web-eid
v0.0.8
Published
Web eID client library
Readme
web-eid.js ·

web-eid.js is a ultrathin wrapper on top of the messaging interface provided by the Web eID app, either via web-eid-extension HTML5 postMessage interface or WebSockets or some other message transport in the future (like Android Intents)
It makes using the features provided by Web eID installation as available via web-eid.com super-easy:
- provides an asynchronous, Promise-based DWIM interface
- listens to incoming messages and turns them into resolved Promises
Installation
Browser installation
Just download the file and use it in a script tag
<script src="web-eid.js"></script>Functionality shall be bound to window.webeid
Bower
$ bower install --save web-eidWebpack & Browserify
$ npm install --save web-eidAnd simply
webeid = require('web-eid');Note for IE users
IE 11 does not have Promise support, thus a polyfill is required.
API
- All calls are asynchronous in nature and return a Promise
- While asynchronous, the API is still sequential - only one call can be serviced by a smart card (reader) at a time. If a call can not be serviced because this reason, the promise shall be rejected
- The
messageproperty of a rejected promise (an Error) shall contain a symbolic error code that can be parsed - Conformance to https://www.w3.org/2001/tag/doc/promises-guide is intended
Note about API and stability
At this point of time no API stability is assured. Please note that if window.hwcrypto from hwcrypto.js is detected, hwcrypto.getCertificate() and hwcrypto.sign() are monkeypatched.
Timeouts
By default the execution time of a call depends on the underlying hardware and timeout is infinite. A timeout can be set for some calls, so that the operations that depend on user action would fail sooner (e.g. do not wait forever but fail in 2 minutes, if the user does not connect a card reader and insert a card in time) or set to 0 to get an instant error code. Please note that not all calls are cancelable on all platforms, due to unerlying platform limitations.
isAvailable
webeid.isAvailable(object options)| parameter | type | |
|------------|-------------|---------------------------------|
| options | object | additional options (optional) |
| options | |
|-----------|-------------------------------------------------|
| timeout | timeout in seconds or Infinity. Default is 0|
- resolves to
falseif client software is not available or to a string that describes the connection type of the application (webextensionorwebsocket) - if
false, the recommended action is to display a notice with a link to https://web-eid.com - if called with
timeout = Infinity, the recommended action is to display a dynamic notice during the call that asks the user to install or start the client app - recommended use: guard function before dynamicallly showing login button; general client availability check before calling rest of the API etc
PKI operations
If a PKI call fails, the promise shall be rejected with an Error object, which message property shall be a string from CKR_* series (PKCS#11, CNG/CryptoAPI return codes are mapped)
authenticate
webeid.authenticate(string nonce, object options)| parameter | type | |
|------------|-------------|--------------------------------------|
| nonce | string | nonce for the session (required) |
| options | object | additional options (optional) |
| options | |
|-----------|--------------------------------------------------------|
| timeout | timeout in seconds or Infinity. Default is Infinity|
- resolves to a
stringcontaining the JWT token. JWT token description: https://github.com/martinpaljak/x509-webauth/wiki/OpenID-X509-ID-Token - possible reasons for rejection: timeout or user cancels authentication, no certificates available, some other technical error
- used certificate is available in the
x5cheader field of the JWT token. - expected behavior: user is instructed though the process of attaching a reader and a card, if necessary
- possible changes: resolving to
undefinedwhen no certificates are available
getCertificate
webeid.getCertificate(object options)| parameter | type | |
|------------|-------------|---------------------------------|
| options | object | additional options (optional) |
| options | |
|-----------|--------------------------------------------------------|
| filter | type of certificate to return. Default is sign |
| timeout | timeout in seconds or Infinity. Default is Infinity|
- resolves to an
ArrayBufferwith the certificate - intended to be used with the following
webeid.sign()operation - expected behavior: user is instructed though the process of attaching a reader and a card, if necessary
- possible reasons for rejection: user cancels certificate selection, no certificates available, some other technical error
- possible changes: resolving to
undefinedwhen no certificates available
sign
webeid.sign(ArrayBuffer certificate, ArrayBuffer hash, object options)| parameter | type | |
|---------------|-------------|-----------------------------------|
| certificate | ArrayBuffer | certificate to use (required) |
| hash | ArrayBuffer | hash to sign (required) |
| options | object | additional options (optional) |
| options | |
|------------|--------------------------------------------------------|
| hashalgo | hash algorithm type ("SHA-256" etc). (required) |
| timeout | timeout in seconds or Infinity. Default is Infinity|
- resolves to a
ArrayBuffercontaining the signature of thehashparameter (ArrayBuffer) generated with the private key belonging to thecertificate(ArrayBuffer). Hash type is specified inoptions.hashalgo(string) and is one of "SHA-256", "SHA-384", "SHA-512" - possible reasons for rejection: user cancels/refuses signing, user PIN is blocked, some other technical error
- possible changes: support for "last round on card" hashing
WebSocket operations
authenticatedWebSocket
webeid.authenticatedWebSocket(string url, object options)| parameter | type | |
|---------------|-------------|-----------------------------------|
| url | string | URL to connect to (required) |
| options | object | additional options (optional) |
| options | |
|---------------------|------------------------------------------------------------|
| autoclose | set to true to close the socket when the card is removed |
| timeout | timeout in seconds or Infinity. Default is Infinity |
- the first message from the service MUST be JSON and MUST contain the nonce
{"nonce": "noncevalue"} authenticate()is called with the nonce- the authentication token is sent back to the service as JSON
{"token": "authenticationtoken"} - promise is resolved with the WebSocket object
- if a card remove event is detected and autoclose is enabled, the socket is closed
PC/SC operations
- if rejected, the message of the Error object for PC/SC operations shall be a PC/SC API error code as a string (e.g.
"SCARD_E_NOT_TRANSACTED")
connect
webeid.connect(object options)| parameter | type | |
|------------|-------------|---------------------------------|
| options | object | additional options (optional) |
| options | |
|-----------|--------------------------------------------------------|
| atrs | list of expected ATR-s in base64. Default is [] |
| protocol| protocol to use (T=0, T=1, *. Default is * |
| timeout | timeout in seconds or Infinity. Default is Infinity|
- resolves to a
Readerobjectname-string- name of the readerprotocol-string- protocol of the connection (T=0orT=1)atr-ArrayBuffer- ATR of the card, as reported by the host PC/SC APItransmit(ArrayBuffer)-function- transmits the APDU to the card, returns a Promise that resolves to the responsedisconnect()-function- disconnects the card, returns a Promisereconnect(string protocol)-function- reconnects with the specified protocol, returns a Promise
- equivalent for
SCardConnectin the PC/SC API SCardConnectis called withSCARD_SHARE_EXCLUSIVEor if it is not possible, withSCARD_SHARE_SHAREDand aSCardBeginTransaction()on non-Windows machines
Reader.transmit(bytes)
- resolves to
ArrayBufferof the response - equivalent of
SCardTransmitin PC/SC API - resembles transmitRaw, without the tidbits of channels or
61XX/6CXXhandling - comparable for transceive() in Android IsoDep API
Reader.control(code, bytes)
- resolves to
ArrayBufferof the response - equivalent for
SCardControlin PC/SC API
Reader.reconnect(protocol)
- resolves to
true.Readerobject propertiesprotocolandatrmight have changed - equivalent for
SCardReconnectin PC/SC API
Reader.disconnect()
- equivalent for
SCardDisconnectin PC/SC API SCardDisconnectis called withSCARD_RESET_CARDargument
Error codes
SCARD_E_READER_UNAVAILABLE- ifwebeid.connect()has not been called or the reader has disappearedSCARD_E_SHARING_VIOLATION- ifwebeid.connect()can not establish a reliable (no interference from other applications on the computer) connection to the card
