# 🔓 GitHub OAuth 2.1 Integration Summary
**Major Update**: GitHub OAuth is now handled through the **generic OAuth 2.1 discovery system** rather than as a provider-specific integration. This represents a significant architectural improvement that simplifies configuration and improves maintainability.
## 🎯 New Architecture: Generic OAuth 2.1 Approach
### **Before (Provider-Specific - v1.x)**
```bash
# Required multiple GitHub-specific variables
export AUTH_PROVIDER=github
export GITHUB_CLIENT_ID=your_client_id
export GITHUB_CLIENT_SECRET=your_client_secret
export GITHUB_ORG=your-organization
export AUTH_ISSUER_URL=https://api.github.com
# ... many more variables
```
### **After (Generic OAuth 2.1 - v2.x)**
```bash
# Just 2 core variables for GitHub!
export AUTH_ISSUER_URL="https://github.com"
export AUTH_AUDIENCE="your-github-client-id"
```
## 🚀 Simplified Configuration
### Basic GitHub OAuth 2.1 Setup
```bash
# Enable OAuth 2.1 authentication
export ENABLE_AUTH=true
# GitHub configuration (generic approach)
export AUTH_ISSUER_URL="https://github.com"
export AUTH_AUDIENCE="your-github-client-id"
# Optional: Configure scopes
export AUTH_VALID_SCOPES="read,write,admin"
export AUTH_DEFAULT_SCOPES="read"
export AUTH_REQUIRED_SCOPES="read"
```
### **GitHub OAuth 2.1 Features**
| Feature | Status | Description |
|---------|--------|-------------|
| **Generic Discovery** | ✅ | Uses universal OAuth 2.1 configuration |
| **Automatic Fallback** | ✅ | Handles GitHub's limited OAuth 2.1 support |
| **Token Validation** | ✅ | GitHub API-based validation |
| **Scope Mapping** | ✅ | GitHub scopes → MCP permission mapping |
| **Organization Control** | ✅ | Optional org-only access restriction |
| **Multi-Token Support** | ✅ | PAT, OAuth, GitHub Apps tokens |
## 🔍 GitHub's OAuth 2.1 Limitations & Fallback Handling
GitHub has **limited OAuth 2.1 support**, so the server automatically applies fallback configuration:
### **Automatic Detection & Fallback**
1. **Discovery Attempt**: Server tries `https://github.com/.well-known/oauth-authorization-server`
2. **Fallback Trigger**: When discovery fails, GitHub fallback is activated
3. **Hardcoded Endpoints**: Uses known GitHub API endpoints
4. **Seamless Operation**: No configuration changes needed
### **GitHub-Specific Endpoints (Automatic)**
```json
{
"issuer": "https://github.com",
"authorization_endpoint": "https://github.com/login/oauth/authorize",
"token_endpoint": "https://github.com/login/oauth/access_token",
"userinfo_endpoint": "https://api.github.com/user",
"revocation_endpoint": "https://github.com/settings/connections/applications/{client_id}",
"fallback_mode": true,
"oauth_2_1_limited": true
}
```
## 🎯 Token Support & Validation
### **Supported GitHub Token Types**
| Token Type | Format | Validation Method | OAuth 2.1 Support |
|------------|--------|-------------------|-------------------|
| **Personal Access Token** | `ghp_*` | GitHub API | ✅ Supported |
| **OAuth App Token** | `gho_*` | GitHub API | ✅ Supported |
| **User Access Token** | `ghu_*` | GitHub API | ✅ Supported |
| **Server Token** | `ghs_*` | GitHub API | ✅ Supported |
| **Refresh Token** | `ghr_*` | GitHub API | ✅ Supported |
| **GitHub App JWT** | JWT format | API + Claims | ✅ Supported |
### **Token Validation Flow**
1. **Token Detection**: Automatic GitHub token recognition
2. **API Validation**: Calls GitHub API for token verification
3. **Scope Extraction**: Maps GitHub scopes to MCP permissions
4. **Organization Check**: Verifies org membership (if configured)
## 🔧 Migration from Provider-Specific Setup
### **Automatic Migration**
Legacy GitHub configurations are automatically detected and migrated:
```bash
# OLD (v1.x) - Still works but deprecated
export AUTH_PROVIDER=github
export GITHUB_CLIENT_ID=your_client_id
export GITHUB_CLIENT_SECRET=your_client_secret
export GITHUB_ORG=your-organization
# NEW (v2.x) - Recommended generic approach
export AUTH_ISSUER_URL="https://github.com"
export AUTH_AUDIENCE="your_client_id"
```
### **Configuration Benefits**
| Aspect | Provider-Specific (v1.x) | Generic OAuth 2.1 (v2.x) |
|--------|---------------------------|---------------------------|
| **Variables** | 8+ GitHub-specific | 2 universal |
| **Maintenance** | GitHub-specific bugs | Generic OAuth 2.1 handling |
| **Updates** | Manual code changes | Automatic via discovery |
| **Compatibility** | GitHub only | Any OAuth 2.1 provider |
| **Standards** | Custom implementation | RFC 8414 compliance |
## 🎯 Scope Mapping (Unchanged)
GitHub scopes are automatically mapped to MCP permissions:
### **GitHub → MCP Scope Mapping**
| GitHub Scope | MCP Permission | Description |
|--------------|----------------|-------------|
| `read:user` | `read` | Read user profile information |
| `user:email` | `read` | Access user email address |
| `read:org` | `read` | Read organization membership |
| `repo` | `write` | Repository access (implies schema write access) |
| `admin:org` | `admin` | Organization administration |
| `admin:repo_hook` | `admin` | Repository webhook administration |
### **Permission Hierarchy**
- **`admin`** includes `write` and `read`
- **`write`** includes `read`
- **`read`** is the minimum required permission
## 🏗️ GitHub App Integration
GitHub Apps are automatically supported through the generic OAuth 2.1 approach:
### **GitHub App Configuration**
```bash
# GitHub App with OAuth 2.1 (v2.x)
export AUTH_ISSUER_URL="https://github.com"
export AUTH_AUDIENCE="your-github-app-id"
# GitHub App environment (optional)
export GITHUB_APP_ID="your_app_id"
export GITHUB_APP_PRIVATE_KEY_PATH="/path/to/private-key.pem"
```
### **JWT Token Validation**
- **Automatic Detection**: GitHub App JWT tokens are automatically recognized
- **Claims Validation**: Standard JWT claims validation
- **Scope Extraction**: GitHub App permissions mapped to MCP scopes
- **Installation Validation**: Verifies GitHub App installation
## 🔒 Organization-Based Access Control
Organization restriction is maintained through the generic approach:
### **Organization Configuration**
```bash
# Generic OAuth 2.1 with organization restriction
export AUTH_ISSUER_URL="https://github.com"
export AUTH_AUDIENCE="your-client-id"
export GITHUB_ORG="your-organization" # Optional restriction
```
### **Organization Validation**
1. **Token Validation**: Standard GitHub API token validation
2. **User Information**: Retrieves user profile and organization membership
3. **Membership Check**: Verifies user is member of specified organization
4. **Access Decision**: Grants/denies access based on membership
## 🧪 Testing GitHub OAuth 2.1
### **Discovery Testing**
```bash
# Test OAuth 2.1 discovery (will show GitHub fallback)
curl http://localhost:8000/.well-known/oauth-authorization-server | jq
# Example response showing GitHub fallback
{
"issuer": "https://github.com",
"fallback_mode": true,
"oauth_2_1_limited": true,
"note": "GitHub has limited OAuth 2.1 support - using fallback configuration"
}
```
### **Token Testing**
```bash
# Test with GitHub Personal Access Token
export OAUTH_TOKEN="ghp_your_personal_access_token"
# Test with development token
export OAUTH_TOKEN="dev-token-read,write,admin"
# Test API access
curl -H "Authorization: Bearer $OAUTH_TOKEN" \
http://localhost:8000/.well-known/oauth-protected-resource
```
### **MCP Client Testing**
```bash
# Test GitHub OAuth through MCP
"Test the OAuth discovery endpoints for GitHub"
"Show me GitHub OAuth configuration and token validation"
"List all schema contexts using GitHub authentication"
```
## 📊 GitHub vs Other OAuth 2.1 Providers
| Feature | Azure AD | Google | Okta | Keycloak | GitHub |
|---------|----------|---------|------|----------|--------|
| **OAuth 2.1 Discovery** | ✅ Full | ✅ Full | ✅ Full | ✅ Full | ⚠️ Fallback |
| **RFC 8414 Support** | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ |
| **PKCE Support** | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| **Resource Indicators** | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ |
| **Generic Configuration** | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| **API Token Validation** | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ |
| **Organization Control** | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
**Note**: GitHub's fallback mode provides the same functionality as full OAuth 2.1 providers, just without standards-based discovery.
## 🔮 Future GitHub OAuth 2.1 Improvements
### **When GitHub Adds Full OAuth 2.1 Support**
- **Automatic Detection**: Server will automatically detect and use native discovery
- **No Configuration Changes**: Existing configurations will work unchanged
- **Enhanced Features**: Full Resource Indicators and advanced OAuth 2.1 features
- **Improved Performance**: Native discovery instead of fallback mode
### **Potential GitHub Enhancements**
1. **RFC 8414 Discovery**: Standard `.well-known/oauth-authorization-server` endpoint
2. **Resource Indicators**: RFC 8707 support for resource-specific tokens
3. **Enhanced PKCE**: Improved Proof Key for Code Exchange implementation
4. **Token Introspection**: RFC 7662 token introspection endpoint
## 📚 Quick Setup Guide
### **1. Create GitHub OAuth App**
```bash
# Visit: https://github.com/settings/applications/new
# Configure redirect URI: https://your-mcp-server.com/auth/callback
```
### **2. Generic OAuth 2.1 Configuration**
```bash
export ENABLE_AUTH=true
export AUTH_ISSUER_URL="https://github.com"
export AUTH_AUDIENCE="your-github-client-id"
```
### **3. Optional Organization Restriction**
```bash
export GITHUB_ORG="your-organization"
```
### **4. Deploy and Test**
```bash
# Test discovery
curl http://localhost:8000/.well-known/oauth-authorization-server
# Test with MCP client
"Test GitHub OAuth authentication and show me the configuration"
```
## ✅ Benefits of Generic GitHub OAuth 2.1
### **🚀 Simplified Configuration**
- **75% fewer variables** (2 vs 8+ GitHub-specific variables)
- **Universal approach** consistent with other providers
- **No GitHub-specific knowledge** required
### **🔧 Easier Maintenance**
- **No GitHub-specific bugs** - handled through generic OAuth 2.1 system
- **Automatic updates** when GitHub improves OAuth 2.1 support
- **Consistent behavior** across all OAuth providers
### **🔮 Future-Proof**
- **Automatic migration** when GitHub adds full OAuth 2.1 support
- **Standards compliance** where possible
- **Graceful fallback** for GitHub's current limitations
### **🛡️ Same Security Features**
- **Token validation** through GitHub API
- **Organization restrictions** maintained
- **Scope mapping** unchanged
- **PKCE support** where available
---
## 📋 Migration Checklist
- [ ] **Update Configuration**: Replace `AUTH_PROVIDER=github` with `AUTH_ISSUER_URL="https://github.com"`
- [ ] **Set Audience**: Configure `AUTH_AUDIENCE="your-github-client-id"`
- [ ] **Remove Legacy Variables**: Clean up `GITHUB_CLIENT_ID`, `GITHUB_CLIENT_SECRET` (optional)
- [ ] **Test Discovery**: Verify `/.well-known/oauth-authorization-server` endpoint
- [ ] **Test Authentication**: Confirm GitHub tokens still work
- [ ] **Test Organization Control**: Verify organization restrictions (if used)
- [ ] **Update Documentation**: Update internal docs to reflect generic approach
---
> **🎉 GitHub OAuth 2.1 integration through the generic discovery system represents a major architectural improvement**. While GitHub's OAuth 2.1 support is limited, the server's intelligent fallback system provides seamless functionality with dramatically simplified configuration! 🚀
**The future is generic OAuth 2.1 - no more provider-specific configurations needed!** 🔐
