[keycloak-dev] Password Updates and Authenticators in the new Account Console

[Václav Muzikář]

Hello,
I wanted to discuss the new Account Console which is in development and how
it handles password updates and authenticators configuration (e.g. TOTP).

Currently, when a user wants to update their password [see attached A.png]
or configure authenticator [B.png] they cannot do it directly from the
Account Console. They need to be redirected back to Keycloak and perform it
there in form of Required Action [C.png, D.png] – which is technically the
login screen (it uses the same template). This also means there will be no
REST endpoints for changing passwords or managing authenticators.

IMHO this is not the best approach either for users or developers (who'll
be using Keycloak with their app). Let me explain why.

   - It's not really user friendly. Redirecting from one application to
   seemingly completely different application is never good and can be
   confusing. I can imagine some less tech savvy users could even feel "in
   danger" – one second you're securely managing your account and then you are
   asked to change your password in some other application (that suspiciously
   uses the same design as login screen).
   - This approach doesn't feel seamless. You can change e.g. your name,
   email, etc. directly from the Account Console. But not password and
   authenticators...
   - It's not an industry standard. I haven't ever encountered anywhere
   that I'd have to be redirected from some profile managing app to completely
   different app just to change password. Again – it's confusing for the users
   to do something differently than they're used to and what they expect.
   - Network traffic overhead. People accessing the Account Console will
   often use some limited and slow internet connection. Needless redirecting
   back and forth and loading the application again takes data and time.
   - Missing REST endpoints limit developers. With a proper REST API devs
   could e.g. fully integrate the Account Console functionality into their own
   app (and effectively replacing the Console by their app). This also means
   no CLI apps support. And I don't think REST API is less secure than
   Required Actions – either way you're sending an HTTP request and how it's
   secure depends on the same factors for both.
   - We're stripping out core Account Console functionality. It was always
   a central place to manage your account. Now it can do what? Change your
   email and manage apps access? (We could as well replace it with bunch of
   links to Required Actions. :P There're are already Required Actions for
   changing email and name.)

I can see however one advantage of this approach. There's only one place
where users can change their passwords and authenticators – no need to
implement it second time when it's already implemented as Required Actions.
But this is actually not entirely true as e.g. password changing process
(incl. password policies etc.) is implemented in Admin Console too so there
needs to be some shared logic.
In general this approach practically benefits "only" the implementation
complexity – it's easier to do it this way and therefore less error prone.

WDYT? Should we keep the current approach?

Thank you!

V.

-- 
Václav Muzikář
Senior Quality Engineer
Keycloak / Red Hat Single Sign-On
Red Hat Czech s.r.o.
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