https://github.com/vestauth/vestauth
auth for agents–from the creator of `dotenv` and `dotenvx`
https://github.com/vestauth/vestauth
agent-auth agent-authentication ai-agent ai-agents cryptography http-signatures rfc9421 vestauth web-bot-auth webbotauth
Last synced: 4 months ago
JSON representation
auth for agents–from the creator of `dotenv` and `dotenvx`
- Host: GitHub
- URL: https://github.com/vestauth/vestauth
- Owner: vestauth
- License: bsd-3-clause
- Created: 2026-01-15T17:08:56.000Z (5 months ago)
- Default Branch: main
- Last Pushed: 2026-02-21T03:55:53.000Z (4 months ago)
- Last Synced: 2026-02-21T05:16:13.656Z (4 months ago)
- Topics: agent-auth, agent-authentication, ai-agent, ai-agents, cryptography, http-signatures, rfc9421, vestauth, web-bot-auth, webbotauth
- Language: JavaScript
- Homepage: https://vestauth.com
- Size: 517 KB
- Stars: 55
- Watchers: 1
- Forks: 0
- Open Issues: 1
-
Metadata Files:
- Readme: README.md
- Changelog: CHANGELOG.md
- License: LICENSE
- Security: SECURITY.md
Awesome Lists containing this project
README
[](https://vestauth.com)
*web-bot-auth for agents*–from the creator of [`dotenv`](https://github.com/motdotla/dotenv) and [`dotenvx`](https://github.com/dotenvx/dotenvx).
* identity ([web-bot-auth](https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/html/draft-meunier-web-bot-auth-architecture))
* tools!
* authentication
💬 Ask ChatGPT: When should I use Vestauth?
### Quickstart [](https://www.npmjs.com/package/vestauth) [](https://www.npmjs.com/package/vestauth) [](https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/rfc9421/) [](https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/html/draft-meunier-web-bot-auth-architecture)
> Give your agents identities and **call tools**!
```sh
npm i -g vestauth
```
```sh
vestauth agent init
vestauth agent curl https://api.vestauth.com/whoami --pp
```
with curl 🌐
```sh
curl -sfS https://vestauth.sh | sh
vestauth agent init
```
[](https://github.com/vestauth/vestauth.sh/blob/main/install.sh)
with github releases 🐙
```sh
curl -L -o vestauth.tar.gz "https://github.com/vestauth/vestauth/releases/latest/download/vestauth-$(uname -s)-$(uname -m).tar.gz"
tar -xzf vestauth.tar.gz
./vestauth agent init
```
[](https://github.com/vestauth/vestauth/releases)
or windows 🪟
Download [the windows executable](https://github.com/vestauth/vestauth/releases) directly from the [releases page](https://github.com/vestauth/vestauth/releases).
> * [vestauth-windows-amd64.zip
](https://github.com/vestauth/releases/raw/main/latest/vestauth-windows-amd64.zip)
> * [vestauth-windows-x86_64.zip
](https://github.com/vestauth/releases/raw/main/latest/vestauth-windows-x86_64.zip)
(unzip to extract `vestauth.exe`)
## Identity
> Give agents cryptographic identities.
```sh
$ mkdir your-agent
$ cd your-agent
$ vestauth agent init
✔ agent created (.env/AGENT_UID=agent-4b94ccd425e939fac5016b6b)
```
learn more
Your agent's identity lives in a simple `.env` file.
```ini
# .env
AGENT_UID="agent-4b94ccd425e939fac5016b6b"
AGENT_PUBLIC_JWK="{"crv":"Ed25519","x":"py2xNaAfjKZiau-jtmJls6h_3n8xJ1Ur0ie-n9b8zWg","kty":"OKP","kid":"B0u80Gw28W9U2Jl5t_EBiWeBajO2104kOYZ9Ikucl5I"}"
AGENT_PRIVATE_JWK="{"crv":"Ed25519","d":"Z9vbwN-3eiFMVv_TPWXOxqSMJAT21kZvejWi72yiAaQ","x":"py2xNaAfjKZiau-jtmJls6h_3n8xJ1Ur0ie-n9b8zWg","kty":"OKP","kid":"B0u80Gw28W9U2Jl5t_EBiWeBajO2104kOYZ9Ikucl5I"}"
```
[💬 Ask ChatGPT: Are HTTP message signatures more secure than API keys?](https://chat.openai.com/?q=Are%20HTTP%20message%20signatures%20more%20secure%20than%20API%20keys%3F)
## Tools
> Call tools!
```sh
vestauth agent curl https://sfs.vestauth.com/write -d '{"filepath":"/hello.md", "content":"hello"}'
vestauth agent curl https://sfs.vestauth.com/list
```
#### First Party
`SFS` Simple File System
> SFS is a simple file system for vestauth agents.
>
> [sfs.vestauth.com](https://sfs.vestauth.com)
```sh
# write a file
vestauth agent curl https://sfs.vestauth.com/write -d '{"filepath":"/hello.md", "content":"hello"}'
# delete a file
vestauth agent curl https://sfs.vestauth.com/delete -d '{"filepath":"/hello.md"}'
# list files
vestauth agent curl https://sfs.vestauth.com/list
# read a file
vestauth agent curl https://sfs.vestauth.com/read -d '{"filepath":"/hello.md"}'
```
`GEO` Latitude and Longitude
> GEO returns the current latitude and longitude of a vestauth agent.
>
> [geo.vestauth.com](https://geo.vestauth.com)
```sh
# return latitude and longitude
vestauth agent curl https://geo.vestauth.com/geo
```
#### Third Party
`AS2` Agentic Secret Storage
> AS2 is a simple, agent-friendly secret storage.
>
> [as2.dotenvx.com](https://as2.dotenvx.com)
```sh
# set a secret
vestauth agent curl https://as2.dotenvx.com/set -d '{"KEY":"value"}'
# get all secrets
vestauth agent curl "https://as2.dotenvx.com/get"
# get single secret
vestauth agent curl "https://as2.dotenvx.com/get?key=KEY"
# get multiple secrets
vestauth agent curl "https://as2.dotenvx.com/get?key=KEY,TWILIO"
```
`Docle` Check if email address is real
> Check if an email address is real before you hit send. Verifies syntax, DNS, MX records, SMTP mailbox existence, and cross-references multiple providers. All in real time, no signup required.
>
> [github.com/treadiehq/docle](https://github.com/treadiehq/docle)
```sh
# verify an email
vestauth agent curl https://docle.co/api/verify -d '{"emails":["test@example.com"]}'
# check your usage
vestauth agent curl https://docle.co/api/agent/usage
```
more coming soon
* Geo IP - coming soon
* Send/Receive Email - coming
* Send/Receive SMS - coming
* Send/Receive Telegram - coming
* Send/Receive WhatsApp - coming
* Human-in-the-loop - coming
* Rotate NPM Tokens - coming
* Rotate GitHub Tokens - coming
* Working on a tool? Tell us and we'll list it.
## Authentication
> Build your own tools. Authenticate them with a single line of code – `vestauth.tool.verify`…
```js
...
const vestauth = require('vestauth')
app.post('/whoami', async (req, res) => {
try {
const url = `${req.protocol}://${req.get('host')}${req.originalUrl}`
const agent = await vestauth.tool.verify(req.method, url, req.headers)
res.json(agent)
} catch (err) {
res.status(401).json({ code: 401, error: { message: err.message }})
}
})
...
```
> …the agents sign HTTP requests with a drop-in curl wrapper.
```sh
> SIGNED - 200
$ vestauth agent curl https://api.vestauth.com/whoami
{"uid":"agent-4b94ccd425e939fac5016b6b",...}
```
learn more
`vestauth agent curl` autosigns `curl` requests – injecting valid signed headers according to the [web-bot-auth draft](https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/html/draft-meunier-web-bot-auth-architecture). You can peek these with the built-in `headers` primitive.
```sh
$ vestauth primitives headers GET https://api.vestauth.com/whoami --pp
{
"Signature": "sig1=:d4Id5SXhUExsf1XyruD8eBmlDtWzt/vezoCS+SKf0M8CxSkhKBtdHH7KkYyMN6E0hmxmNHsYus11u32nhvpWBQ==:",
"Signature-Input": "sig1=(\"@authority\");created=1770247189;keyid=\"B0u80Gw28W9U2Jl5t_EBiWeBajO2104kOYZ9Ikucl5I\";alg=\"ed25519\";expires=1770247489;nonce=\"NURxn28X7zyKJ9k5bHxuOyO5qdvF9L5s2qHmhTrGUzbwGSIoUCHmwSlwiiCRgTDGuum83yyWMHJU4jmrVI_XPg\";tag=\"web-bot-auth\"",
"Signature-Agent": "sig1=agent-4b94ccd425e939fac5016b6b.api.vestauth.com"
}
```
Vestauth handles usage, payments, and spam protection for your tool!
## Self-hosting
> Run your own Vestauth server.
| |
|---|
| 
|
Initialize the server and run migrations (postgres).
```sh
$ curl -sSf https://vestauth.sh | sh
$ vestauth server init
$ vestauth server db:create
$ vestauth server db:migrate
```
Start the server.
```sh
$ vestauth server start
vestauth server listening on http://localhost:3000
```
And use your server's hostname when creating agents.
```sh
$ mkdir your-agent
$ cd your-agent
$ vestauth agent init --hostname http://localhost:3000
✔ agent created (.env/AGENT_UID=agent-4b94ccd425e939fac5016b6b)
```
That's it. Your Vestauth ([web-bot-auth](https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/html/draft-meunier-web-bot-auth-architecture)) infrastructure is now running under your control.
More details
config
Edit the `.env` file to configure your server.
```ini
PORT="3000"
HOSTNAME="http://localhost:3000"
DATABASE_URL="postgres://localhost/vestauth_production"
```
For example, in production:
* Change `HOSTNAME` to its production url - e.g. `vestauth.yoursite.com`
* Change `DATABASE_URL` to a managed postgres - e.g. `postgresql://USER:PASS@aws-1-us-east-1.pooler.supabase.com:5432/postgres`
production note
> [!WARNING]
>
> **Production note:** Configure a wildcard DNS record for `*.${HOSTNAME}`.
>
> Example: if `HOSTNAME=vestauth.yourapp.com`, add `*.vestauth.yourapp.com`.
>
> Required for `.well-known` discovery per the [web-bot-auth](https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/html/draft-meunier-web-bot-auth-architecture) spec.
## Advanced
> Become a `vestauth` power user.
>
### CLI 📟
Advanced CLI commands.
`agent init`
Create agent.
```sh
$ vestauth agent init
✔ agent created (.env/AGENT_UID=agent-609a4fd2ebf4e6347108c517)
⮕ next run: [vestauth agent curl https://api.vestauth.com/whoami]
```
`agent init --hostname`
Use `--hostname` to override the agent API hostname (defaults to `AGENT_HOSTNAME`, then `api.vestauth.com`):
When no scheme is provided, `https://` is assumed. For local non-TLS endpoints, pass `http://...` explicitly.
```sh
$ vestauth agent init --hostname https://vestauth.yoursite.com
✔ agent created (.env/AGENT_UID=agent-609a4fd2ebf4e6347108c517)
⮕ next run: [vestauth agent curl https://api.vestauth.com/whoami]
```
`agent curl`
Run curl as agent.
```sh
$ vestauth agent curl https://api.vestauth.com/whoami
{"uid":"agent-609a4fd2ebf4e6347108c517", ...}
```
`agent curl --pretty-print`
Pretty print curl json output.
```sh
$ vestauth agent curl https://api.vestauth.com/whoami --pp
{
"uid": "agent-609a4fd2ebf4e6347108c517",
"kid": "FGzgs758DBGnI1S0BejChDsK0IKZm3qPpOOXdRnnBkM",
"public_jwk": {
...
},
"well_known_url": "https://agent-609a4fd2ebf4e6347108c517.api.vestauth.com/.well-known/http-message-signatures-directory"
}
```
`agent headers`
Generate signed headers as agent.
```sh
$ vestauth agent headers GET https://api.vestauth.com/whoami --pp
{
"Signature": "sig1=:UW6A7j8jo+gQxd+EeVgDddY51ZOc9plrSaupW/N53hQnQFvP9BuwQHgL7SVPLQIu4cnRzLgvwm7Yu9YMO+HUDQ==:",
"Signature-Input": "sig1=(\"@authority\");created=1770396357;keyid=\"FGzgs758DBGnI1S0BejChDsK0IKZm3qPpOOXdRnnBkM\";alg=\"ed25519\";expires=1770396657;nonce=\"PrE7A6I_5fWnxBsBigNvxjp3-YangXl71V1uM3hPZavh918JqzjMSRcjHv_n5XIb3N8WivZEeigCBH6QGDSqgA\";tag=\"web-bot-auth\"",
"Signature-Agent": "sig1=agent-609a4fd2ebf4e6347108c517.api.vestauth.com"
}
```
`agent headers --uid`
Change the `AGENT_UID`.
```sh
$ vestauth agent headers GET https://api.vestauth.com/whoami --uid agent-1234 --pp
{
"Signature": "sig1=:UW6A7j8jo+gQxd+EeVgDddY51ZOc9plrSaupW/N53hQnQFvP9BuwQHgL7SVPLQIu4cnRzLgvwm7Yu9YMO+HUDQ==:",
"Signature-Input": "sig1=(\"@authority\");created=1770396357;keyid=\"FGzgs758DBGnI1S0BejChDsK0IKZm3qPpOOXdRnnBkM\";alg=\"ed25519\";expires=1770396657;nonce=\"PrE7A6I_5fWnxBsBigNvxjp3-YangXl71V1uM3hPZavh918JqzjMSRcjHv_n5XIb3N8WivZEeigCBH6QGDSqgA\";tag=\"web-bot-auth\"",
"Signature-Agent": "sig1=agent-1234.api.vestauth.com"
}
```
`agent headers --private-jwk`
Change the `AGENT_PRIVATE_JWK` used to sign the headers.
```sh
$ vestauth agent headers GET https://api.vestauth.com/whoami --private-jwk '{"crv":"Ed25519","d":"RyFk7QTOk_bMjFQKjyAR-vJDp7BITn9U0YBFNdpR9wE","x":"hyAxNMbuTcFQq420Dr46ucF0dRZ_FIyxgsujruEoklM","kty":"OKP","kid":"UfHTArlyLsqM8cB8sNfH2z6XOwc0RmJIq2CAPGfvMjk"}' --pp
{
"Signature": "sig1=:PZUVVjqiECYuk8Hg1GZKKeJmwhLrcRdRA7nm1R595UFK9cx0q9atNFBzKP5wBEmszMIgvpYdMrIQbPEeKz4tCQ==:",
"Signature-Input": "sig1=(\"@authority\");created=1770396546;keyid=\"UfHTArlyLsqM8cB8sNfH2z6XOwc0RmJIq2CAPGfvMjk\";alg=\"ed25519\";expires=1770396846;nonce=\"BSIugautfZvN3u5QUgl1mMuyxgmeRsRy9XxX7GXxjJxq1mI0kJl4F-C1nITtOfSeEt6xR1YBfyxsffNKy_wKSA\";tag=\"web-bot-auth\"",
"Signature-Agent": "sig1=agent-609a4fd2ebf4e6347108c517.api.vestauth.com"
}
```
`agent rotate`
Rotate your `AGENT_PRIVATE_JWK` and `AGENT_PUBLIC_JWK`.
```sh
$ vestauth agent rotate
✔ agent keys rotated (.env/AGENT_UID=agent-8f1b347e2e58899f3147c05b)
⮕ next run: [vestauth agent curl https://api.vestauth.com/whoami]
```
`tool verify`
Verify agent.
```sh
$ vestauth tool verify GET https://api.vestauth.com/whoami --signature "sig1=:H1kxwSRWFbIzKbHaUy4hQFp/JrmVTX//72JPHcW4W7cPt9q6LytRJgx5pUgWrrr7DCcMWgx/jpTPc8Ht8SZ3CQ==:" --signature-input "sig1=(\"@authority\");created=1770396709;keyid=\"FGzgs758DBGnI1S0BejChDsK0IKZm3qPpOOXdRnnBkM\";alg=\"ed25519\";expires=1770397009;nonce=\"BZSDVktdkjO6XH5jafAdPDttsB6eytXO7u8KXJN1tMtd5bprE3rp08HiaTRo7H6gZGtYb4_qtL7RiGi8P2Gq7w\";tag=\"web-bot-auth\"" --signature-agent "sig1=agent-609a4fd2ebf4e6347108c517.api.vestauth.com"
{"uid":"agent-609a4fd2ebf4e6347108c517",...}
```
`server init`
Create/update server `.env` for self-hosting (`PORT`, `HOSTNAME`, `DATABASE_URL`).
```sh
$ vestauth server init
✔ ready (.env/HOSTNAME=http://localhost:3000)
⮕ next run: [vestauth server start]
```
`server db:create`
Create `vestauth_production` database.
```sh
$ vestauth server db:create
Created database 'vestauth_production'
```
`server db:migrate`
Run `vestauth_production` migrations.
```sh
$ vestauth server db:migrate
== 20260223204000 CreateAgentsTable: migrating ================================================
== 20260223204000 CreateAgentsTable: migrated (0.0160s) ===========================
== 20260223205500 CreatePublicJwksTable: migrating ================================================
== 20260223205500 CreatePublicJwksTable: migrated (0.0100s) ===========================
```
`server db:drop`
Drop `vestauth_production` table.
```sh
$ vestauth server db:drop
Dropped database 'vestauth_production'
```
`server start`
Start vestauth server.
```sh
$ vestauth server start
vestauth server listening on http://localhost:3000
```
`server start --port`
Start vestauth server on specific port.
```sh
$ vestauth server start --port 4567
vestauth server listening on http://localhost:4567
```
`server start --hostname`
Specify hostname for vestauth server (default: localhost:3000).
```sh
$ vestauth server start --hostname vestauth.yoursite.com
vestauth server listening on https://vestauth.yoursite.com
```
`server start --database-url`
Specify database url for vestauth server (default: localhost/vestauth_production).
```sh
$ vestauth server start --database-url postgresql://USER:PASS@aws-1-us-east-1.pooler.supabase.com:5432/postgres
vestauth server listening on http://localhost:3000
```
`primitives keypair`
Generate public/private keypair.
```sh
$ vestauth primitives keypair --pp
{
"public_jwk": {
"crv": "Ed25519",
"x": "QjutZ3_tt2jRD_XSOq4EFCDivnwEzKIrQB2yReddsNo",
"kty": "OKP",
"kid": "ZCa5pijSUCw7QKgBs6nkvBBzbEjTMKYSt6iwCDQdIYc"
},
"private_jwk": {
"crv": "Ed25519",
"d": "RTyREuKAEfIMMs2ejwaKtFefZxt14HmsRR0rFj4U5iM",
"x": "QjutZ3_tt2jRD_XSOq4EFCDivnwEzKIrQB2yReddsNo",
"kty": "OKP",
"kid": "ZCa5pijSUCw7QKgBs6nkvBBzbEjTMKYSt6iwCDQdIYc"
}
}
```
`primitives headers`
Generate signed headers.
```sh
$ vestauth primitives headers GET http://example.com --pp
{
"Signature": "sig1=:K7z3Nozcq1z5zfJhrd540DWYbjyQ1kR/S7ZDcMXE5gVhxezvG6Rn9BxEvfteiAnBuQhOkvbpGtF83WpQQerGBw==:",
"Signature-Input": "sig1=(\"@authority\");created=1770263541;keyid=\"_4GFBGmXKinLBoh3-GJZCiLBt-84GP9Fb0iBzmYncUg\";alg=\"ed25519\";expires=1770263841;nonce=\"0eu7hVMVFm61lQvIryKNmZXIbzkkgpVocoKvN0de5QO8Eu5slTxklJAcVLQs0L_UTVtx4f8qJcqYZ21JTeOQww\";tag=\"web-bot-auth\"",
"Signature-Agent": "sig1=agent-35e4a794a904d227ee2373b6.api.vestauth.com"
}
```
`primitives verify`
Verify signed headers.
```sh
$ vestauth primitives verify GET https://api.vestauth.com/whoami --signature "sig1=:UHqXQbWZmyYW40JRcdCl+NLccLgPmcoirUKwLtdcpEcIgxG2+i+Q2U3yIYeMquseON3fKm29WSL2ntHeRefHBQ==:" --signature-input "sig1=(\"@authority\");created=1770395703;keyid=\"FGzgs758DBGnI1S0BejChDsK0IKZm3qPpOOXdRnnBkM\";alg=\"ed25519\";expires=1770396003;nonce=\"O8JOC1reBofwbpPcdD-MRRCdrtAf4khvJTuhpRI_RiaH_hpU93okLkmPZVFFcUEdYtYfcduaB8Sca54GTd2GXA\";tag=\"web-bot-auth\"" --signature-agent "sig1=agent-609a4fd2ebf4e6347108c517.api.vestauth.com"
{"uid":"agent-609a4fd2ebf4e6347108c517", ...}
```
### Library 📦
Use vestauth directly in code.
`tool.verify()`
Verify and authenticate an agent's cryptographic identity.
```js
const agent = await vestauth.tool.verify(httpMethod, url, headers)
```
`primitives.verify()`
Verify and authenticate a signed http request.
```js
await vestauth.primitives.verify(httpMethod, url, headers, publicJwk)
```
## Standards
> Vestauth gives agents a cryptographic identity and a simple way to authenticate HTTP requests. Most agent systems rely on API keys, bearer tokens, or username/passwords. These approaches are difficult to rotate, easy to leak, and hard to attribute to a specific agent. Vestauth replaces shared secrets with public/private key cryptography. Agents sign requests using a private key, and tools verify those requests using the agent's public key. All built on open internet standards. It's elegant and the future.
| Specification | Purpose |
|------------|------------|
| **[RFC 9421](https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/rfc9421/)** | Defines how requests are cryptographically signed and verified |
| **[Web-Bot-Auth Draft](https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/html/draft-meunier-web-bot-auth-architecture)** | Defines headers and authentication architecture for autonomous agents |
Vestauth follows these specifications to ensure interoperability between agents and tools while avoiding vendor lock-in. Vestauth focuses on developer ergonomics while staying compliant with these emerging standards.
## Compare
**Agent + Tool Matrix** – Compare Vestauth vs existing auth.
| Capability | Vestauth | API Keys | OAuth | Cookies |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| **Agent: no browser required** | ✅ | ✅ | ⚠️ (depends on flow) | ❌ |
| **Agent: easy to automate** | ✅ | ✅ | ⚠️ | ❌ |
| **Agent: no shared secret** | ✅ | ❌ | ⚠️ (bearer tokens) | ❌ |
| **Agent: per‑request identity proof** | ✅ | ❌ | ⚠️ (token‑based) | ❌ |
| **Agent: easy key/token rotation** | ✅ | ⚠️ | ⚠️ | ⚠️ |
| **Tool: no secret storage** | ✅ (public keys only) | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
| **Tool: strong attribution to agent** | ✅ | ⚠️ | ⚠️ | ❌ |
| **Tool: stateless verification** | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ |
| **Tool: simple to implement** | ⚠️ (sig verification) | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ |
| **Tool: revocation control** | ✅ | ⚠️ | ✅ | ⚠️ |
Legend: ✅ strong fit, ⚠️ partial/conditional, ❌ poor fit
#### How It Works
1. An agent generates a public/private keypair.
2. The agent signs each HTTP request with its private key.
3. The tool verifies the signature using the agent’s public key.
4. Requests are attributable, auditable, and do not require shared secrets or browser sessions.
## FAQ
What problem does Vestauth solve?
> Vestauth gives agents a cryptographic identity and a simple way to authenticate HTTP requests.
>
> Most agent systems rely on API keys, bearer tokens, or username/passwords. These approaches are difficult to rotate, easy to leak, and hard to attribute to a specific agent.
>
> Vestauth replaces shared secrets with public/private key cryptography. Agents sign requests using a private key, and tools verify those requests using the agent's public key.
Is there a demo video?
> Yes
>
> [Watch the demo](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cHARyULr_qk)
Why not just use API keys?
> API keys are shared secrets. Anyone who obtains the key can impersonate the client, and keys are difficult to rotate safely.
>
> Vestauth uses cryptographic signing instead of shared secrets. This allows tools to verify identity without storing or distributing sensitive credentials.
Where are agent keys stored?
> Agent keys are generated locally and stored in the agent's environment configuration (`.env`).
>
> * `AGENT_PRIVATE_JWK` is used to sign requests and must never be shared.
> * `AGENT_PUBLIC_JWK` is safe to publish and is used by tools for verification.
Is Vestauth only for AI agents?
> No.
>
> Vestauth can authenticate any automated system including:
>
> * developer tools
> * CLIs
> * automation services
> * bots
> * infrastructure tools
Can Vestauth work without curl?
> Yes.
>
> Vestauth provides libraries and primitives that can be integrated into any HTTP client or framework. The CLI simply makes it easy to adopt and demonstrate.
Do I need to run a Vestauth server?
> No.
>
> Vestauth is primarily a client-side and verification library. Agents generate keys locally and sign requests directly. Tools verify requests using public keys exposed via .well-known discovery endpoints.
>
> There is no central authentication server required.
Can I host my own Vestauth server?
> Yes.
>
> To host your own Vestauth server create the database, run the migrations, and start the server.
>
> ```
> $ vestauth server db:create
> $ vestauth server db:migrate
> $ vestauth server start
> vestauth server listening on http://localhost:3000
> ```
>
Why does Vestauth use Ed25519 keys?
> Ed25519 provides:
>
> * Strong modern cryptographic security
> * Fast signing and verification
> * Small key sizes
> * Wide ecosystem support
How does Vestauth authentication work?
> Vestauth uses HTTP Message Signatures ([RFC 9421](https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/rfc9421/)). Each request is signed using the agent's private key. The request includes signed headers such as:
>
> * Signature
> * Signature-Input
> * Signature-Agent
>
> Tools verify the request by retrieving the agent's public key from a discovery endpoint and verifying the signature cryptographically.
>
> If the signature is valid, the tool knows the request was created by the agent that owns that private key.
How does Vestauth prevent replay attacks?
> Vestauth prevents replay attacks using multiple mechanisms built into HTTP Message Signatures.
>
> Each signed request includes:
>
> * created timestamp - limits how old a signature can be
> * expires timestamp - defines a short validity window
> * nonce value - ensures each request is unique
>
> Tools verify that:
>
> 1. The signature is still within the allowed time window
> 2. The nonce has not been used before
> 3. The signature cryptographically matches the request
>
> Because signatures are short-lived and tied to unique nonce values, an intercepted request cannot be reused successfully.
>
> Tools may optionally store nonce values for additional replay protection.
Why does Vestauth use public key discovery?
> Public key discovery allows tools to verify agent signatures without manual key exchange. Each agent hosts its public keys in a standardized .well-known directory.
>
> This enables dynamic agent onboarding while preserving cryptographic verification.
Does Vestauth send secrets over the network?
> No.
>
> Vestauth signs requests using private keys locally. Only public keys are shared for verification.
How does Vestauth avoid SSRF during public key discovery?
> Vestauth prevents Server-Side Request Forgery (SSRF) by restricting public key discovery to trusted domains.
>
> By default, Vestauth only resolves agent discovery endpoints inside the controlled namespace:
>
> ```ini
> *.api.vestauth.com
> ```
>
> When a tool verifies a request, Vestauth converts the agent identity into a fixed .well-known endpoint within this trusted domain. Because this domain is controlled by Vestauth, tools never fetch attacker-supplied URLs or internal network addresses.
>
> This removes the most common SSRF attack vector during signature verification.
>
> **Custom trusted discovery domains**
>
> Tools can optionally configure additional trusted discovery domains using:
>
> ```ini
> TOOL_FQDN_REGEX
> ```
>
> This allows organizations to:
>
> * Host their own agent discovery infrastructure
> * Support private internal agents
> * Implement federated trust models
>
> For example:
>
> ```ini
> TOOL_FQDN_REGEX=".*\.agents\.vestauth\.com|.*\.agents\.example\.internal"
> ```
>
> Only discovery endpoints matching this allowlist will be fetched.
>
> **Defense in depth**
>
> Even with domain scoping, tools may optionally add safeguards such as:
>
> * HTTPS-only enforcement
> * Request timeouts
> * Response size limits
> * Public key caching
>
> Vestauth removes SSRF by design, while still allowing controlled federation when needed.
Why does Vestauth use .well-known discovery instead of embedding public keys directly?
> Vestauth uses .well-known discovery to keep requests small, enable key rotation, and support long-term identity management.
>
> Embedding public keys directly in every request would increase header size, reduce caching opportunities, and make key rotation difficult. By publishing keys through a discovery endpoint, Vestauth allows tools to fetch and cache keys independently from individual requests.
>
> This approach provides several benefits:
>
> **Efficient requests**
>
> Public keys are retrieved once and can be cached by tools. Agents do not need to send large key material with every request.
>
> **Key rotation support**
>
> Agents can rotate signing keys without changing their identity. Tools simply refresh keys from the discovery endpoint.
>
> **Multi-key support**
>
> Agents can safely publish multiple active keys (for rotation or staged rollouts) using the standard HTTP Message Signatures directory format.
>
> **Standards alignment**
>
> Vestauth follows the discovery model used in:
>
> * HTTP Message Signatures directories
> * OAuth / OpenID Connect key discovery
> * Web identity federation systems
## Contributing
You can fork this repo and create [pull requests](https://github.com/vestauth/vestauth/pulls) or if you have questions or feedback:
* [github.com/vestauth/vestauth](https://github.com/vestauth/vestauth/issues) - bugs and discussions
* [@vestauth 𝕏](https://x.com/vestauthx) (DMs are open)