Q48: What is OAuth 2.0 Token Exchange (RFC 8693) and when is it used?
RFC 8693 defines an OAuth standard endpoint format allowing a client to swap an existing token (e.g., an external identity token or user access token) for a new specialized token (e.g., a short-lived microservice-specific internal token).
Useful in complex microservice meshes where an edge API gateway swaps incoming user-facing access tokens for restricted downstream service tokens with narrowed scopes.
Key Takeaways
- RFC 8693 standardizes swapping incoming tokens for narrowed microservice tokens.
- Prevents passing high-privilege edge tokens directly into internal downstream microservices.