| Internet-Draft | OAuth Authorization Evidence | June 2026 |
| Liu, et al. | Expires 25 December 2026 | [Page] |
This specification defines an authorization details type for including authorization evidence and audit trail information in OAuth 2.0 access tokens using the Rich Authorization Requests (RAR) framework. When an Authorization Server processes user consent, it enriches the authorization details with cryptographic proof of user confirmation, supporting accountability, compliance, and dispute resolution in scenarios where autonomous agents act on behalf of users.¶
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In traditional OAuth 2.0 [RFC6749] flows, the Authorization Server records user consent internally, but this information is not typically conveyed to Resource Servers or included in access tokens. For many use cases, this is sufficient. However, emerging scenarios, particularly those involving AI agents acting autonomously on behalf of users, require stronger guarantees about user intent and consent.¶
This specification addresses the need for:¶
This specification defines an authorization details type that leverages
the Rich Authorization Requests (RAR) [RFC9396] framework
to convey authorization evidence. When a client includes an
authorization_evidence authorization details object in its
request, the Authorization Server enriches it during the consent process
with cryptographic proof of user confirmation.¶
Unless otherwise noted, all data types and serialization rules follow the JSON data interchange format as defined in [RFC8259].¶
The key words "MUST", "MUST NOT", "REQUIRED", "SHALL", "SHALL NOT", "SHOULD", "SHOULD NOT", "RECOMMENDED", "NOT RECOMMENDED", "MAY", and "OPTIONAL" in this document are to be interpreted as described in BCP 14 [RFC2119] [RFC8174] when, and only when, they appear in all capitals.¶
This specification builds on the Rich Authorization Requests (RAR)
framework [RFC9396]. In RAR, clients include
authorization_details in authorization requests to convey
fine-grained authorization data. RAR Section 7.1 defines an "Enriched
Response" mechanism where the Authorization Server dynamically
populates fields in the authorization_details based on user
consent decisions or policy rules.¶
The authorization_evidence type defined in this specification
follows this enriched response pattern:¶
authorization_evidence authorization
details object in its request, typically with minimal or placeholder
fields indicating that evidence is requested.¶
authorization_evidence object with the
complete evidence record, including user_confirmation
details and the AS's cryptographic signature.¶
This approach ensures that authorization evidence is structured as a first-class authorization detail rather than a standalone JWT claim, enabling consistent handling across OAuth flows and composability with other authorization details types.¶
The authorization_evidence authorization details type contains
a record of the user's confirmation action during the authorization
process. Following the RAR enriched response pattern
([RFC9396] Section 7.1), the client requests this type
and the AS enriches it with the complete evidence record.¶
A client requests authorization evidence by including an
authorization_evidence authorization details object in its
authorization request. The client typically includes minimal fields,
indicating that evidence is requested:¶
{
"authorization_details": [
{
"type": "authorization_evidence"
}
]
}
The client MAY include optional fields to indicate preferences, such as specific audit trail requirements. However, the AS has final authority over the evidence content based on the actual consent interaction.¶
After the user completes the consent interaction, the AS enriches the
authorization_evidence object with the complete evidence
record. The enriched authorization details is included in the token
response:¶
{
"authorization_details": [
{
"type": "authorization_evidence",
"evidence": {
"id": "urn:uuid:f81d4fae-7dec-11d0-a765-00a0c91e6bf6",
"user_confirmation": {
"displayed_content": "Add items under $50 to cart",
"user_action": "confirmed_via_button_click",
"timestamp": 1731320595
},
"as_signature": "eyJhbGciOiJFUzI1NiJ9..MEUCIQDx...",
"audit_trail": {
"semantic_expansion_level": "medium",
"proposal_ref": "urn:uuid:proposal-xyz"
}
}
}
]
}
The evidence object within the authorization_evidence
authorization details type contains the following fields:¶
{
"evidence": {
"id": "urn:uuid:f81d4fae-7dec-11d0-a765-00a0c91e6bf6",
"user_confirmation": {
"displayed_content": "Add items under $50 to cart",
"user_action": "confirmed_via_button_click",
"timestamp": 1731320595
},
"as_signature": "eyJhbGciOiJFUzI1NiJ9..MEUCIQDx..."
}
}
| Field | Type | Requirement | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| id | string | REQUIRED | Unique identifier for this evidence record. The value MUST use a URI or URN format with at least 128 bits of collision resistance. UUID URNs (e.g., "urn:uuid:f81d4fae-7dec-11d0-a765-00a0c91e6bf6") are RECOMMENDED. |
| user_confirmation | object | REQUIRED | Details of the user's confirmation action. |
| as_signature | string | REQUIRED | AS signature over the confirmation record. |
| Field | Type | Requirement | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| displayed_content | string | REQUIRED | The text shown to user for confirmation. |
| user_action | string | REQUIRED | How the user confirmed the operation. The value
is a free-form string, but implementations SHOULD
use values from the following set for
interoperability: button_click,
biometric_confirmation,
pin_entry, voice_confirmation,
hardware_key, implicit_consent.
Custom values MAY be used for deployment-specific
confirmation mechanisms. |
| timestamp | NumericDate | REQUIRED | When the confirmation occurred. |
The as_signature field contains a cryptographic signature from
the Authorization Server over the evidence record. This signature:¶
The signature MUST be computed over the following fields of the
evidence object:¶
The as_signature field itself MUST be excluded from the
signature computation. The signature format MUST be a detached
JWS [RFC7515] in Compact Serialization using the AS's signing key.
In detached Compact Serialization (see RFC 7515 Appendix F), the
payload portion is omitted, resulting in the format
"header..signature".¶
The signature input is constructed using the following deterministic algorithm:¶
id and user_confirmation fields
copied from the evidence object. No other
fields from the evidence object are included.¶
header..signature) is stored in the
as_signature field of the evidence
object.¶
To verify an as_signature, the verifier
reconstructs the JCS input by performing Steps 1 and 2 above
on the received evidence object (excluding the
as_signature field), then verifies the detached
JWS using the AS's public key. Any extension fields
present in the evidence object beyond
id, user_confirmation,
and as_signature
MUST NOT be included in the JCS input and therefore
are not covered by the signature.¶
Note: In examples throughout this document, the
as_signature value is shown in abbreviated form for
readability. Actual values MUST use the detached JWS Compact
Serialization format described above.¶
The key used to sign the evidence record MAY be the same key used to sign the access token, or it MAY be a separate dedicated key. When a separate key is used, implementations MUST ensure that the evidence signing key is associated with the AS through a verifiable mechanism (e.g., published in the AS's JWKS endpoint as defined in [RFC7517]). Using a dedicated evidence signing key enables independent key rotation without affecting token validation.¶
The audit_trail sub-object provides metadata for semantic
traceability, enabling analysis of how user intent was interpreted and
translated into authorized operations. It is included within the
evidence object in the authorization_evidence
authorization details type.¶
{
"audit_trail": {
"semantic_expansion_level": "medium",
"proposal_ref": "urn:uuid:proposal-xyz"
}
}
| Field | Type | Requirement | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| evidence_ref | string | OPTIONAL | Reference to a related evidence record by ID. Can be used to link this audit trail to another evidence record, such as the original consent in a delegation chain. |
| semantic_expansion_level | string | OPTIONAL | Degree of interpretation applied (none, low, medium, high). |
| proposal_ref | URI | OPTIONAL | Reference to the original authorization proposal, the agent's initial request describing the intended operation before the AS applied policy evaluation, scope reduction, or user consent modifications. The value is an opaque URI assigned by the AS for internal correlation; no protocol for retrieving the proposal content via this URI is defined by this specification. This enables post-hoc comparison between what the agent originally requested and what was ultimately authorized. |
The semantic_expansion_level field indicates how much the system
interpreted or expanded the user's original intent. The
following four values form a closed set; implementations
MUST NOT use values outside this set:¶
The evidence and audit trail objects serve several important purposes:¶
| Purpose | Description |
|---|---|
| Intent Provenance | Records what the user intended, preventing disputes about authorization scope. |
| Action Interpretation | Documents how the system translated intent into operations, showing the reasoning process. |
| Semantic Transparency | Reveals any expansions or defaults applied, enabling users to understand what was authorized. |
| User Confirmation | Provides timestamped proof that the user reviewed and approved the operation. |
| Accountability Support | Enables post-hoc analysis to determine responsibility for erroneous transactions. |
The evidence object records the outcome of a user
consent interaction. Before the AS can generate a signed
evidence record, it must first present a consent interface
to the user and capture the user's response. This section
describes the general consent-to-evidence pattern and provides
a concrete example using the JWT Grant Interaction Response
flow.¶
Regardless of the specific OAuth grant type, evidence collection follows a common pattern:¶
displayed_content).¶
evidence object as defined in
Section 3.¶
The following diagram illustrates this pattern:¶
Client/Agent Authorization Server User
| | |
|-- authorization req --->| |
| | |
| |--- consent UI ---------->|
| | (displayed_content) |
| | |
| |<-- user action ----------|
| | (button_click, etc.) |
| | |
| | [capture evidence] |
| | [sign with as_signature]|
| | |
|<-- access token --------| |
| (with evidence) | |
| | |
Each field in the evidence object corresponds to
a specific event during the consent interaction:¶
| Consent UI Event | Evidence Field | Description |
|---|---|---|
| AS renders consent page |
displayed_content
|
The text shown to the user describing the requested operation |
| User confirms or denies |
user_action
|
How the user responded (button click, biometric, PIN, etc.) |
| Confirmation timestamp |
timestamp
|
Server-side time when the user's action was received |
The JWT Grant Interaction Response ([I-D.parecki-oauth-jwt-grant-interaction-response]) defines a mechanism for AI agents to obtain user consent from an external Authorization Server. The following sequence shows how evidence is collected during this flow:¶
authorization_details.¶
interaction_required error containing an
interaction_uri (a URL hosted by the AS for
the consent interface) and a polling
interval.¶
interaction_uri in the
user's browser. The AS presents a consent page
showing the interpreted operation (e.g., "Add items
under $50 to cart on your behalf").¶
The user reviews the displayed content and clicks "Allow". The AS captures:¶
evidence object,
computes the as_signature per
Section 3, and stores the
evidence record.¶
evidence object.¶
AI Agent External AS User | | | |-- token request ->| | | | | |<- interaction_ | | | required | | | (interaction_ | | | uri, interval) | | | | | |-- open interaction_uri in browser ------------>| | | | | |--- consent UI ------------>| | | "Add items under $50 | | | to cart on your behalf"| | | | | |<-- user clicks [Allow] ----| | | | | | [capture evidence fields] | | | [compute as_signature] | | | | |-- poll token --->| | | endpoint | | | | | |<- access token ---| | | (with evidence) | | | | |
The consent-to-evidence pattern described above applies to any OAuth flow that involves user interaction. For example:¶
/authorize redirect. Evidence is collected
when the user approves or denies the request.¶
Flows that do not involve user interaction (e.g.,
Client Credentials Grant without user context) cannot
produce evidence records, since there is no
user confirmation to record. Such flows MAY still use
the audit_trail sub-object
(Section 4) for semantic
traceability without user confirmation evidence.¶
When issuing an access token with evidence, the AS MUST:¶
Resource Servers MAY verify the evidence object by:¶
as_signature from the evidence;¶
id and timestamp are
consistent with the token's iat claim (i.e., the
user confirmation occurred before or at token issuance);¶
Note: The displayed_content field records what was
shown to the user during consent. The RS typically does not
have direct knowledge of the consent interaction and therefore
cannot independently verify this field. Instead, the RS
relies on the AS signature as proof that the AS witnessed the
user's consent to the described operation.¶
Resource Servers SHOULD log evidence information for audit purposes, including:¶
This section discusses security considerations specific to authorization evidence in OAuth 2.0. General OAuth 2.0 security considerations, including token threats and countermeasures, are described in [RFC6819].¶
The AS signature over the evidence fields (id and user_confirmation) is critical for evidence integrity. Implementations MUST:¶
The evidence object is protected by the access token's signature. However,
the as_signature field provides an additional layer of protection
specifically for the user confirmation record.¶
It is important to understand the trust boundary of the
evidence mechanism: the as_signature provides
cryptographic proof that the AS recorded a
user confirmation. It does not independently prove that
the user actually consented. The AS
controls both the consent interaction and the signing key,
so a compromised or malicious AS could fabricate evidence
records. Trust in the evidence record therefore depends
on trust in the AS and its operational security.
Deployments requiring stronger non-repudiation guarantees
SHOULD supplement this mechanism with user-side signatures
or independent consent auditing.¶
Evidence records are bound to specific access tokens. The evidence ID and timestamp help detect attempts to reuse evidence across different authorization contexts.¶
The evidence object is embedded in a signed access
token ([RFC9068]), which provides
integrity protection at the token level. The inner
as_signature provides a second, independent integrity
layer specifically over the user confirmation record. This
dual-signature design ensures that:¶
as_signature.¶
Implementations MUST NOT copy an evidence object from
one access token into another without re-validating the
as_signature and confirming that the evidence
id and timestamp are consistent with the
new token's context.¶
The dual-signature design described above applies to signed
JWT access tokens ([RFC9068]). When opaque
(reference) tokens are used, the evidence object is
not embedded in the token itself and MUST be retrieved by
the RS via token introspection ([RFC7662])
or a dedicated evidence retrieval endpoint. In this case,
the as_signature provides the sole integrity
protection for the evidence record, and implementations
MUST ensure that the transport between the RS and the
introspection or retrieval endpoint is protected with TLS.¶
In cross-domain scenarios where the RS is in a different
trust domain than the AS, the RS must be able to verify the
as_signature using the AS's public key.
Implementations SHOULD:¶
kid (Key ID) in the JWS header of
the as_signature to enable key selection;¶
When the AS and RS belong to different administrative domains, trust establishment for the evidence signing key MAY be facilitated through a trust framework, federation agreement, or explicit key distribution mechanism.¶
Evidence records contain information about user consent interactions, including what was displayed to the user and how they responded. Implementations should consider applicable data protection requirements when storing and processing evidence records.¶
This specification registers the following authorization details type in the "OAuth Authorization Details Types" registry established by [RFC9396]:¶
The following shows a complete access token with authorization_details
containing both authorization_evidence and rego_policy
authorization details types:¶
This example illustrates how the authorization_evidence type
complements the rego_policy type
([I-D.liu-oauth-rego-policy]). While the Rego
policy defines what operations are permitted
(the behavioral constraint contract), the authorization evidence records
why those operations were authorized (the user's
explicit consent). Together, they enable a Resource Server to
enforce fine-grained policy while maintaining a verifiable audit
trail linking each authorized action back to user intent.¶
The act.sub value uses the wit:// URI scheme
to identify the acting agent by its workload identity, as
defined in the Identity Assertion Authorization Grant
([I-D.ietf-oauth-identity-assertion-authz-grant]).
The hash suffix provides a collision-resistant binding between
the URI and the agent's attestation evidence.¶
{
"iss": "https://as.example.com",
"sub": "user_12345",
"aud": "https://api.shop.example",
"exp": 1731369540,
"iat": 1731320700,
"jti": "urn:uuid:token-abc-123",
"act": {
"sub": "wit://myassistant.example/sha256.abc123..."
},
"authorization_details": [
{
"type": "authorization_evidence",
"evidence": {
"id": "urn:uuid:f81d4fae-7dec-11d0-a765-00a0c91e6bf6",
"user_confirmation": {
"displayed_content": "Add items under $50 to cart",
"user_action": "confirmed_via_button_click",
"timestamp": 1731320595
},
"as_signature": "eyJhbGciOiJFUzI1NiJ9..MEUCIQDx...",
"audit_trail": {
"semantic_expansion_level": "medium",
"proposal_ref": "urn:uuid:proposal-xyz"
}
}
},
{
"type": "rego_policy",
"policy": {
"type": "rego",
"uri": "https://as.example.com/policies/policy-cart-50",
"entry_point": "allow"
}
}
]
}
The authors would like to thank Brian Campbell for his valuable feedback and insightful discussions during the development of this specification. His contributions helped shape key design decisions.¶