authenticate.json README

authenticate.json is a JSON/JSONP service for MIT certificate authentication. Use it to grab basic user information via MIT certificates on sites which are not setup with Shibboleth/Touchstone.

It has only been tested on scripts.mit.edu. Not for use with sensitive information.

by mitcho, [email protected], August 1, 2011

Setup

Put on a server such as scripts which has SSL_Client enabled for use with MIT certificates.

If you're on scripts, make sure you have a php.ini that looks like:

magic_quotes_gpc = no
extension = ldap.so
extension = json.so

and has the following in .htaccess:

RewriteEngine on
RewriteRule ^authenticate.json$ %{REQUEST_URI}.php

Usage:

Include the script https://scripts.mit.edu:444/~locker/authenticate.json with the parameter ?callback=... to set a JSONP wrapper function. Or, with jQuery, call $.getJSON('authenticate.json?callback=?') and you'll get the object returned to you.

The return value is an object. If certificate authentication failed, return object will have property authenticated = false. Else, authenticated will be true and there will be a number of other properties of the MIT user returned from LDAP + finger.