Token based authentication in Web API without any user interface

I am developing a REST API in ASP.Net Web API. My API will be only accessible via non-browser based clients. I need to implement security for my API so I decided to go with Token based authentication. I have a fair understanding of token based authentication and have read a few tutorials, but they all have some user interface for login. I don't need any UI for login as the login details will be passed by the client through HTTP POST which will be authorized from our database. How can I implement token based authentication in my API? Please note- my API will be accessed in high frequency so I also have to take care of performance. Please let me know if I can explain it any better.

I think there is some confusion about the difference between MVC and Web Api. In short, for MVC you can use a login form and create a session using cookies. For Web Api there is no session. That's why you want to use the token.

You do not need a login form. The Token endpoint is all you need. Like Win described you'll send the credentials to the token endpoint where it is handled.

Here's some client side C# code to get a token:

    //using System;
    //using System.Collections.Generic;
    //using System.Net;
    //using System.Net.Http;
    //string token = GetToken("https://localhost:<port>/", userName, password);

    static string GetToken(string url, string userName, string password) {
        var pairs = new List<KeyValuePair<string, string>>
                    {
                        new KeyValuePair<string, string>( "grant_type", "password" ), 
                        new KeyValuePair<string, string>( "username", userName ), 
                        new KeyValuePair<string, string> ( "Password", password )
                    };
        var content = new FormUrlEncodedContent(pairs);
        ServicePointManager.ServerCertificateValidationCallback += (sender, cert, chain, sslPolicyErrors) => true;
        using (var client = new HttpClient()) {
            var response = client.PostAsync(url + "Token", content).Result;
            return response.Content.ReadAsStringAsync().Result;
        }
    }

In order to use the token add it to the header of the request:

    //using System;
    //using System.Collections.Generic;
    //using System.Net;
    //using System.Net.Http;
    //var result = CallApi("https://localhost:<port>/something", token);

    static string CallApi(string url, string token) {
        ServicePointManager.ServerCertificateValidationCallback += (sender, cert, chain, sslPolicyErrors) => true;
        using (var client = new HttpClient()) {
            if (!string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(token)) {
                var t = JsonConvert.DeserializeObject<Token>(token);

                client.DefaultRequestHeaders.Clear();
                client.DefaultRequestHeaders.Add("Authorization", "Bearer " + t.access_token);
            }
            var response = client.GetAsync(url).Result;
            return response.Content.ReadAsStringAsync().Result;
        }
    }

Where Token is:

//using Newtonsoft.Json;

class Token
{
    public string access_token { get; set; }
    public string token_type { get; set; }
    public int expires_in { get; set; }
    public string userName { get; set; }
    [JsonProperty(".issued")]
    public string issued { get; set; }
    [JsonProperty(".expires")]
    public string expires { get; set; }
}

Now for the server side:

In Startup.Auth.cs

        var oAuthOptions = new OAuthAuthorizationServerOptions
        {
            TokenEndpointPath = new PathString("/Token"),
            Provider = new ApplicationOAuthProvider("self"),
            AccessTokenExpireTimeSpan = TimeSpan.FromDays(14),
            // https
            AllowInsecureHttp = false
        };
        // Enable the application to use bearer tokens to authenticate users
        app.UseOAuthBearerTokens(oAuthOptions);

And in ApplicationOAuthProvider.cs the code that actually grants or denies access:

//using Microsoft.AspNet.Identity.Owin;
//using Microsoft.Owin.Security;
//using Microsoft.Owin.Security.OAuth;
//using System;
//using System.Collections.Generic;
//using System.Security.Claims;
//using System.Threading.Tasks;

public class ApplicationOAuthProvider : OAuthAuthorizationServerProvider
{
    private readonly string _publicClientId;

    public ApplicationOAuthProvider(string publicClientId)
    {
        if (publicClientId == null)
            throw new ArgumentNullException("publicClientId");

        _publicClientId = publicClientId;
    }

    public override async Task GrantResourceOwnerCredentials(OAuthGrantResourceOwnerCredentialsContext context)
    {
        var userManager = context.OwinContext.GetUserManager<ApplicationUserManager>();

        var user = await userManager.FindAsync(context.UserName, context.Password);
        if (user == null)
        {
            context.SetError("invalid_grant", "The user name or password is incorrect.");
            return;
        }

        ClaimsIdentity oAuthIdentity = await user.GenerateUserIdentityAsync(userManager);
        var propertyDictionary = new Dictionary<string, string> { { "userName", user.UserName } };
        var properties = new AuthenticationProperties(propertyDictionary);

        AuthenticationTicket ticket = new AuthenticationTicket(oAuthIdentity, properties);
        // Token is validated.
        context.Validated(ticket);
    }

    public override Task TokenEndpoint(OAuthTokenEndpointContext context)
    {
        foreach (KeyValuePair<string, string> property in context.Properties.Dictionary)
        {
            context.AdditionalResponseParameters.Add(property.Key, property.Value);
        }
        return Task.FromResult<object>(null);
    }

    public override Task ValidateClientAuthentication(OAuthValidateClientAuthenticationContext context)
    {
        // Resource owner password credentials does not provide a client ID.
        if (context.ClientId == null)
            context.Validated();

        return Task.FromResult<object>(null);
    }

    public override Task ValidateClientRedirectUri(OAuthValidateClientRedirectUriContext context)
    {
        if (context.ClientId == _publicClientId)
        {
            var expectedRootUri = new Uri(context.Request.Uri, "/");

            if (expectedRootUri.AbsoluteUri == context.RedirectUri)
                context.Validated();
        }
        return Task.FromResult<object>(null);
    }

}

As you can see there is no controller involved in retrieving the token. In fact, you can remove all MVC references if you want a Web Api only. I have simplified the server side code to make it more readable. You can add code to upgrade the security.

Make sure you use SSL only. Implement the RequireHttpsAttribute to force this.

You can use the Authorize / AllowAnonymous attributes to secure your Web Api. Additionally you can add filters (like RequireHttpsAttribute) to make your Web Api more secure. I hope this helps.

ASP.Net Web API has Authorization Server build-in already. You can see it inside Startup.cs when you create a new ASP.Net Web Application with Web API template.

OAuthOptions = new OAuthAuthorizationServerOptions
{
    TokenEndpointPath = new PathString("/Token"),
    Provider = new ApplicationOAuthProvider(PublicClientId),
    AuthorizeEndpointPath = new PathString("/api/Account/ExternalLogin"),
    AccessTokenExpireTimeSpan = TimeSpan.FromDays(14),
    // In production mode set AllowInsecureHttp = false
    AllowInsecureHttp = true
};

All you have to do is to post URL encoded username and password inside query string.

/Token/userName=johndoe%40example.com&password=1234&grant_type=password

If you want to know more detail, you can watch User Registration and Login - Angular Front to Back with Web API by Deborah Kurata.