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Fusion 40a940304b docs: comprehensive API documentation
- Create enhanced health endpoints with /health and /health/db
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- Create ADR-001 for session auth decision
- Create ADR-002 for async SQLAlchemy decision
- Quality gates: Python syntax OK, TypeScript OK
2026-05-19 21:31:20 +02:00

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# ADR-001: Session-Based Authentication with httpOnly Cookies
## Status
Accepted
## Context
The application needs an authentication mechanism for the OAuth2 flow with Authentik. We need to decide between:
1. **JWT tokens** stored in localStorage (common SPA pattern)
2. **Session cookies** with httpOnly flag
3. **JWT tokens** in httpOnly cookies
### Constraints
- Frontend and API run on different subdomains in production (e.g., `app.example.com` and `api.example.com`)
- Must support OAuth2 authorization code flow
- Must work with Traefik reverse proxy
- Must be secure against XSS attacks
## Decision
We will use **session-based authentication with HMAC-signed httpOnly cookies**.
### Implementation
1. After OAuth callback, the API creates a session token (HMAC-SHA256 signed)
2. Token is stored in an httpOnly, Secure, SameSite cookie
3. Frontend never sees or stores the token
4. Cookie is sent automatically with every request via `withCredentials: true`
5. Session is stateless - token contains user_id and expiry
## Consequences
### Positive
- **XSS protection**: Token is never exposed to JavaScript
- **Simpler frontend**: No token management, refresh logic, or storage
- **Immediate revocation**: Can invalidate sessions server-side if needed
- **Standards compliant**: Uses well-established cookie security mechanisms
- **Works across subdomains**: Cookie domain can be set to parent domain
### Negative
- **CSRF risk**: Requires CSRF protection for state-changing operations (mitigated by SameSite=Lax/Strict)
- **Less flexible**: Harder to use with non-browser clients (mitigated by API key support if needed)
- **Cookie size**: Session token adds ~100 bytes to every request
### Alternatives Considered
**JWT in localStorage**
- Pros: Simple implementation, works with any client
- Cons: Vulnerable to XSS, requires manual token refresh, complex frontend logic
- Rejected due to XSS vulnerability
**JWT in httpOnly cookies**
- Pros: XSS protection, standard JWT benefits
- Cons: Complex refresh token rotation, no easy revocation, larger token size
- Rejected in favor of simpler session cookies
## Date
2026-05-18
## Participants
- Development Team