Token Rotation Guide: Why and How to Rotate Refresh Tokens
How refresh token rotation works, why it limits the damage of token theft, and implementation patterns for web and mobile apps.
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Tags: security, authentication, tokens
Token Rotation: Refresh Token Rotation and Reuse Detection Refresh token rotation is a security mechanism where each time a refresh token is used to get a new access token, the refresh token itself is replaced with a new one. The old refresh token is immediately invalidated. This technique limits the damage from token theft and enables detection of stolen tokens through reuse detection. Why Refresh Token Rotation Matters Consider a scenario: an attacker steals a refresh token (from XSS, network interception, or a compromised device). If the refresh token never changes, the attacker can silently generate new access tokens indefinitely. The user may be completely unaware. With refresh token rotation: Every use of a refresh token is visible in the token lineage If the attacker uses the…
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