AuthForge Rust SDK

Official Rust SDK for AuthForge: online license activation, Ed25519 signed sessions with a grace period, HWID binding, and optional online check-ins.

How it works

1. Activate: login() calls POST /auth/validate online. The server checks revocation, expiry, HWID binding, and credits, then returns an Ed25519-signed session with a TTL.
2. Grace period (the default): the app keeps running on the signed session without contacting AuthForge. The grace period equals the session TTL: the server default is 24h, and requested values are clamped to 1h to 7d. When it expires, the SDK marks the session unauthenticated and invokes on_failure.
3. Online check-ins (opt-in): set online_heartbeat: true to send periodic POST /auth/heartbeat requests instead. This gives you fast revocation and concurrent-use detection at the cost of network traffic and heartbeat credits.

Features

Everything in this list ships in src/lib.rs today:

• Online activation via POST /auth/validate, returning a signed LoginResult.
• Ed25519 signature verification on every /auth/validate and /auth/heartbeat response; tampered or unsigned responses are rejected. verify_payload_signature_ed25519[_any] is exported for standalone use.
• Key rotation: configure public_key (single key or comma-separated string) and/or public_keys (rotation set). The SDK trusts a signature that matches any configured key, so you can roll the server-side signing key without breaking deployed clients.
• Nonce anti-replay: a fresh nonce is sent on every request and the echoed nonce in the signed payload is checked; a mismatch returns ReplayDetected.
• HWID fingerprinting: deterministic device hash from hostname + OS + MAC, with graceful fallback.
• hwid_override: bind to any identity instead of the machine (for example tg:<id>, discord:<id>).
• Seat enforcement: the server binds each HWID into a license's free slots up to max_hwid_slots; hwid_count / max_hwid_slots are surfaced on LoginResult. A shared (unlimited-seat) key skips per-device binding.
• Grace period by default, opt-in online check-ins (see Grace period and online check-ins).
• Offline license files (.authforge): login_from_file / verify_license_file verify a cloud-minted, Ed25519-signed file with zero network access for air-gapped machines.
• Self-ban (self_ban(...)) for anti-tamper response, both pre-session and post-session.
• Grace period duration control (session_ttl_seconds) with server-side clamping to [3600, 604800] (1h to 7d).
• App variables / license variables for feature flags and tiered licensing.
• Automatic retries for rate-limited and transient network failures, with a fresh nonce per retry.
• Returns Result instead of exiting: unlike the Python/Node/C#/C++ SDKs, the Rust SDK never exits the process; login/validate_license return Result and background failures are reported through on_failure.

Installation

The crate is published on crates.io/crates/authforge as authforge.

From your project root:

cargo add authforge

Or declare a semver range in Cargo.toml (for example 1.1 picks up 1.1.x patches):

[dependencies]
authforge = "1.1"

Git dependency (unreleased changes)

To track the GitHub repo instead of a crates.io release:

[dependencies]
authforge = { git = "https://github.com/AuthForgeCC/authforge-rust" }

Optional: pin a branch or revision with branch = "main" or rev = "...".

Path dependency (vendored / local checkout)

Clone or submodule this repo and point at the crate directory:

[dependencies]
authforge = { path = "../authforge-rust" }

Adjust the path to match your layout (for example vendor/authforge-rust).

Quick start

Activate online once at startup; the app then runs through the grace period with no further network calls:

use authforge::{AuthForgeClient, AuthForgeConfig};

fn main() {
    let client = AuthForgeClient::new(AuthForgeConfig {
        app_id: "your-app-id".into(),
        app_secret: "your-app-secret".into(),
        public_key: "your-public-key".into(),
        on_failure: Some(Box::new(|err| {
            eprintln!("Auth failed: {}", err);
            std::process::exit(1);
        })),
        ..Default::default()
    });

    match client.login("XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX") {
        Ok(result) => println!("Activated! Grace period seconds remaining: {}", result.expires_in),
        Err(e) => eprintln!("Activation failed: {:?}", e),
    }
}

To enable online check-ins instead, add online_heartbeat: true (and optionally tune heartbeat_interval).

Config options

Field	Type	Default	Description
app_id	String	required	Application ID from the dashboard
app_secret	String	empty for login_from_file only	Application secret from the dashboard. Required for login / validate_license. Leave empty in air-gapped builds.
public_key	String	required*	App Ed25519 public key (base64) from dashboard. Accepts a comma-separated trust list. *Required unless public_keys is set.
public_keys	Vec<String>	optional	Rotation set of trusted keys. Merged ahead of public_key; the SDK trusts a signature matching any entry (see Key rotation).
online_heartbeat	bool	false	true enables online check-ins (periodic /auth/heartbeat). false (default) runs through the grace period with no network calls after activation.
heartbeat_mode	HeartbeatMode	Local	Deprecated: see Migrating from HeartbeatMode.
heartbeat_interval	u64	900	Seconds between online check-ins or grace period checks (minimum 10; default 15 min)
api_base_url	String	https://auth.authforge.cc	API base URL
on_failure	Option<Box<dyn Fn(&str)+Send+Sync>>	None	Callback invoked when auth fails
request_timeout	u64	15	Request timeout in seconds
session_ttl_seconds	Option<u64>	None (server default: 86400)	Requested grace period duration in seconds. Server clamps to [3600, 604800] (1h to 7d); preserved across check-in refreshes.
hwid_override	Option<String>	None	Optional custom hardware/subject identifier. When set to Some(non-empty), the SDK uses it instead of generated device fingerprint data.

Identity-based binding example (Telegram/Discord)

let client = AuthForgeClient::new(AuthForgeConfig {
    app_id: "YOUR_APP_ID".into(),
    app_secret: "YOUR_APP_SECRET".into(),
    public_key: "YOUR_PUBLIC_KEY".into(),
    online_heartbeat: true,
    hwid_override: Some(format!("tg:{telegram_user_id}")), // or format!("discord:{discord_user_id}")
    ..Default::default()
});

Key rotation

To rotate the server-side signing key without a flag-day, configure both the new and previous keys; the SDK accepts a signature matching any entry:

let client = AuthForgeClient::new(AuthForgeConfig {
    app_id: "YOUR_APP_ID".into(),
    app_secret: "YOUR_APP_SECRET".into(),
    public_keys: vec!["NEW_PUBLIC_KEY".into(), "PREVIOUS_PUBLIC_KEY".into()],
    ..Default::default()
});

A comma-separated public_key ("NEW,PREVIOUS") works too, for env-var convenience.

Grace period and online check-ins

• Grace period (the default, no config needed): after a successful online activation, the app keeps running on the Ed25519-signed session without contacting AuthForge. On each heartbeat_interval the SDK confirms the session is still authenticated and that the stored expiry has not passed, failing with Expired once it has. (The signature was already verified at activation; the check is expiry-only and does not re-verify the cached signature.) The grace period equals the session TTL: server default 24h, clamped to 1h to 7d via session_ttl_seconds.
• Online check-ins (online_heartbeat: true): the SDK sends /auth/heartbeat on each interval, verifies the signature + nonce, and refreshes the stored session. Use this when you need fast revocation or concurrent-use detection; revocations take effect on the next check-in rather than at the end of the grace period.

Either way, the grace period is session continuation after one successful online activation, not persistent offline licensing. The app must reach AuthForge again once the signed session expires. For machines that can never reach AuthForge, use an offline license file instead.

Offline license files (.authforge)

For machines that never connect to the internet, the operator mints a signed offline license file in the AuthForge dashboard (License page -> Mint .authforge file) or via POST /v1/licenses/{licenseKey}/offline-files. The file is a standalone Ed25519-signed document; the SDK verifies it with only your app public key and the machine HWID. It never contacts AuthForge and never starts the background thread. Leave app_secret empty so the air-gapped binary does not contain the App Secret.

	Grace period (default)	Offline license file
Needs network	Once, at login()	Never on the end machine
What is verified	Signed session from /auth/validate	Signed document minted in the cloud
Lifetime	Session TTL: 1h to 7d	Operator-chosen expiry or lifetime (perpetual licenses only)
Revocation	Picked up at the next online validate / check-in	Not reachable: the file stays valid until its own expiry
Cost	1 credit per login()	1 credit per mint; verifying is free

use authforge::{AuthForgeClient, AuthForgeConfig, OfflineLicenseError};

let client = AuthForgeClient::new(AuthForgeConfig {
    app_id: "YOUR_APP_ID".into(),
    public_key: "YOUR_PUBLIC_KEY".into(),
    on_failure: Some(Box::new(|msg| eprintln!("authforge: {msg}"))),
    ..Default::default()
});

// 1. Write an activation request the operator drops into the mint dialog:
std::fs::write("machine.authforge-request", client.create_activation_request(Default::default())).expect("write request");

// 2. Later, authorize from the minted file (path or armored text). No network.
match client.login_from_file("license.authforge") {
    Ok(lic) => println!("Offline license OK until {:?}", lic.expires_at), // None = lifetime
    Err(OfflineLicenseError::Expired) => eprintln!("offline license expired - ask the operator for a new file"),
    Err(OfflineLicenseError::HwidMismatch) => eprintln!("this file is bound to a different machine"),
    Err(err) => eprintln!("offline license rejected: {err}"),
}

Collect the HWID from the same SDK build that will load the file: fingerprints are not portable across SDKs or languages. After login_from_file, get_session_kind() returns Some(SessionKind::Offline) (Some(SessionKind::Online) after login, None when logged out).

authforge::verify_license_file(text, &opts) (crate function) and client.verify_license_file(path_or_text) perform the same checks without touching client state. Errors are the OfflineLicenseError enum, in check order: BadArmor, BadSignature, UnsupportedVersion, MalformedPayload, WrongApp, Expired, HwidMismatch (plus ReadError when a path cannot be read); .code() gives the cross-SDK string. login_from_file also reports offline_login_failed: <code> through on_failure. The AuthForgeError enum used by the online APIs is unchanged.

File format (version 1): PEM-style armor with informational headers, a base64 JSON payload (v, appId, licenseKey, jti, kid, issuedAt, expiresAt, hwid policy, optional label/variable snapshots) and a detached Ed25519 signature over the UTF-8 bytes of the base64 payload string - the same contract as /auth/validate. See offline_license_vectors.json for conformance vectors.

Migrating from HeartbeatMode

AuthForgeConfig.heartbeat_mode and the HeartbeatMode enum are deprecated. The old field still works but emits deprecation warnings. If both fields are set, either one enables online check-ins: HeartbeatMode::Server is not overridden by online_heartbeat: false.

• heartbeat_mode: HeartbeatMode::Local maps to the default behavior (the grace period). Just remove the field:

// Before
AuthForgeConfig { heartbeat_mode: HeartbeatMode::Local, ..Default::default() }
// After
AuthForgeConfig { ..Default::default() }

• heartbeat_mode: HeartbeatMode::Server maps to online check-ins:

// Before
AuthForgeConfig { heartbeat_mode: HeartbeatMode::Server, ..Default::default() }
// After
AuthForgeConfig { online_heartbeat: true, ..Default::default() }

If both are set, online_heartbeat: true or HeartbeatMode::Server (either one) enables online check-ins.

Billing

• 1 login() or validate_license() call = 1 credit (one /auth/validate debit each).
• 10 online check-ins on the same license = 1 credit (billed every 10th successful check-in). The grace period makes no network calls and costs nothing after activation.

With online check-ins, a desktop app running 6h/day at a 15-minute interval burns roughly 3 to 4 credits/day. /auth/heartbeat is limited to 6 requests/minute per license key, so keep intervals at 10 seconds or higher and choose cadence based on revocation speed needs (revocations always land on the next check-in).

Methods

• login(&self, license_key: &str) -> Result<LoginResult, AuthForgeError>
• validate_license(&self, license_key: &str) -> Result<LoginResult, AuthForgeError>: same /auth/validate + verification as login, without storing session or starting the background thread; on_failure is not called for network errors on this path
• self_ban(&self, license_key: Option<&str>, session_token: Option<&str>, revoke_license: bool, blacklist_hwid: bool, blacklist_ip: bool) -> Result<(), AuthForgeError>
• login_from_file(&self, path_or_text: &str) -> Result<OfflineLicense, OfflineLicenseError>: authorizes from an offline .authforge file with no network; never starts the background thread; failures are echoed to on_failure as offline_login_failed: <code>
• verify_license_file(&self, path_or_text: &str) -> Result<OfflineLicense, OfflineLicenseError>: same checks without changing state
• get_offline_license(&self) -> Option<OfflineLicense>: the offline file in use (jti, expires_at, hwid_policy, …)
• get_session_kind(&self) -> Option<SessionKind>: Some(SessionKind::Online), Some(SessionKind::Offline), or None when logged out
• hwid(&self) -> &str: the HWID this client sends (or hwid_override); customers share it to receive a bound file
• create_activation_request(&self, opts) -> String: unsigned .authforge-request for this machine. No network, no secret. Hostname omitted unless include_machine_name
• logout(&self)
• is_authenticated(&self) -> bool
• get_session_data(&self) -> Option<serde_json::Value>
• get_app_variables(&self) -> Option<std::collections::HashMap<String, serde_json::Value>>
• get_license_variables(&self) -> Option<std::collections::HashMap<String, serde_json::Value>>

Error handling

Errors are returned as AuthForgeError, including:

• InvalidApp
• InvalidKey
• Expired
• Revoked
• HwidMismatch
• NoCredits
• AppBurnCapReached
• Blocked
• RateLimited
• ReplayDetected
• AppDisabled
• SessionExpired
• RevokeRequiresSession
• BadRequest (covers both bad_request and malformed_request)
• SystemError
• SignatureMismatch
• NetworkError(String)
• Other(String)

Retry behavior is handled inside the internal HTTP request layer:

• rate_limited: retry after 2s, then 5s (max 3 attempts total)
• network transport failure: retry once after 2s
• retries regenerate a fresh nonce when request payload includes nonce

Self-ban (tamper response)

Use self_ban(...) when anti-tamper checks trigger:

// Post-session (authenticated): revoke + HWID/IP blacklist.
client.self_ban(None, None, true, true, true)?;

// Pre-session: provide a license key; SDK forces revoke off client-side.
client.self_ban(Some("AF-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX"), None, true, true, true)?;

// Explicit flags:
client.self_ban(None, None, false, true, true)?;

self_ban(...) chooses request mode automatically:

• Uses post-session mode when a session token is available (session_token arg or current SDK session).
• Falls back to pre-session mode with license_key + nonce + app secret.
• In pre-session mode, revoke is always disabled client-side to avoid unsafe key revocations.
• Not available after login_from_file: offline sessions have no server session, so self_ban with no explicit license_key / session_token returns Err(AuthForgeError::Other("offline_session")) without contacting the server.

License

MIT