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DiceDB

AUTH

The AUTH command is a DiceDB command that enables you to authenticate a client connecting to the DiceDB server using a password. This command is particularly important in environments where the DiceDB instance is secured with access control measures, ensuring that only authorized users can interact with the server and its data.

Syntax

AUTH password

Parameters

  • password (string): The password that you have set for the DiceDB server. This is a required parameter for the AUTH command. If the password is correct, the command will return a success response; if it is incorrect, an error will be raised.

Return Value

  • On success: The command returns the string OK, indicating that the authentication was successful.
  • On failure: If the authentication fails (due to an incorrect password), it raises an error indicating the failure reason.

Behaviour

When the AUTH command is executed, DiceDB will perform the following steps:

  1. Check Authentication Status: DiceDB will check if the server is configured to require authentication (i.e., if a password is set in the DiceDB configuration).
  2. Validate Password: If authentication is required, DiceDB will then verify the provided password against the configured password.
  3. Return Response:
    • If the password is valid, DiceDB will store the authenticated session for that client.
    • If the password is invalid, an error message will be returned.

Once authenticated, the client can execute commands on the DiceDB server that require authentication. If a client attempts to send commands without being authenticated (and while authentication is required), DiceDB will respond with an error for unauthorized access.

Example Usage

Successful Authentication

Terminal window
127.0.0.1:7379> AUTH your_secret_password
OK

In this example, after successfully typing the correct password, the DiceDB server responds with OK, indicating that the client is now authenticated and can execute further commands.

Failed Authentication

Terminal window
127.0.0.1:7379> AUTH incorrect_password
(error) WRONGPASS invalid username-password pair or user is disabled

In this example, the provided password is incorrect. As a result, the DiceDB server responds with an error stating (error) ERR invalid password, indicating that the authentication has failed.

Invoking commands without AUTH

Terminal window
127.0.0.1:7379> GET x
(error) NOAUTH Authentication required

In this example, when some other command is fired without doing AUTH then the above error is thrown denoting that authentication is required.

Error Handling

The AUTH command may raise the following errors:

  • (error) ERR invalid password: This error occurs if the password provided to the AUTH command does not match the configured password of the DiceDB server. The client will not be granted access unless the correct password is provided.

  • (error) ERR Client sent AUTH but no password is set: This error will be raised if the DiceDB server is not configured to use a password (i.e., the requirepass directive in the DiceDB.conf file is empty or commented out), and a client attempts to authenticate using the AUTH command.

Additional Notes

  • The AUTH command should be used cautiously, especially over unsecured connections, as plaintext passwords may be transmitted. Using TLS or other secure methods is recommended for production environments.
  • It’s possible to configure DiceDB to allow multiple clients to connect concurrently from different IP addresses. Each client needs to authenticate separately.
  • If you change the password in the DiceDB configuration, all connected clients must re-authenticate with the new password.