are advised to implement additional security measures such as regular vulnerability assessments and network segmentation to protect against potential exploitation vectors. The project’s documentation includes guidance for configuring database connections, setting up SAML integrations, and troubleshooting common deployment issues.

Developers emphasize that the MCP server operates exclusively through local standard input/output channels and is not accessible over networks.

Deployment and Community

The tool’s open-source nature encourages community contributions while maintaining transparency in its security model. Developers have emphasized that all access control decisions are enforced at the application layer, independent of underlying infrastructure configurations. Technical specifications include support for decentralized identity protocols, audit logging for access events, and extensible middleware for custom authentication plugins.

Documentation and Support

The project’s documentation includes guidance for configuring database connections, setting up SAML integrations, and troubleshooting common deployment issues. The tool’s open-source nature encourages community contributions while maintaining transparency in its security model.

Conclusion

The modular design allows teams to customize authentication workflows while maintaining compliance with enterprise security standards. The solution addresses security challenges in AI integration by enforcing strict access boundaries during data retrieval.