Skip to main content

OAuth 2.0 Client Instance Assertion
draft-mcguinness-oauth-client-instance-assertion-01

Document Type Replaced Internet-Draft (individual)
Expired & archived
Author Karl McGuinness
Last updated 2026-06-24
Replaced by draft-mcguinness-oauth-client-instance-id
RFC stream (None)
Intended RFC status (None)
Formats
Stream Stream state (No stream defined)
Consensus boilerplate Unknown
RFC Editor Note (None)
IESG IESG state Replaced by draft-mcguinness-oauth-client-instance-id
Telechat date (None)
Responsible AD (None)
Send notices to (None)

This Internet-Draft is no longer active. A copy of the expired Internet-Draft is available in these formats:

Abstract

This specification defines the Client Instance Assertion: a signed JWT identifying a concrete runtime instance of an OAuth 2.0 client. It registers the client_instance_assertion request parameter for carrying the assertion at the OAuth 2.0 token endpoint on the authorization_code, client_credentials, refresh_token, and JWT bearer (RFC 7523) grants; on the token-exchange grant (RFC 8693), the same assertion is presented as actor_token with actor_token_type set to urn:ietf:params:oauth:token-type:client-instance-jwt, also registered by this specification. This specification does not introduce a new client_instance identifier in protocol messages. Instead, it defines client metadata parameters (applicable to clients identified by a Client ID Metadata Document (CIMD) or registered via OAuth Dynamic Client Registration (RFC 7591)) that let a client_id identify a logical client whose concrete runtime instances are authenticated by one or more trusted instance issuers (for example, workload identity systems). The Authorization Server validates the instance assertion and represents the instance either as an act claim, when another principal is present (e.g., a user delegating to the instance), or as the access token's sub, when the instance itself is the principal (e.g., a client credentials grant). The issued access token is sender-constrained to a key the instance possesses.

Authors

Karl McGuinness

(Note: The e-mail addresses provided for the authors of this Internet-Draft may no longer be valid.)